Communication Disorders Quarterly

Epidemiological research was used to develop the Speech Disorders Classification System (SDCS). The SDCS is an important speech diagnostic paradigm in the field of speech-language pathology. This paradigm could be expanded and refined to also address treatment while meeting the standards of evidence-based practice. The article assists that process by initiating a clinical exchange of ideas on the topic of speech treatment. It explores: (a) the treatment of children with speech oral placement disorders (OPD; a new term suggested by the authors), (b) the various types of speech oral placement therapy (OPT) used to treat OPD, (c) the relationships of OPT to current motor learning theories and oral motor treatment, as well as (c) the critical need for appropriately designed, systematic research on OPT.

Nationally, the shortage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the schools is growing. As such, it is important to understand factors related to the retention of SLPs in this setting. This study expanded on previous research by examining a wider range of factors that may be related to the retention of SLPs including caseload size, workload satisfaction, job satisfaction, and time available to conduct best practice. Participants were 75 full-time SLPs working in a school setting in the state of Vermont who completed a survey designed to solicit information concerning the variables of interest. Several dimensions of job satisfaction and best practice predicted retention, caseload, and especially workload. The results also suggested that high workloads complicate the implementation of best practice and have implications for retention. Limitations of the research and implications for practice are discussed.

This investigation examined the listening comprehension (LC) performance of two groups of adolescent struggling readers, one group with word-finding difficulties (WFD) and one with no word-finding difficulties (NWFD). Of interest was whether the expressive language difficulties of the WFD group would interfere with their success on a LC assessment that requires oral responses to complete. Findings indicated that whereas the performance of the WFD group was comparable with the NWFD group when LC was measured using a multiple-choice response format, their performance was significantly poorer when LC was measured using an open-ended verbal response format, suggesting that learners’ WFD could interfere with their success on such assessments. Practical implications of these findings for the assessment of LC as part of adolescents’ reading evaluations are discussed.

The Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT) has recently been found culturally fair for an economically mixed sample of African American children, and others have argued that it is fairer for such participants than the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test— III (PPVT-III). In this study, the authors sought to replicate these findings with an exclusively low-income group in the southeastern United States and to analyze errors. An African American graduate student administered the EVT and the PPVT-III to 53 African American children ages 5 years 4 months to 12 years 3 months (kindergarten through fourth grade) receiving free lunch. Contrary to prior research, children performed significantly below the norm on both the EVT and the PPVT-III. Neither test seemed easier. An item analysis of 785 errors revealed that approximately 75% were strong associates of target words and/or accurate descriptions of EVT pictures. African American children from low-income backgrounds appear to interpret EVT instructions differently from the official instructions, which led to compromised performance.

Decontextualized conversational talk has been recognized as an important foundation for young children’s early literacy and academic success. In this study, the authors explore the tape-recorded conversations of 15 typically developing preschool-age children. The children’s talk was recorded as they traveled home from preschool on a school bus with classmates who had developmental delays. Two days of travel conversations were analyzed for evidence of initiations, responses, and the time referents used. References to decontextualized topics were heard infrequently but heard in initiations and responses with adults and classmates, as well as in the children’s self-talk. References to the here and now (present tense) were common during the children’s 5 to 20 minutes of bus travel. The need for an attentive, competent partner in supporting young children’s use of decontextualized talk is discussed along with suggestions for adults who travel on buses with young children who are still developing language and conversational skills.

Methamphetamine (meth) exposure during fetal development has the potential to adversely affect the development of multiple organ systems. An interdisciplinary case study of a 4-year 11-month-old child born to a mother addicted to meth revealed significant cognitive and communicative delays. Possible meth-related consequences for these delays included stroke in utero with associated hemiparesis and epilepsy, congenital eye dysfunction, recurrent middle ear infections, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social adjustment problems, and parental neglect. An important additional finding was the child’s nondietary iron deficiency anemia, which could contribute to or compound meth-related behavioral problems. The influence of chronic iron deficiency anemia on cognitive-communicative function speaks to the importance of including dietitians in the interdisciplinary team assessment of children exposed to meth.