Developmental Disorders of Language

Part 1 Characteristics: who are these children?; what is a developmental language disorder?; prevalence estimates; changes in terminology reflecting changes in thinking; the concept of a continuum of language disability; bases for differentiation. Part 2 Identification: ways in which language disorders may be identified; genetic inheritance and family history; medical and environmental factors affecting language development; screening and surveillance; the contributions of parents and teachers to the identification of language disorders. Part 3 Prevention: principles of prevention and prophylaxis; a project to improve the early identification of communication disorders; mother-child talk and language development; early intervention procedures; prevention of secondary features of language disorder. Part 4 The nature of language disorders - how may they be described?: information processing model; neurobiological aspects; cognitive processing; linguistic processing. Part 5 The differentiation of clinical subtypes: developmental and acquired disorders; age of emergence; syndromes of language disorder; patterns of deficit. Part 6 Assessment of language disorders: reasons and justification; methods; analyzing data; assessment of comprehension; assessment of production. Part 7 The nature and timing of intervention: patterns of management; intervention approaches; admission criteria; curricula of language units and special schools; staffing of units and schools; Education Act, 1981 and 1988 revision; meeting the need; specified clinical subtypes. Part 8 Reflection and future developments: terminology; types of classification; delayed and disordered language; trends in speech therapy practice.