Language Disorders in Preschool Children

CD 5675

LANGUAGE DISORDERS IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

FALL 2008

Instructor: Dr. Angela Losardo
Office: 127 F Duncan Hall
Phone: 262-2223
Email:
Web: / Course Schedule: Thursday 9:30 to 12:15
Room: EDA 200
Office Hours: Wed 9:00-12:00 and 2:00-4:00 Drop In
Also all day Friday by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of language and communication problems in infants and young children. The content focuses on the relationship between theoretical perspectives of language acquisition and clinical practice. A variety of assessment and intervention approaches will be discussed within the context of a family-guided and transdisciplinary approach to intervention. Prerequisites CD 3162, 3163, 3366, 4668. After attending all class lectures, reading all assigned material, completing all examinations, and participating in a class project, students will:

ASHA Standard / Outcome / Implementation / Evaluation Criteria
III-F; III-H; III-I / Demonstrate knowledge of legislation, policies, and practices regarding services for infants and young children with early language delays and developmental disabilities / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-D; III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between theoretical perspectives of language acquisition and clinical practice / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-D; III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of different early intervention team approaches and a family-guided approach to early intervention / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-D; III-E / Demonstrate knowledge of the genetic, organic and environmental determinants of risk factors and common developmental disabilities in infancy and early childhood / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of previous and contemporary language assessment-evaluation tools and procedures / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of how to administer, summarize, and interpret results of language assessment tools / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of how to develop an IFSP and an IEP and write measurable goal and objective statements / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of how to develop, implement, and evaluate early language and literacy intervention programs / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams / 80% accuracy
III-D / Students will demonstrate knowledge of specialized assessment and intervention techniques with low-incidence populations / Study Guides,
Quizzes,
Exams / 80% accuracy
III-D; III-E / Students will demonstrate knowledge of culturally-appropriate assessment and intervention practices when working with diverse populations and families / Study Guides,
Quizzes, Exams
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND PUBLIC POLICY
08-28 / Course Overview
Historical Perspectives on Early Language Assessment / Study Guide 1
AB Chap 1
IB Chap 1
09-04 / Convocation
09-11 / Federal Policies and Legislative Mandates
Review of IDEA
Guest Speaker: Donna Brown
Preschool Issues in Public Education / Study Guide 2
Preschool Packet
EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND CHILD FIND
FAMILY ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION
09-18 / Unit Quiz 1
Early Identification and Risk Factors in Infancy
Common Developmental Disorders Prenatal Exposure to Drugs and Associated Problems
Guest Speaker: Connie Norris
Role of the Public Health Nurse and Newborn Home Visits / Study Guide 3
IB Chap 3
09-25 / Historical Perspective on Family Involvement
Review of Select Family Assessment Tools and Procedures
Guest Speaker: Harold McKinney
Building Partnerships with Families / Study Guide 4:
IB Chap 4
10-02 / Videotape Practice:
Assessment of Caregiver and Infant Interactions
Intervention Designed to Improve Caregiver and Infant Interactions
TRADITIONAL PRESCHOOL ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION
10-09 / Unit Quiz 2
Current Best Practices
Types of Assessment and Measurement Processes
Review of Norm- and Criterion-Referenced Assessment Tools
Preparation for Arena-Type Assessment / Study Guide 5:
AB Chap 2
IB Chap 6
10-16 / University Break
10-23 / Assessment Guest Family and Child:
Caregiver and Infant Interactions
Assessment of Child
Development of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) and Individualized Education Plans (IEP)
Development Intervention Strategies and Techniques / Study Guide 6:
IB Chap 8, 9, 10
ALTERNATIVE PRESCHOOL ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION
10-30 / Unit Quiz 3
Embedded Assessment Models
Naturalistic and Focused Assessment
Development of Embedded Assessment and Intervention Protocol
Embedded Intervention Strategies and Techniques / Study Guide 7:
AB Chap 3, 4
Assessment Report Due
11-06 / Authentic Assessment Models
Performance and Portfolio Assessment
Development of Authentic Assessment and Intervention Protocol
Authentic Intervention Strategies and Techniques / Study Guide 8:
AB Chap 5, 6
Embedded Assessment and Intervention Protocol Due
11-13 / Mediated Assessment Models
Dynamic and Curriculum-Based Language Assessment
Development of Mediated Assessment and Intervention Protocol
Mediated Intervention Strategies and Techniques / Study Guide 9:
AB Chap 7, 8
Authentic Assessment and Intervention Protocol Due
SPECIALIZED INTERVENTION STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES
11-20 / Unit Quiz 4
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Chapman
Augmentative/Alternative Communication Strategies and Procedures
Working with Children from Culturally Diverse Backgrounds / Study Guide 10:
IB Chap 11, 12, 13
Mediated Assessment and Intervention Protocol Due
11-27 / State Holiday
12-04 / Guest Speaker: Bliss Warren
Animated Literacy Intervention Techniques
Summary and Preparation for Final Examination
12-12 / Final Examination 12:00 to 2:30

* The instructor may modify this course outline as necessary

GUIDELINES FOR UNIT QUIZZES

The unit quizzes are designed to provide students with ongoing feedback about how well you are synthesizing information from class lectures and readings. The unit quizzes will consist of questions that require true/false, multiple choice, or short-answer responses. Each of the five quizzes is worth 50 points for a total of 200 points.

GUIDELINES FOR RESOURCE PORTFOLIO

The resource portfolio is designed to assist students in organizing, applying, and synthesizing information from class lectures and readings. Each student will develop a resource portfolio to provide evidence of competence, both knowledge-based and skill-based, in the diagnosis and treatment preschool language disorders. The portfolio should be neatly organized in one loose-leaf notebook that is designed to serve as a handbook for future reference in clinical situations. Each student should create his or her own resource portfolio and should not collaborate with fellow students. Evidence of shared materials will result in a deduction of one letter grade.

IMPORTANT: All entries in the resource portfolio should be neatly typed and arranged, properly referenced, grammatically correct, and checked for spelling or typographical errors. An APA format (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association - Fourth Edition) should be used. For any part of the project handed in late a penalty of 5 points per section per day will be applied, unless the student obtains approval from the instructor and makes an alternative arrangement prior to the due date. The resource portfolio is worth a total of 500 points

SECTION I: CHILD DEVELOPMENT THEORIES

This section should contain information you have gathered concerning the different theoretical perspectives on child development. Provide the following information: (1) a discussion of the essence of the nature vs. nurture debate or traditional models of child development, (2) the rationale for the integration of nativist and behaviorist models to create the interactionist, information processing, and connectionist theories, and (3) the rationale for the movement toward a more comprehensive social-constructivist approach including a brief description of the zone of proximal development and mediation, (4) a rationale for the adoption of systems perspective, and (5) a rationale for the adoption of a broad ecological approach. A template is provided to assist you in the organization of this material. Section I is worth 20 points.

SECTION II: FEDERAL AND STATE REGULATIONS

This section should contain a copy of Public Law 108-446 North Carolina Guidelines for Speech-Language Pathology Services in Schools (Handouts 1 and 2 from the course packet). According to IDEA, provide the following information: (1) required components of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), (2) required components of an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and (3) differences between the IFSP and IEP process. A template is provided to assist you in the organization of this material. Section I is worth 20 points.

SECTION III: ASSESSMENT TOOLS

This section should contain descriptions of both formal and informal assessment measures used clinically to assist in the diagnosis of language and learning difficulties. The test descriptions will contain a summary that includes the author and publisher, purpose of assessment, type of assessment, age range, subtests and/or domains, types of scores provided, tips for administration, tips for scoring and interpretation, and psychometric properties. You need to (1) file these summaries in your resource portfolio, and (2) write a rationale for the evaluation of each disorder area. In other words, give the reasons why it is important to assess the specific disorder area. A template is provided to assist you in the organization of this material. Section III is worth 20 points.

SECTION IV: LANGUAGE DISORDER GUIDES

This section should contain language disorder guides that include: (1) definitions and terminology, (2) diagnostic indicators, (3) typical patterns of development, (4) a list of formal diagnostic assessment tools that can be used clinically, (5) a brief description informal assessment and intervention procedures that can be used clinically, (6) other relevant references/materials (one recent research article summary), and (7) a case study. A template is provided to assist you in the organization of this material. Section IV is worth 240 points.

1. Caregiver Interactions
2. Self Regulation
3. Infant Attachment
4. Prelinguistic Communication
5. Early Phonological Development
6. Semantic/Early Grammatical Areas / 7. Conversational Problems
8. Producing and Comprehending Sentences
9. Later Phonological Development
10. Acquiring and Retrieving Words and Concepts
11. Symbolic Play and Cognitive Problems
12. Emergent Literacy Problems
1. Unit Quizzes200 pts
2. Resource Portfolio500 pts
3. Final Examination100 pts
4. Attendance/Participation200 pts / A 940 to 1000 pointsC740 to 769 points
A-900 to 939 pointsC-700 to 739 points
B+870 to 899 pointsD+670 to 699 points
B840 to 869 pointsD640 to 669 points
B-800 to 839 pointsD-600 to 639 points
C+770 to 799 pointsF599 and below