The document provides an overview of language development theories and disorders in children. It discusses four children who may need language assessments: a 4th grader struggling with reading comprehension, a 6th grader who takes sarcasm literally, a 2-year-old using mainly nouns, and an 8th grader with weak writing skills. It also covers topics like the speech chain model, theories of language development, the domains and components of language, and five communication subdomains to guide clinical assessment and intervention for children's language disorders.

1. Chapter 1
Language Theory and
Language Development
Language Disorders in Children
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2. Introduction
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You can learn to be a clinical decision maker!
Let’s think about four possible children you might be working with
 A fourth grade student is having difficulty comprehending his
reading especially in science and geography. He is very social
and gets along well with his peers.
 A sixth grade student who has been diagnosed with a learning
disability does not appear to understand when other students are
using sarcasm; he takes their statements literally. This situation
is causing problems at school.
 A two-year-old has 50+ words but almost all of the words are
nouns. He is not combining words into two-word combinations.
 An eighth grade student is getting poor grades in writing
composition. His teacher says his writing is “immature” and that
he does not write with enough complexity.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-2
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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3. Chapter Overview Questions
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What are the differences between a language disorder, a language
difference, and a language delay?
What are the three levels of communication described within the
speech chain?
What are six different theories influencing language development as
described in this chapter?
What are five different communication subdomains?
What is the most important communication characteristic
associated with each subdomain?
How do practitioners use information regarding the subdomains to
guide clinical interventions?
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-3
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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4. Definitions
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Language is a complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols
used for thought and language.
Speech is the articulation and the rate of speech sounds and quality of
an individual’s voice.
Communication, includes symbolic and nonsymbolic information (i.e.,
facial expressions, body language, gestures, etc.).
A language disorder…
may be evident in the process of hearing, language, speech, or
a combination of all three processes.
in
is impaired comprehension and/or use of spoken, written,
and/or other symbol systems.
can represent a deficit in receptive language, expressive
language, or a combined expressive-receptive deficit.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-4
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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5. Background Information
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Children with speech and language disorders make up 1.79% of
the total school population.
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Late Talker
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Language difference
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Descriptive-developmental framework
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
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6. The Speech Chain Model
See Figure 1.1 on page 5
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Level 1- the acoustic level of communicative function
Level 2 - the internal physical/motor system required for
communication
Level 3 - the linguistic component of communication
*The linguistic component is the focus of this book.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
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7. Theories of Language
Development
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Behaviorism
Cognitive
Nativist
Neurobiological Research and Neural Maturation
Social Interaction Theory
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Information-Processing
Systems/Ecological Approach
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
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8. Behaviorism Theory
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Learning occurs when an environmental stimulus triggers a
response or behavior
Increasing the frequency of positive behaviors and decreasing
or altering negative behaviors
B.F. Skinner
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
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9. Cognitive Theory
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Jean Piaget
Sequence of progressively more sophisticated cognitive skills,
from primitive thinking to advanced cognitive ability.
Proposes specific cognitive achievements are fundamental to
linguistic development.
Linkages exist between children’s motor ability, play behavior,
and language development.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
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10. Nativist Theory
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Noam Chomsky
Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
 Innate ability to learn language, a biological brain
mechanism
 children need only minimal language exposure to prime
the LAD.
Deemphasizes contribution of child’s environment
Biological base for language learning
Helps explain innate human ability to develop sophisticated
language systems.
Extends and clarifies the children’s language-learning ability
and drive to communicate.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-10
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11. Neurobiological Research and
Neural Maturation
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An accumulating body of science
 Relationship between language and brain development in
young children.
Brain development facilitates language performance AND
child’s learning changes the brain
The brain becomes less capable of reorganizing and adapting
to new environmental input at people age.
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Brain plasticity decreases with age.
Highlights the need for very early intervention for children with
developmental delays and sensory impairment.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-11
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12. Social Interaction Theory
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Based on principle that communication interaction plays a
central role in children’s acquisition of language.
Children’s language development is strongly tied to:
 Children’s appreciation of others’ communicative intentions
 Sensitivity to joint visual attention
Desire to imitate others’ behaviors and speech.
Important concepts:
 Infant-directed talk (motherese)
 Coordinating attention (pointing)
 Parent-child communication routines (scripts)
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Language Disorders in Children, 1e
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13. Vygotsky’s Sociocultural
Theory
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Cognitive development is socially mediated
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A child’s interactions with others influence his or her
cognitive understandings.
Initially a child and a more capable partner solve problems
together, but eventually the child internalizes the process and is
able to carry out the function independently.
Language plays a critical role in shaping learning and thought.
 Private speech plays a role in cognitive development
 Private speech occurs when children speak aloud as they
are engaged in play.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
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14. Information-Processing
Theories (Connectionism)
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An individual’s cognitive ability to process information is
completed by a large number of very simple processing
elements similar to computer software.
For example:
 Phonological processing connections are a likely cause of
reading disability prompts practitioners to focus on building
linkages between letter names and letter sounds in
intervention programs for struggling readers.
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Cognitive-processing components--attention, memory, and
transfer of information--affect the communication skills of
individuals with intellectual disability.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-14
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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15. Systems/Ecological Approach
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An individual’s family, community, and culture shape his or her
functioning throughout the life span.
Human behavior and development must be viewed as occurring
within complex systems.
Functional or life-skill goals linking aspects of language use,
form, and function and is particularly useful for older students or
adults with cognitive impairments.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
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16. The Domains of Language
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See Figure 1.5 on page 24
Form
 Syntax
 Morphology
 Phonology
Content
 Sematics
Use
 Pragmatics
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17. The Components of Language
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Morphology
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The structure of words and the construction of word forms.
Syntax
 The order and combination of words to form sentences
 Relationships among the elements within a sentence.
Phonology
 The sound system of a language
 Rules that govern the sound combinations.
Semantics
 The system that governs the meanings of words and
sentences.
Pragmatics
 The system that combines the above language components in
functional and socially appropriate communication.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
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18. The Five Communication
Subdomains
4.
Early Pragmatics
Vocabulary
Early Word Combinations
Morphosyntax
5.
Discourse
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2.
3.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
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19. Subdomain 1:
Early Pragmatic Skills
Prelinguistic communication
 Joint visual attention (JVA) - between 10 and 12 months
 One of the first interactive communication acts
 Early Development
 8 and 15 months - Request objects or activities, refusal,
comments
 16 and 23 months - Requesting information, answering
questions, acknowledging a response.
 Early Discourse Skills – begins in preschool and continues
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Initiating a conversation
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Taking turns during a conversational exchange
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Maintaining ongoing topic
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Conversational topic switching
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Making conversational repairs
 Code switching
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Language Disorders in Children, 1e
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Joan N. Kaderavek
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20. Clinical Implications for
Communication Subdomain 1
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Underlie all later communication
First aspect of communication that is considered
during observational process
If the practitioner identifies a weakness in the
individual’s ability in early pragmatic functions;
Communication Subdomain 1 becomes the focus
of intervention.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-20
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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21. Subdomain 2:
Vocabulary Development
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Vocabulary development
Begins towards the end of the first year of life and
continues to develop throughout one’s life.
First words typically produced between 10 and 16 months.
By two years, children typically produce 200-500 words and
understand many more words than they produce
Semantics deficits are characteristic of many language
disorders including:
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developmental delay
autism spectrum disorder
hearing impairment
specific language impairment.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-21
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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22. Clinical Implications for
Communication Subdomain 2
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At early stages in vocabulary development, practitioners
consider whether children’s word usage reflects a variety of
semantic categories.
The interventionist may train caregivers to facilitate a variety of
semantic forms.
Successful vocabulary interventions should
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integrate new word meaning with familiar words,
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provide repeated, meaningful, and contextual opportunities
to learn new words,
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provide explicit and implicit learning opportunities,
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aim for fluent and automatic understanding and use of new
words, and
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teach students to be more independent word learners.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-22
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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23. Subdomain 3:
Multiple Word Combinations
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Once an individual produces approximately 50 individual words,
word combinations begin to emerge.
At this early word combination level, children are not governed
by adult syntax rules and do not use morphological forms.
Children create combinations of words by:
 naming objects or people of interest
 stating the actions objects or people perform
 describing the object’s or person’s characteristics
 describing who owns or possesses the object.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-23
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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24. Clinical Implications for
Communication Subdomain 3
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Once a child is able to demonstrate early pragmatic skills and
has more than 50 single words practitioners engage children in
early play activities to facilitate multiple word combinations.
A child’s parents and/or caretakers are trained to facilitate
semantic combinations.
For older individuals with significant communication
impairments, practitioners may incorporate an alternative
communication approach (AAC).
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-24
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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25. Subdomain 4:
Morphosyntax Development
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Children’s utterances begin to demonstrate characteristics of
syntax and morphological development (i.e., language form).
Occurs between 24 and 36 months for children developing
typically.
Examples:
 present progressive ing verb
 plural s
By age 5, children’s sentences evidence complex syntax
including the use of embedded phrases and clauses.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-25
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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26. Clinical Implications for
Communication Subdomain 4
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Once an individual demonstrates the ability to use foundational
pragmatic functions and produces multiword combinations using
a variety of semantic categories practitioners typically evaluate
a speaker’s use of morphosyntax using the framework
developed by Brown (1973).
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Used in language analysis
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Demonstrated in students’ ability to read difficult texts and write
at the level required for school success.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-26
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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27. SUBDOMAIN 5:
Advanced Pragmatic &
Discourse Development
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Between the ages of 3 and 7 children’s developing
pragmatic/discourse skills include the ability to use language to:
 reason and to reflect on past experiences
 predict events, express empathy
 maintain status and interactions with peers
 use and understand sarcasm and politeness forms
 code switch in order
Students also have to learn to modify discourse styles for
different situations. Some forms of discourse are called
narratives.
Narrative forms
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
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28. Clinical Implications for
Communication Subdomain 5
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Skilled practitioners track children’s abilities to use vocabulary,
produce sentences, and use advanced language within
sophisticated discourse genres.
Observe student:
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in the classroom
with peers
producing narratives
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Discourse analysis
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Focus on intervention for students in peer-groups, etc.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-28
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
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29. Think Like a Clinician!
Use what you’ve learned in Chapter 1 to identify the
Subdomain of each student described below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A sixth grade student who has been diagnosed with a
learning disability does not appear to understand when other
students are using sarcasm; he takes their statements
literally. This situation is causing problems at school.
A two-year-old has 50+ words but almost all of the words are
nouns. He is not combining words into two-word
combinations.
An eighth grade student is getting poor grades in writing
composition. His teacher says his writing is “immature” and
that he does not write with enough complexity.
An eighth grade student is getting poor grades in writing
composition. His teacher says his writing is “immature” and
that he does not write with enough complexity.
Language Disorders in Children, 1e
Joan N. Kaderavek
1-29
© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.