Jeannene M. Ward-Lonergan

Argumentative writing in pre-adolescents: The role of verbal reasoning

Argumentative writing is a challenging communication task that calls upon sophisticated cognitive and linguistic abilities. Pre-adolescents (n = 80; mean age = 11;10; range = 10;6—13:5) were asked to write an argumentative essay on the controversial topic of training animals to perform in circuses. Additionally, they were asked to solve a set of verbal reasoning problems. Children whose essays reflected a more flexible attitude toward the controversy (Conditional subgroup) outperformed their peers whose attitude was more rigid (Absolute subgroup) on all key measures: Verbal Analogical Reasoning, Total Number of Reasons, and Mean Length of Utterance in Words. Implications for instruction and intervention with pre-adolescents are discussed.

The State of Dyslexia: Recent Legislation and Guidelines for Serving School-Age Children and Adolescents With Dyslexia

Purpose The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of recent dyslexia legislation and guidelines pertaining to services for students with dyslexia in public school settings and to describe possible implications for speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Method In recent years, there has been increased attention focused on effectively meeting the needs of students with dyslexia nationwide. The Decoding Dyslexia organization has chapters in all 50 states in the nation, and they have been instrumental in promoting public awareness of the importance of improving services for students with dyslexia. As a result, new legislation, policies and guidelines have been introduced and developed in many states. California is an example of 1 state that has recently passed legislation in this area and released guidelines that serve as recommendations related to this law. This article provides a broad overview of recent dyslexia legislation, with more specific information pertaining to recent legislation and guidelines in the state of California. Clinical implications for SLPs who serve this population in school settings are also discussed. Conclusion The information discussed in this article may serve as a useful model for states that are in the process of developing or revising their own policies or guidelines for meeting the needs of students with dyslexia.

A survey of speech-language pathology and audiology needs of older adults

A needs assessment for an agency that serves older adults in a northwestern Ohio county in the United States was conducted by a team of researchers. Data obtained from 301 completed survey questionnaires, from an original 850 that were mailed, pertaining to the disciplines of speech-language pathology and audiology are presented. Specifically, results are discussed that relate to a self-reported need or desire for speech-language pathology or audiology services, self-perceptions of needs related to basic functional communication skills, and current and previous diagnoses of communicative and cognitive disorders. Implications for practicing clinical speech-language pathologists and audiologists are also discussed.

Intervention to Improve Expository Reading Comprehension Skills in Older Children and Adolescents with Language Disorders.

With the recent renewed emphasis on the importance of providing instruction to improve expository discourse comprehension and production skills, speech–language pathologists need to be prepared to implement effective intervention to meet this critical need in older children and adolescents with language disorders. The purpose of this review article is to present intervention techniques, approaches, and strategies for facilitating expository reading comprehension skills in older children and adolescents with language disorders, as reported in the research literature. Evidence supports both content and strategic approaches to facilitating reading comprehension of expository text in these students.

Language Sampling With Adolescents: Building a Normative Database With Fables

Purpose The goal of the study was to create a language sampling task appropriate for adolescents and to contribute normative data from speakers with typical language development. Method Thirty adolescents (mean age = 14 years, 1 month) participated in an interview that involved the retelling and interpretation of 4 Greek fables. Each speakers performance on the task was audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and entered into the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts computer program (Miller & Iglesias, 2015). Samples were analyzed statistically for language productivity and syntactic complexity. In addition, each participants perspective on the moral messages of the fables was examined informally. Results The Fables task was effective in prompting adolescents to use complex language and in encouraging them to express their opinions about the moral messages. Although boys and girls did not differ in their performance on the task, some fables were more effective than others at eliciting spoken language and complex syntax. Moreover, the adolescents tended to agree with the moral messages of the fables and appeared to find them relevant to their lives. Conclusion The Fables task has potential for clinical use with adolescents. Research is necessary to expand the normative database to include larger and more diverse groups of adolescents.