A Question Of Language Disorder: Studies Of Assessment, Management And Parent Attitude.

Sage, Rosemary J. W. (1991). A Question Of Language Disorder: Studies Of Assessment, Management And Parent Attitude. MPhil thesis The Open University.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.00010163

Abstract

Children labelled "language disordered" failed to make academic progress in schools promoting investigations into the nature of their problems, attendant attitudes and contextual influences.

Studies find differences in haptic, auditory and visual processing between normal and language disordered children. Individual management does not acknowledge this range of modality input problems and selectively targets language form for systematic development. The approach does not result in better school attainments. Perhaps the label "language disorder" limits perception of the extent of difficulties in other areas. In contrast, an interactive method is described, taking account of "inside" and "outside" the child factors. Educational success is produced by inter-relating the language system with the learning context.

Full implementation of the interactive model seems unlikely given the present styles of professional training and existing institutional constraints. However, consumer dissatisfaction with current language Learning provision suggests this procedure offers a promising alternative.