CHAPTER 1 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

Name: Fred Arthur Fisher

Date: 07/23/2020

1. Explain the differences between speech, language, and communication. How are they related?

Speech is verbal communication via voicing, artic and fluency. Language is a set (finite or infinite) of
sentences, each finite in length and constructed out of a finite set of elements. Communication refers to
an effort to get people to understand what one means.

While impairments in one might cause developmental delays in the others, they aren’t always,
necessarily related at all.

2. Discuss the issue of labels in the field of speech-language pathology. Defend the decision to move
away from the label “specific language impairment.”

Language can be impaired in the context of “spared” capacities in other aspects of development. As we
assess language on strengths and weaknesses, using a label which categorically defines it as an
impairment is both useful and accurate.

3. What are the key linguistic features of DLD?

Being able to make sounds but not being able to understand anyone. Small vocabulary. Repetitions.
Having good sentence structure, but unusual pragmatic and semantic language.
Unable to fix mistakes in speech and using very basic sentences.

4. Name and describe the different domains of language.

Form, content, and use. Form is Phonology, Morphology and Syntax. Content is Semantics and Use is
Pragmatics. ASHA defines these as follows:

Phonology—study of the speech sound (i.e., phoneme) system of a language, including the rules for
combining and using phonemes.

Morphology—study of the rules that govern how morphemes, the minimal meaningful units of
language, are used in a language.

Syntax—the rules that pertain to the ways in which words can be combined to form sentences in a
language.

Semantics—the meaning of words and combinations of words in a language.

Pragmatics—the rules associated with the use of language in conversation and broader social situations.
 CHAPTER 1 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

5. Are there subtypes of DLD? Explain your answer.

There sure are.

There is a Grammatical Speech Language Impairment (G-SLI) and a Pragmatic Language Impairment (PLI)

These have been used for years, but these sub-groups don’t take development into account and children
move between subgroups fluidly over the years. So, while subtypes exist in that they have names and
some professionals use them, it does not appear these subtypes provide much utility for the
practitioner.

6. What environmental factors should we consider in DLD?

- Family socioeconomic status: Poverty bring a whole host of problems, not the least of which is that one
is far more likely to have language & developmental delays and disorders.

- Maternal education – A near complete and total lack of social mobility means that your mother’s
education level is probably going to be your education level. Since education is tied so closely with
literacy and literacy is tied closely with language, your education level is tied to a likelihood of
communication disorders

- The text specifically makes a point of saying that multiple languages in the home is not a factor in DLD

7. Why is non-word repetition (NWR) an important (and theoretically interesting) test to use in DLD?

Weaknesses in non-word repetition are linked to phonological active memory. Clients with DLD struggle
with increasing the length of their syllables, which is linked to active memory. Weakness in this area can
lead to language delay.

8. What have intervention studies revealed about the role of auditory processing in DLD?

Sounds produced in quick succession are difficult to perceive by clients with DLD because they aren't
thought to be important due to their short duration.

So, clients with DLD have a more difficult time with longer, more complex sentences.

9. What are the common linguistic characteristics of DLD from Table 1.1?

Weakness with increasingly complex language and preferring language that is more basic.

10. Give examples of errors in use, content, and form.

Form – Phonological processes

Content – Substituitions

Use – Trouble with conversational turn-taking

 CHAPTER 1 STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS

11. What is cognitive referencing?

The only utility of an IQ test is determining the difference between a client’s chronological age and their
cognitive age. If there is a significant difference, this can be one of the weaknesses used to determine
with a client would benefit from intervention.