Advanced theory & practice in developmental language difficulties - SPE8309

Professionals: SLTs
Module Leader: Dr Cristina McKean
Dates: 11th and 12th October, & 3rd December 2010

Summary

The long lasting and far reaching impact of developmental language difficulties on individuals’ lives is increasingly being recognised. As a result a research base is developing to support practitioners to make evidence-based and theoretically motivated choices with respect to the interventions, teaching approaches and service delivery models they choose to support children with developmental language difficulties. This module will build on students’ existing knowledge and skills to explore current theory regarding the nature of developmental language difficulties, develop students’ knowledge of current best evidence regarding effective interventions, and will support them to apply this new knowledge to their practice

Outline of Syllabus

  1. Developmental Language Difficulties: labels and diagnoses, where have we come from and where are we now?
  2. Theories of Developmental Language Difficulties: Linguistic, processing or developmental accounts?
  3. The Nature of Developmental Language Difficulties: domains of difficulty and trajectories of development
  4. Interventions and service delivery models for developmental language difficulties: what’s the best-evidence and how do we evaluate it?
  5. Synthesising evidence, theory & practice: applying learning to a work-based problem

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

This module will enable students

  1. To develop their understanding of current theory regarding the causes, nature and developmental trajectories of developmental language difficulties
  2. To review & evaluate the evidence-base for interventions and service delivery models for children with developmental language difficulties
  3. To synthesise and apply this knowledge with their existing experience & knowledge and the specifics of the practice-based problem to develop an evidence based action plan with a clear rationale.

Intended Skill Outcomes

This module will enable students

  1. To critically appraise and evaluate the evidence-base for interventions and service delivery models for children with developmental language difficulties
  2. To identify and describe a work-based problem
  3. To formulate and justify a plan to address that problem based on their new learning.
  4. To be able to articulate and justify that plan using supporting evidence and through a synthesis of their experience, the evidence & their knowledge of the specifics of their work place & clients.

Teaching Rationale and Relationships

Lectures will develop student’s understanding of current theory regarding the causes, nature and developmental trajectories of developmental language difficulties.
Seminars & group learning will allow students to review & evaluate the evidence-base for interventions and service delivery models for children with developmental language difficulties
Field work, self study and seminars with formative feedback will allow students to synthesise and apply this knowledge with their existing experience & knowledge and the specifics of the practice-based problem to develop an evidence based action plan with a clear rationale.

Reading List

Bishop, D. V. M. (2009). Specific language impairment as a language learning disability. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 25(2), 163-165.
Bishop, D. V. M., & Leonard, L. B. (Eds.). (2000). Speech and language impairments in children: causes, characteristics, intervention and outcome. Hove: Psychology Press.
Bishop, D. V. M. (1997). Uncommon Understanding: Development and Disorders of Language Comprehension in Children. Hove: Psychology Press.
Bishop, D. V. M. (2000). How does the brain learn language? Insights from the study of children with and without language impairment. The Ronnie MacKeith Lecture. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 42, 133-142.
Chiat, S. (2001). Mapping theories of developmental language impairment: Premises, predictions, and evidence. Language and Cognitive Processes, 16(2), 113-142.
Clegg, J., & Ginsborg, J. (2006). language and social disadvantage: theory into practice. Chichester: Wiley and sons Ltd.
Conti-Ramsden, G. (2009). The field of language impairment is growing up. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 25(2), 166-168.
Fletcher, P., & Miller, J. F. (Eds.). (2005). Developmental theory and language disorders. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
Hulme, C., & Snowling, M. (2009). Developmental disorders of language, learning and cognition. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Leonard, L. B. (1998). Children with specific language impairment. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.
Leonard, L. B. (2009). Some reflections on the study of children with specific language impairment. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 25(2), 169-171.
Norbury, C. F., Tomblin, J. B., & Bishop, D. V. M. (2008). Understanding developmental language disorders: from theory to practice. Hove: Psychology Press.
Paul, R. (2007). Language disorders from a developmental perspective: Essays in honour of Robin S. Chapman. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Schwartz, R. G. (2009). Handbook of childhood language disorders. Hove: Psychology Press.