Language Disorders in School Age Children

An elementary, school-aged child is described by a teacher as having difficulty retelling stories from books or about daily activities. The teacher reports that the child has difficulty giving enough information in the narrative, such as "We drove to the soccer game. Then, I made a goal. We went home." In what level of narrative episodes is the child MOST LIKELY experiencing?

• Descriptive sequence

• Action sequence

• Reactive sequence

• Complete sequence

Answer explanation

This narrative has a beginning, middle, and an end; however, multiple details have been omitted and the actions have been simplified. The reactive sequence level to narratives is occurring when the narrative has a series of actions that follow in chronological order and are causally linked

A child is referred to an SLP by a teacher, who reports that the child's language sounds more "babyish" than peers. The SLP conducts an observation and hears the child say, "I putted away all my toys" and "Me goed to school tomorrow." Which areas of language BEST defines the child's language disorder?

• morphology and syntax

• semantics and pragmatics

• phonology and pragmatics

• morphology and semantics

Answer explanation

This child demonstrated difficulty with appropriate verb conjugation and appropriate pronoun usage. Verb conjugation is an aspect of morphology and pronoun ussage would be considered syntax.

Semantics would be if the child is having difficulty using the correct vocabulary word.

An SLP is asked to consult on a child in a first-grade classroom who is having difficulty with reading. When arriving to perform the consultation, the SLP discovers that the child has a cultural background that differs from the SLP. In order to better understand the case, what factors would MOST LIKELY influence learning to read?

• language and literacy experiences in the home

• the child's reading preferences

• parental reading and writing capabilities

• family attitudes toward speech-language pathologists

Answer explanation

Attitudes toward language and literacy practices may vary greatly between cultures. By understanding the attitudes toward language and literacy within a particular student's home, an SLP may be better able to tailor assessment plans, which can lead to appropriate diagnosis. Additionally, the SLP may develop appropriate intervention plans to meet cultural expectations.

An elementary school student with a language disorder is demonstrating significant difficulties in the classroom. After talking with the teacher, the child reveals difficulties following classroom activities, with specific deficits in content vocabulary. Which of the following activities would the child have the MOST difficulty completing?

• vocabulary words that the child has not yet learned

• vocabulary words that are highly specific to the child's life

• vocabulary words that allow the child to follow classroom directions

• vocabulary words specific to information in classroom assignments

Answer explanation

Content vocabulary consists of words that are specific to the information contained in instructional or curricular materials. In contrast to this, instructional vocabulary consists of words used in daily classroom instruction that students need to follow directions.

An SLP is determining whether a 6-year-old client is making progress. How can the SLP determine progress on the target of answering -wh questions?

• discuss with the teacher how the student is doing in class, in terms of answering questions

• ask questions during a therapy session that have never been asked before

• determine how many correct answers the child gives on questions frequently used during therapy

• ask the student how she is feeling about how she is doing on the skills

During a therapy session, an SLP asks a child the following question: "Which word starts with the same sound as 'dog'? Tiger, drink, or hog?" Which aspect of phonological awareness is the SLP targeting?

• rhyme awareness

• onset-rime awareness

• phonemic awareness

• word awareness

Answer explanation

Onset-rime is when a child is able to identify which sounds start with the same sound. Rhyme awareness would require the child to identify which ending sounds were the same--in this case, the word 'hog' out of the three choices.

An SLP receives a referral to assess the literay skills of a child. The SLP utilizes evaluation tasks that look at the child's ability to manipulate and understand sounds, letter awareness and understanding, and automaticity skills. What other area is BEST for the SLP to address in order to perform a comprehensive evaluation?

• underlying language testing

• articulation assessment

• pragmatic profile

• classroom observation

Answer explanation

The SLP needs to make sure he assesses the underlying language of his client, including examining morphology, syntax, semantics, and discourse. Examining underlying language abilities will allow the SLP to determine gaps in the child's basic language abilities and understanding. Children typically acquire these skills at an early age, prior to literacy structure. Students with deficits in these oral skills will be a a disadvantage to their peers during literacy instruction.

What is criterion referenced-based assessment designed to assess?

• The extent to which a child has mastered a specific language skill

• The extent to which a child's performance on a specific language skill differs from others similar to their age

• The extent to which a child's performance on a specific language skill may be modified

• The extent to which a child's communication disorder impacts daily living