Introduction to Comprehension
Language comprehension is the ability to understand spoken language. The term is often used interchangeably with receptive language. A child’s language comprehension is the combined product of sever...
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Collection Language Comprehension
Date Created: 12/12/2016
Posts: 3
Language comprehension, or receptive language, serves as the silent foundation on which expressive communication skills are built. In this collection, we share information about language comprehension developmental stages, tips for encouraging language comprehension development, and a discussion of approaches for assessing language comprehension.
Evelyn Fisher is a 5th year graduate student in the clinical neuropsychology PhD program at Georgia State University. Her research interests relate to the development of language and literacy in children with disabilities, as well as cognitive mechanism underlying vocabulary acquisition in typically developing children and late talking toddlers. Casy Walker, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, is a speech- language pathologist pursuing her doctorate in developmental psychology. As a clinician and researcher, she is interested in using literacy to develop language skills. Phebe Albert is a second year student in the clinical neuropsychology Ph.D. program at Georgia State University. She received her B.S. in psychology from the University of Florida. Her research interests are in developmental assessment and AAC intervention for children with developmental disabilities, as well as differential diagnosis in pediatric populations with impaired cognitive and language abilities, including children with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.
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Checking for Comprehension During Literacy Activities, by Casy Walker
While there are challenges to identifying comprehension through assessment and in conversation, I will share a few strategies I use to check for comprehension when working with individuals with comple...
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Comprehension in AAC Users, by Phebe Albert
What is AAC? Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is a communication intervention strategy that provides an alternate means of producing and using language through augmented symbolic comm...
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Statement A
My child doesn't seem to have real control over his body yet.
The only way I know that he wants something is because he fusses or whines when he's unhappy or uncomfortable, and he smiles, makes noises or calms down when he's happy and comfortable. Does this statement describe your child?
Statement B
My child has control over her own behaviors, but she doesn't use them to try to communicate to me.
She doesn't come to me to let me know what she wants, but it's easy for me to figure out, because she tries to do things for herself. She knows what she wants, and her behavior shows me what she wants. If she runs out of something to eat, she will just try to get more, rather than trying to get me to give her more.
Does this statement describe your child?
Statement C
My child clearly tries to communicate his needs to me through gestures, sounds or language.
He knows how to get me to do something for him. He uses some of the kinds of behaviors below to communicate:
- Gestures such as pointing, shaking his head, tugging at my arm or looking back and forth between me and what he wants
- Sounds such as squealing to show you he wants something or fussing when he doesn't want something
- Language or symbolic forms of communication such as speech, written words, Braille, picture symbols, 3-dimensional symbols or sign language
Does this statement describe your child?
How to score your child
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
Mastered
– Does this independently most of the time when the opportunity arises
– Does this in a number of di erent contexts, and with di erent people
Emerging
– Does this inconsistently
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Only does this when prompted or encouraged to do so. Only does this in one or two contexts or with one person.
Tips on Communication Devices
Each question you will see is related to a certain message that your child might be able to express using a variety of behaviors. Read the question and decide whether your child is able to express the message described using any of the listed behaviors. If the answer is YES, then you must also decide whether your child has mastered the use of each behavior or whether it is still at an emerging stage. Check either the mastered or emerging box next to any behaviors your child uses to express the message. Use the following definitions to decide whether a behavior is mastered or emerging
