Chapters written by leading authorities offer current perspectives on the origins and development of language disorders. They address the question: How can the child's linguistic environment be restructured so that children at risk can develop important adaptive skills in the domains of self-care, social interaction, and problem solving? This theory-based, but practical book emphasizes the importance of accurate definitions of subtypes for assessment and intervention. It will be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners in the field of developmental language disorders.

Dr. Ludo Verhoeven's research interests involve the acquisition of language and literacy by first- and second-language learners, including children with learning difficulties. He holds a Master's Degree in both Developmental Psychology and Special Education from the University of Nijmegen, as well as a PhD in Linguistics from Tilburg University. His dissertation, Ethnic Minority Children Acquiring Literacy, was selected as a finalist in 1987 for the "IRA Outstanding Dissertation of the Year" award. He is the coeditor of the Journal of Written Language and Literacy, and has published a number of books on wide-ranging topics like language proficiency; functional literacy, immigrant languages in Europe; migration and bilingualism; literacy acquisition in a multilingual context; literacy motivation; and interventions in atypical literacy development. The clinical and research interests of Hans van Balkom consider language development in atypical children, such as those who are deaf and/or multiply disabled, and nonspeaking, cognitively and/or physically disabled children. Dr. van Balkom is director of Research, Development, and Support (RDS) at Viataal, the Institute for people with sensory and/or communication disabilities in Sint-Michielsgestel, The Netherlands, and director of the Researchcentre on Atypical Communication Development at the University of Nijmegen. He studied General Linguistics and Psycholinguistics at the University of Amsterdam, and Neuropsychology at the University of Maastricht, earning his PhD with the dissertation, The Communication of Language-Impaired Children. His other publications include two handbooks on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).