…but only an information processing disorder that significantly impacts language?
This idea has been rolling around in my head for a few months, and apparently, in the minds of others, too. My supervisor started talking about this last month at a meeting of secondary school SLPs. She is on a team of SLPs researching and talking about such ideas as: should all language disorders be considered under the category of Learning Disabilities? What information do psychologists have that support/contradict SLP findings during testing? So often, why do all disciplines write their "own" reports instead of a nice, cohesive, synthesized report?
Most of us come to the conclusion pretty early in our careers that 1) you can be learning disabled (SLD) without qualifying for language disability (in the case of textbook dyslexia), but 2) you pretty much can't be language disordered without also qualifying for learning disability. Despite dyslexia being language-based, it fell more in the scope of practice of LD teachers. Many dyslexic kids have strong speaking and listening skills. Sometimes, in my 12 years of elementary school work, I would work with these kids on phonemic awareness/Orton Gillingham strategies, but usually I had bigger fish to fry. Namely, the kids that had significant deficits in listening, speaking, reading and writing. I usually focused on the first two domains and the LD teacher focused on the second two, but of course there was cross-over.
Now, as a high school SLP, most kids that I work with know how to read at at least a 3rd grade level. Still, syntax, vocabulary and multisyllabic words give them an extremely hard time. I find myself doing a lot to modify the reading level of the content and trying to teach the content in a LLD-friendly way so that they can pass their tests and graduate. I make therapy activities that include graphic organizers and visual ways to organize and see information so that they can learn it for their tests. I make notecards with test information so that they can study effectively. I'm touching on the information processing piece but not being strategic. Research is showing a clear link between processing and language disorders, but so far what I have read makes it seem that processing is part of the language disorder, not that processing is the problem that CAUSES the language disorder.
New Plan:
I will research information processing and language disorders and find out what the experts say. Jennifer Windsor and Kathy Kohnert at the University of MN were studying non-linguistic ways to diagnose LLD 10 years ago. Kathy has since retired, but Dr. Windsor is still there. This line of research points to the idea that since language is a cognitive skill, we should be able to devise cognitive (maybe even nonlinguistic) tests that can identify LLD in anyone, regardless which language they speak. I will find out what information processing pieces are interfering the most with language-learning activities for my students. I will purposefully build my therapy with these strategies front and center. It will be a lot of synthesizing of information because I can't take away the supports I've already given my students--content that will be on the test, readability/understandability, current accommodations-- but I need to add information processing strategies explicitly. I'm taking a deep breath. And I'm ready to GO!
