Reciprocal friendships are central to children's well-being and participation, yet little is known about how long-standing friendships are enacted through conversation between children with and without communication disorders. To explore how children with Down syndrome (DS) and their non-Down syndrome (NDS) friends sustain such cross-neurotype friendships through conversation, a combination of quantitative and qualitative discourse analytic approaches was used to explore video-recorded free-play sessions in two long-standing reciprocal friendship dyads: one aged 8 (DS/NDS-8) and one aged 12 years (DS/NDS-12). Analysis used the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) combined with Discourse Analysis to examine how core characteristics of friendship: companionship, affection, guidance/advice-giving, reassurance of worth, emotional support and shared history are enacted in their conversations despite differences in linguistic resources. Results suggest these conversations provide rich, ecologically valid evidence of communicative competence that can be used to support friendship development and the social inclusion of children with language disorders.
The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has created both opportunities and challenges for Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) programs. This tutorial provides a structured, discipline-specific framework to support the ethical and effective integration of GenAI into academic and clinical education. The Foundational-Developmental-Analytical-Advanced Artificial Intelligence (FDAA-AI) framework is introduced alongside a six-step process to guide assignment design, align AI use with learner readiness, and promote independent clinical reasoning. Grounded in Bloom’s Taxonomy and the Kirkpatrick Evaluation Framework, the model emphasizes making student thinking visible, aligning assessment with cognitive processes, and maintaining accountability for clinical decision-making. Ethical considerations, including confidentiality, transparency, and competence, are integrated throughout. Practical clinical scenarios illustrate application across training levels. This tutorial aims to support faculty and students in leveraging AI as a tool for learning while preserving the foundational competencies essential for professional practice.
In this clinical forum article, we examine gesture as a foundational component of early communication development and an important indicator of emerging language abilities. Gesture provides a window into children’s communicative intent and symbolic understanding, offering clinicians valuable insights into developmental trajectories across neurodevelopmental populations. Drawing on research from five groups: Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, autism, Fragile X syndrome, and developmental language disorder, we review common patterns of gesture use, developmental timing, and divergence from typical pathways. We highlight how gesture can function as a compensatory strategy, a developmental target, or a bridge toward more complex communication. Our goal is to support clinicians in recognizing gesture not only as a milestone, but as an adaptable tool for understanding and supporting early communicative development.
This systematic review examines non-speaking tongue posture (NSTP) and its relationship to speech sound disorders (SSDs) and orofacial development, emphasizing assessment methods and reported associations. Following PRISMA (2020) guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched during a defined window (October 2024–April 2025), yielding 265 records. Eligibility criteria permitted studies published from 2000 onward; the seven included studies were published between 2007 and 2022. After screening, seven studies involving pediatric and adult populations met inclusion criteria. Studies linking NSTP to SSDs or orofacial outcomes were included, whereas studies focused solely on dynamic tongue movement were excluded. Low or anterior NSTP was consistently associated with anterior open bite, crossbite, and articulation errors. Assessment methods varied, with clinical observation most common, while three-dimensional ultrasonography showed promise as a reliable, objective alternative. Overall, NSTP appears clinically relevant yet understudied, underscoring the need for standardized assessment tools and normative data.
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may design and implement public health approaches that advance children's language development. Universal, public health-informed SLP programmes could improve equity and access to SLP services for all children, including those from families that are historically underserved (e.g., socially and economically disadvantaged families). Social determinants of health, like food or housing insecurity, exposure to violence, or systemic inequalities (e.g., racism), may affect language development and also limit access to speech-language pathology services. This clinical focus article describes how a public health lens, trauma- and violence-informed care principles, and evidence about parent coaching in early language interventions were applied to develop a new programme titled Community Opportunities For Family Engagement and Empowerment, and Play and Learning Accessible for Youth (COFFEE and PLAY). The programme builds relationships between families and SLPs to (a) reduce barriers to service, (b) build parents' capacity to support children's language, and (c) promote school readiness.
