Referential Communication Abilities of Learning Disabled Children

Disorders of spoken language have long been associated with learning disabilities. Recent research has focused less on linguistic characteristics and more on general communication effectiveness. This study investigated the referential communication ability of LD and non-LD elementary students. Developmental research has indicated that this language function tends to be well developed by early childhood and is a major precursor of later communication competence. Results of the present study indicated that LD students were less effective in providing descriptive information about objects than non-LD peers. Further analysis of LD communication revealed that such a lack of effectiveness was due to the LD students' limited use of labeling in their verbal descriptions.