Navigating Terminology and Promoting Evidence-Based Practice for Child Language Disorders: Challenges and Solutions for Educators

Abstract

Diagnostic labels for children with primary, or otherwise unexplained, language disorders range across settings and within the scientific literature. Among other problems, this lack of agreement creates difficulty with the successful employment of evidence-based practice. This article reviews the evolving terminology and addresses issues of inconsistency with a particular focus on instructional opportunities for students in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). The pedagogical approach of problem-based learning (PBL) is well suited to this challenge; a structured model for instruction is reviewed and specific guidelines for educators are suggested.