| Effective Term: | 2026/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Language Development and Impairment |
| Unit ID: | EDBSP2026 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (EDBSP2014) (EDBSP1013 or EDMST6010) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 091521 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit builds on EDBSP1013 Language Acquisition and explores some of the ways that delayed or impaired development of speech, language, and communication may manifest in childhood and also continue to impact the cognitive and social development of the individual into adolescence and adulthood, affecting behaviour, emotional stability, social relationships, literacy development, and academic performance. The unit also builds on EDBSP2014 Applied Psycholinguistics to examine the relationship between cognitive development and language development. Students will explore the interrelationship between receptive and expressive language capabilities and critically discuss the utility of different kinds of labels in diagnosing and assessing the many varied forms that Developmental Language Disorder may take. Theories of language development, developmental benchmarks, and communicative milestones will be applied to the examination of case studies, along with play-based intervention strategies and resources appropriate for different age groups and children with different kinds of speech and language difficulties. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | |  | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Recognise that language development and communication across the lifespan can be affected by language disorders that affect children and adults. |
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| K2. | Identify receptive and expressive language disorders and the educational and/or speech pathology intervention or service delivery implications for children. |
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| K3. | Explore how acquired communication disorders can impact people across the lifespan. |
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| K4. | Examine practices that facilitate language development and communication. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Analyse case studies to identify language and communication disorders. |
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| S2. | Identify the impacts of language and communication disorders for children and adults. |
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| S3. | Examine theoretical perspectives of language impairment and connect to relevant research. |
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| S4. | Incorporate practices that support language and communication. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Draw on knowledge to communicate understandings of receptive or expressive language disorders in children. |
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| A2. | Analyse a case study of an acquired communication disorder. Discuss the impact on the person and practices that could support the person. |
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| Unit Content: |
This unit will cover:
- Early language development and communication milestones
- Expressive and receptive language difficulties in infancy
- The interrelationship between language development, cognitive development, and social development
- Assessing language difficulties and designing speech and language interventions in early childhood
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- Other language disorders emergent at different stages of development
- Comorbidity of language disorders with different cognitive/developmental disorders and impairments
- The implications of language delay and/or impairment in educational contexts and across the lifespan
- Approaches to collaborating with teachers
- Designing language interventions for language alongside literacy development
- Working with children with English as an Additional Language (EAL) and a language impairment
- Working with children with hearing loss and other complex communication needs
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S2, S3, A1 | A portfolio collection of written responses to weekly questions and tasks related to unit readings and content. | e-Portfolio of learning | 15 - 25% | | 2. | K2, K4, S1, S2, S4, A1, A2 | Present an oral report in response to a case study scenario about a child with a speech and/or language difficulty and discuss the social, developmental, and educational impacts for the child. | Oral report | 25 - 35% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2 | Examine a case study of an acquired communication disorder and draw on research to discuss the disorder and the impact on the child or adult. | Written report | 35 - 45% |
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