| 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: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 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% |
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| 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% |
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| 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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