AAVE and children

[Barbara Zurer Pearson]

Dear Pam,

It's been interesting seeing all the answers to
your query.  We're getting a nice collective
reference list (which, as someone already
noted, can be found on our website at

http://www.umass.edu/aae/
then click on references)

--I'll update it within the next week with any
of the recent references which are not yet
represented there.

I'd like to add an almost published source for you:
the next edition (Feb 2004) of Seminars in Speech
and Language from Thieme Publishers will be called

_Evaluating Language Variation: Distinguishing
Dialect and Development from Disorder_.

It was guest edited by Harry Seymour and me,
and has contributions from all the DELV
co-authors: Harry Seymour, Tom Roeper, Jill
de Villiers, Peter de Villiers, and our
Research Coordinator at The Psychological
Corporation, Lois Ciolli.

We would also like to think that the new DELV
tests will soon represent "best practices in
language assessment for African American
children" (as well as for speakers of Mainstream
American English).  Those tests (and their
manuals, which treat the issues you raise)
are available now through the Psychological
Corporation of Harcourt Assessments.

Seymour, H.N., Roeper, T. & de Villiers, J.G.
(2003).  Diagnostic Evaluation of Language
Variation (DELV) Criterion-Referenced. San
Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.

and
Seymour, Roeper, & de Villiers. 2003.
DELV Screening Test (with the same publication
information.)

Keep us posted on your project.  As you can
tell, there's a large community of researchers
interested in your topic.

Best wishes.
Barbara (Zurer Pearson)

Quoting Pam Norton <pcnorton at yahoo.com>:

> Hi -
> I'm preparing to do research on African American children who speak AAVE and
> assessment practices/dialectal differences awareness in speech/language
> pathologists.  I'm hoping someone can direct me to good sources on best
> practices in language (disorders) assessment for African American children,
> especially those who speak AAVE.  Also, any sources on linguistic bias in
> language assessment and/or incidence of language disorders in African
> American children.
>
> Thanks much,
>
> Pam Norton
> UCB/SFSU Jt. Doctoral Program in Special Ed
>


***********************************
Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D.
Research Associate, Project Manager
NIH Working Groups on AAE
Dept. of Communication Disorders
117 Arnold House
University of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003

413.545.5023
fax:545.0803

http://www.umass.edu/aae/
bpearson at comdis.umass.edu