An Investigation of the Processes of Meaning Construction in the Writing Behaviors of Children with Language Disorders

This dissertation investigated the constructive writing behaviors and strategies of school age children with language learning disabilities. Three participants with diagnosis of mild-moderate language learning disability were followed through dedicated writing intervention for a period of two academic semesters. Through the use of ethnographic methodologies this qualitative investigation detailed the sources of influence on the writing development for each participant. Changes that occurred across seven writing production foci for each participant as well as detailed strategies and changes to those strategies for each participant were documented.;Results of this study indicated that positive developmental changes occur in the writing behaviors of children with mild-moderate language learning disabilities participating in intervention based on a social constructivist orientation to learning. Those developmental changes were unique to each individual in terms of both writing production foci and strategies. Thirteen patterns of commonality were identified across the participants, with four of those patterns representing common themes at the onset of the study: negative affective reactions to writing, lack of individualized writing practice, the use of adaptive engagement in writing, and the lack of individualized writing practice. The remaining nine patterns emerged over the course of the investigation as the participants engaged in authentic writing activities. There are implications of the results of this investigation that relate to the clinical practice of speech-language pathology and the teaching of writing to children with language learning disabilities including the conditions under which developmental change takes place as well as the nature of that change from a cognitive and strategic perspective.