Spotlight on Adolescent and Adult Language and Literacy

As a field and a society, we have historically devoted far less attention to the language and literacy needs of adolescents and young adults than we have to younger populations. We have allocated fewer resources for services and personnel preparation, conducted less research, and offered fewer assessment and intervention tools. Despite past trends, the need for increased focus on adolescent and adult language and literacy has recently begun to emerge. National funding initiatives, increased research focus, and calls to action from leaders in the field have successfully begun to nudge this “forgotten” population into the foreground.[1]

This issue of Seminars in Speech and Language shines a spotlight on adolescent and adults who struggle with spoken and written language by presenting seven articles from experts in the field of language and literacy. The articles examine contemporary trends, review the current research, and offer clinical practice guidelines for speech-language pathologists striving to serve the needs of adolescents and adults with language and literacy impairments. The topic is viewed through a broad lens that examines a variety of contexts, skills, perspectives, and populations. Research-informed clinical practice guidelines are presented in three different articles: one that details a framework for balanced intervention (Fallon et al), one that focuses on text comprehension (Ukrainetz), and a third that delves into the topic of morphology (Wolter and Gibson). The postsecondary setting and the value of university clinics in the advancement of language and literacy practice are examined by Katz and Fallon. Two articles examine language and literacy issues for specific populations: Down syndrome (Pelatti) and traumatic brain injury (Krause et al). The final article offers an international perspective by examining adolescent and adult language and literacy service provision in the United Kingdom (Joffe).

Taken together, this collection of articles shines a spotlight on a population with much to gain from professional language and literacy support. Naturally, we hope that readers find this volume clinically useful when planning and providing services to adolescent and adult clients. But, in addition, we hope this issue raises the overall awareness of the needs of those who continue to struggle with language and literacy beyond the school-age years. This volume endeavors to offer solutions, fresh perspectives, and information that will lead to the productive advancement of research, practice, and outreach in the area of adolescent and adult language and literacy.

• Reference

• 1 Time to Act: An Agenda for Advancing Adolescent Literacy for College and Career Success. New York, NY: Carnegie Corporation of New York; 2010