Evaluating and Enhancing Idiom Comprehension in Language-Disordered Students

Abstract

Language-disordered children and adolescents often have difficulty comprehending idioms, a common yet complex type of figurative expression. This article discusses some of the unique properties of idioms and some recent findings from the developmental literature on idiom comprehension. Guidelines are offered for speech-language pathologists who seek to evaluate and enhance idiom comprehension in language-disordered students. The long-term goal of the treatment approach described is for the student to acquire a specific comprehension strategy for determining the meanings of unfamiliar idioms. Although individual idioms are taught, this approach differs markedly from one whose long-term goal is for the student to learn the meanings of a particular set of idioms. It is hoped that this article will provide direction for treatment efficacy research in idiom comprehension with language-disordered students.