A critical review of the literature on written expression disorders of individuals with learning disabilities. The purpose of the book is to shed light on issues concerning definition, assessment and interaction for individuals with writing disorders. The integrated model of written expression offered draws on the work of cognitive psychology, neurolinguistics and sociolinguistics. The model illustrates the interrelationship between cognitive and affective processing networks that influence the selection and use of linguistics and information structures in producing a written text. Particularly noteworthy aspects of this book are: the emphasis on the role of writing in developing higher mental functions (other texts on writing disorders have placed greater emphasis on lower-order aspects); not only the addition and integration of the sociolinguistic dimension into the model of writing but also the inclusion of guidelines for assessing this dimension; specification of needed research in which both populations and tasks have been carefully defined; and, finally, notice of the importance of a continuum for defining, assessing and treating each component of written expression. This state-of-the-art work on disorders of writing is of interest to both researchers and clinicians concerned with written expression disorders in children and/or adults.
