How do we define speech and language problems in different contexts? This book offers a much-needed analysis of the ways in which the social & cultural backgrounds & assumptions of assessors & assessees interact to determine a label of incompetence.

Content: Part I:Introduction.J. Duchan, M. Maxwell, D. Kovarsky, Evaluating Competence in the Course of Everyday Interaction. Part II:Hidden Factors Influencing Judgments of Competence.R. Stillman, R. Snow, K. Warren, "I Used to Be Good With Kids." Encounters Between Speech-Language Pathology Students and Children With Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). D.J. Higginbotham, D.P. Wilkins, Slipping Through the Timestream: Social Issues of Time and Timing in Augmented Interactions. C.J. Winkler, How Opposing Perceptions of Communication Competence Were Constructed by Taiwanese Graduate Students. T.I. Saenz, K.G. Black, L. Pellegrini, The Social Competence of Children Diagnosed With Specific Language Impairment. M. Maxwell, D. Poeppelmeyer, L. Polich, Deaf Members and Nonmembers: The Creation of Culture Through Communication Practices. F. Trix, Spiraling Connections: The Practice of Repair in Bektashi Muslim Discourse. Part III:Diagnosis as Situated Practice.D.W. Maynard, C.L. Marlaire, Good Reasons for Bad Testing Performance: The Interactional Substrate of Educational Testing. T. Wyatt, An Afro-Centered View of Communicative Competence. J.F. Duchan, Reports Written by Speech-Language Pathologists: The Role of Agenda in Constructing Client Competence. A.M. Mastergeorge, Revelations of Family Perceptions of Diagnosis and Disorder Through Metaphor. E.L. Barton, The Social Work of Diagnosis: Evidence for Judgments of Competence and Incompetence. Part IV:Intervention as Situated Practice.D. Kovarsky, M. Kimbarow, D. Kastner, The Construction of Incompetence During Group Therapy With Traumatically Brain Injured Adults. N. Simmons-Mackie, J.S. Damico, Social Role Negotiation in Aphasia Therapy: Competence, Incompetence, and Conflict. K. Ferrara, The Social Construction of Language Incompetence and Social Identity in Psychotherapy.