More than ever, it is essential that all students have language and communication skills that will help them be successful in school and in the community. This text provides teachers and other education professionals with essential information about language development and disorders that will enable them to help children with disabilities in language and communication. The first section of this text presents updated research on language and language development with a focus on application to school-age students. A new chapter describes the link between language and literacy development. The second section analyzes the language difficulties associated with specific disability types, including a new chapter on the language difficulties of students with physical disabilities. Each chapter includes a link between language and literacy for that population. The third section of the text focuses on contemporary assessment and instructional strategies. The text discusses several newer methods including technology-based approaches. The emphasis throughout is on instructional techniques that are firmly grounded in research.