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Copying ability of preschool children with delayed language development.

Ninety-six 2 1/2-year-old children with delayed language development (identified by health visitors) and 100 controls were required to copy four simple items of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales, and were tested on the comprehension and expressive language scales of the Reynell Developmental Language Scales. The index children performed worse than the controls on all four copying tasks, and poor copying performance was related to both impaired language comprehension and expression. Copying by the index children was also poorer than their performance on two other non-verbal tasks. The implications for the assessment of children with delayed language development are considered, as well as theoretical implications with regard to the cognition/language debate.

Ethnicity↗

In utero cocaine exposure and language development.

A growing body of literature suggests that in utero cocaine exposure may place a child at risk for impaired language development. Because the field of gestational drug exposure and its effects on communicative development is young, the research is still limited and the data are contradictory, plagued by many methodological problems. The accumulating evidence, however, suggests that the development of specific aspects of language may be compromised in a percentage of children and that outcome is affected by a wide range of prenatal and postnatal biological and environmental factors. The data also suggest that deficits are best identified through the use of focused test batteries and may be evident only under stressful or difficult conditions. This article provides a critique and general overview of the literature on the early communicative and language development of prenatally cocaine-exposed children. Potential reasons for compromised language development and the clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Child Language↗

Relationship between imaginative play and language development in hearing-impaired children.

The relationship between imaginative play and language development was investigated in a group of 20 severely and profoundly hearing-impaired children between the ages of 3 and 6. Each child was videotaped in a 60-minute session interacting with the investigator and playing with three sets of toys: a miniature house, barn, and garage. Analysis of the subjects' language revealed that 15 were operating in Brown's (1973) Stage 1, one in Stage 3, and four in Stage 5. Play was analyzed along three dimensions: (a) percentage of time engaged in imaginative play; (b) use of planned pretend; and (c) use of story line. A significant relationship was found between imaginative play and language development. Results revealed no relationship between imaginative play and chronological age. Correspondences were found between language development and use of planned pretend and story line.

Age Factors↗

Language development and emergent literacy in preschool.

To promote school readiness, preschool and Head Start teachers are incorporating more emergent literacy activities into their curriculum. This article argues that emergent literacy is subordinate to oral language development, rather than language development being subordinate to emergent literacy. Literature on components of emergent literacy is reviewed and a framework for a preschool curriculum that promotes oral language development and emergent literacy is presented. The article concludes with the recommendation that phonologic sensitivity and letter knowledge be taught in developmentally appropriate ways within the context of a language-rich preschool environment that specifically targets vocabulary enrichment.

Child, Preschool↗

A movement-based approach to language development in children who are deaf-blind.

A movement-based approach to the development of language in children with deaf-blindness includes utilization of the four coactive movement phases: resonance, coactive movement, nonrepresentation reference, and deferred imitation. Such an approach stresses the use of structure in the environment as well as the use of a hierarchy of media cues. These cues range from concrete to symbolic in their characteristics and assist children in learning more complex concepts. A movement based approach uses the salient features of individuals or objects to develop an understanding of the person or object. Such features initially are used to stimulate use of language concerning objects or individuals in the immediate environment, and later to refer to persons or concepts in a more abstract fashion.

Blindness↗

Effects of parental style of interaction on language development in very young severe and profound deaf children.

AIMS: (1) To study the influence of different styles of parent-child interaction in the language development of very young deaf children. (2) To find out if there are differences in parent-child interaction between two groups of very young deaf children following an Aural/Oral or a Bilingual approach to education. METHODS: Subjects were selected from all deaf children in the County of Avon who were under 3 years of age at the time of first assessment, had severe or profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss and no associated medical problems. There were 16 children and families at the start of the project but only 13 completed all the assessments. The Bristol Language Developmental Scales (BLADES) was used to assess both sign and spoken language development. Interaction was studied through analysis of contingency and book-reading applied to selected periods of 3 min from four videorecorded sessions, taken at 3 months intervals for a period of 1 year. RESULTS: From the 13 children studied, only seven presented with some degree of expressive language measurable by the BLADES. Analysis of contingency showed that parents present with higher percentage of both Direct Related Acts and ON then their children Acts (On Acts: where both individuals are involved in the same task). Regarding bookreading, it was observed that parents often attend to child initiatives and acknowledge most of them but they make little effort to expand or use the child's message as topic for further conversation. In the reduced sample of seven children with expressive language, those with better language development had parents with: (a) higher percentage of DR acts; (b) higher percentage of ON acts; (c) higher percentage of appropriate responses to child communicative initiatives. CONCLUSIONS: In this small group language development seems to be facilitated by encouraging child participation and using a more contingent and child centred interaction. No significant differences were found between oral and bilingual families in terms of quality of interaction.

Child, Preschool↗

Rapid auditory processing in normal and disordered language development.

Four-and-one-half- to eight-and-one-half-year-old children with normal language development, normal adults, and dysphasic children were tested for their ability to perceive binary sequences of nonverbal auditory stimuli. Performance was studied in relation to the rate of presentation of stimulus sequence, as measured by the time interval between stimulus elements. Of the normal children studied, only the eight-and-one-half-year-old group responded as well as the adult group to auditory patterns composed of complex tones presented in rapid succession (8-305 msec intervals). Normal children six-and-one-half years and older were able to respond to these same auditory patterns when they were presented more slowly (947-4026 msec intervals). The overall pattern of performance of the dysphasic children was not similar to that of any age group of children with normal language development. The dysphasics' performance was significantly poorer than that of even the four-and-one-half-year-old normal group on rapidly presented auditory sequences, but not significantly different from normal children their own age or adults on the same patterns which were presented more slowly. The interrelation of normal development of rapid auditory processing and normal language development is discussed.

Adult↗

Plasticity and reorganization during language development in children with early brain injury.

Although some studies have reported subtle language deficits following early focal brain lesions (EFBL), most studies find no evidence for differential language outcomes as a function of lesion side or lesion type in children with congenital injuries to one side of the brain. However, recent prospective studies of the first stages of language development in English-speaking children with EFBL have reported greater delays in expressive vocabulary in children with left-hemisphere damage, particularly if the lesion involves left temporal cortex. In the present study, first stages in the development of word production were studied in 43 Italian children with congenital EFBL, between 13 and 46 months of age. As a group, the EFBL children were markedly delayed in expressive vocabulary. Among children who were in the first stage of language learning, delays were significantly greater with left-hemisphere injury. However, this left-right difference was not evident in children who had moved on to the next stage of language development, producing at least some sentences. Discussion centers on the role of developmental plasticity in determining the outcomes of early focal brain injury, suggesting that recovery from initial delays may take place in the early stages of language development, at least for some children.

Brain↗

Parent questionnaire for screening early language development in children with cleft palate.

This study investigated the efficacy of a parent questionnaire as a component for screening early language development of children 16 to 30 months of age with cleft lip and palate. Thirty nonsyndromic children with cleft lip and palate and 30 children without clefts received the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory: Toddler (CDI: Toddler), administered by a pediatrician. In addition, a speech-language screening was performed by a speech-language pathologist. Results of the two assessments indicated that the CDI:Toddler was a valid screener of language development when compared with a comprehensive speech-language screening. Language and speech characteristics of the subject populations are discussed. In particular, differences between the cleft and noncleft groups demonstrated evidence of delays in expressive language development in the children with cleft lip and palate.

Age Factors↗

Influences of hearing impairment on early language development.

It is difficult to determine exactly the effects of chronic otitis media on early language development, in part because we do not know whether hearing loss resulting from otitis media is intermittent or constant, and in part because it is difficult to assess the precise language ability of very young children. This paper focuses on those aspects of language development which one might expect hearing impairment to affect, and presents several hypotheses about the possible effects of mild-to-moderate hearing loss on the earliest stages of language development.

Child, Preschool↗

Language development of low-birthweight infants at two years.

Fifty low-birthweight (LBW) and 18 fullterm normal infants were prospectively evaluated at eight months and two years of age for language development and neurodevelopmental status. The LBW cohort was divided into those who were appropriate for gestational age (AGA) (N = 35) and small for gestational age (SGA) (N = 15) to assess the effect of intra-uterine growth retardation on language development within a premature population. LBW SGA infants lagged significantly behind term infants in both receptive and expressive language, but to a lesser degree than LBW AGA infants. Multiple regression analyses of gestational age, Hollingshead socio-economic status score, and eight-month neurological score as independent variables, and the receptive and expressive language scores as dependent variables, indicated that these three predictor variables had a significant cumulative effect on language development. Language was delayed in 28 per cent of the LBW children at two years.

Brain Diseases↗

Environmental effects on language development in normal and high-risk child populations.

This report describes language development from infancy through 8 years of life for a large sample of very low birth weight (VLBW) (high medical risk, n = 94; low medical risk, n = 132) and term (n = 134) children. Children of high and low medical risk status showed lower levels and slower rates of development compared with term children. Although these children also showed nonverbal cognitive deficits, their language difficulties appeared to be independent of these general cognitive problems. Although lower socioeconomic status (SES) showed strong negative effects on rate of language development, this was comparable across the three risk groups. Within this generally lower SES sample of children, the type of interactive behaviors caregivers used in early childhood showed significant relations to skill growth. Children with faster rates of language growth had mothers who maintained their interests more often and were less likely to use highly directive behaviors.

Analysis of Variance↗

[Early diagnosis of language development disorders in children].

In a prospective study, we examined whether it is possible to diagnose language disorders in children in their second and third years. Twenty patients aged 17-35 months (average 26 months) were examined from August 2002 to June 2004. Language development was tested on the basis of a questionnaire for parents (ELFRA-1 or ELFRA-2) and on a detailed language assessment. After 3-8 months, the children's language was examined again by the same speech pathologist. In 12 children, in whom we had suspected a language disorder, the diagnosis was confirmed. Eight patients showed age-appropriate language development, which was confirmed in six patients at follow-up. In two cases, the follow-up revealed a language disorder. On the basis of a parent questionnaire and examination by a speech therapist, language disorders can be diagnosed in the second and third years of life. However, control assessments are necessary in order to reveal language development disturbances beginning at later ages.

Child, Preschool↗

Measuring early language development in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (Infant Form).

Parent report data on early language development measured using the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI-Infant Form) was collected on 134 preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. The pattern of development of understanding of phrases, word comprehension and expression, and production of gestures, was compared to the typical pattern. In common with typical development there was considerable variability in language acquisition, although for the group as a whole this was significantly delayed compared to the normal course. In addition, atypical patterns were identified in the emergence of language skills in the sample. Comprehension of words was delayed in comparison to word production, and production of early gestures (involving sharing reference) was delayed relative to production of later gestures (involving use of objects). However, other aspects of language development were similar to that found in typically developing infants, including word comprehension being in advance of word production in absolute terms, gesture production acting as a 'bridge' between word comprehension and word production and the broad pattern of acquisition across word categories and word forms. The implications for assessment and intervention with preschool children with autism spectrum disorder are discussed.

Age Factors↗

Language development in children at risk for language impairment: cross-population comparisons.

At 3 years of age the spontaneous language of 17 typically developing children was compared to two groups of toddlers who were at risk for language delay for very different reasons. One at-risk group, late talkers, appeared normal in all respects except for their delayed language. These 20 children scored at or below the fifteenth percentile for expressive vocabulary on the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (Fenson et al., 1993) when originally identified at 20-27 months of age and within the normal range on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley, 1969). The other group, 21 children with unilateral focal brain injury, suffered localized damage to their brain prenatally, perinatally, or within the first 6 months of life. Results indicated that both of the at-risk groups were still significantly lower in vocabulary diversity and grammar at 3 years of age. There was also significantly greater variability in the at-risk groups than in the control groups, and in the children with focal brain injury than in the late talkers in both areas. The importance of language comprehension to development in this period was supported by two findings. First, children with focal brain injury had significantly lower scores than late talkers on the Index of Productive Syntax, a test of emerging grammar, and had been lower in comprehension on a standardized test of language comprehension a year earlier. Second, late talkers with delay in comprehension as well as production had significantly lower scores on IPSyn than those with normal comprehension, suggesting that they are at greater risk for continued delay. Qualitative analyses indicated that the at-risk groups produced the same kinds of errors, but that late talkers produced a substantially greater proportion of errors in obligatory contexts than did children with focal brain injury.

Brain Injuries↗

Phonological profiles of 2-year-olds with delayed language development: predicting clinical outcomes at age 3.

Twenty-eight 2-year-olds were screened for language development using the Language Development Survey (LDS; L. Rescorla, 1989) and underwent a clinical evaluation within a month following LDS administration. Six measures of phonological development were derived from 20-min language samples of parent-child play interactions, including number of different consonants, number of different consonants in the initial and final positions, number of different consonant clusters in the initial and final position, and percentage of closed syllables shapes. Comparisons were made among 3 groups: (a) those who screened positive on the LDS (LDS+) who were within normal limits on follow-up, (b) those who were identified as language delayed (LD), and (c) children who were language normal (LN). Results revealed that children who were LDS+ and LD had comparable phonetic profiles. The LD group had significantly lower scores on all phonetic measures tested, as compared to the LN group. Clinical recommendations were available on a subset of 13 children who were reassessed at age 3. Children who received "monitor" or "treatment" recommendations at age 3 had significantly lower z scores on measures of phonetic development recorded at 2 years of age than toddlers who received a recommendation of "no concerns" at 3 years. Our preliminary findings indicated that the more delayed the 2-year-old child was in phonological development, the more at risk the child was for continuing delays at age 3.

Child, Preschool↗

[Language development through picture communication symbols].

BACKGROUND: Language development in individuals who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication analyzed in a vygotskian perspective. AIM: To investigate the use of Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) as a mediation instrument for a non-speaking child. METHODS: A qualitative research based on the re-telling of stories using PCS, mediated by an adult. RESULTS: Changes in the narratives were observed. The child presented a better discursive structure at the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate the importance of PCS as a mediation instrument for non-speaking individuals, improving their language and life quality.

Child↗

A family aggregation study: the influence of family history and other risk factors on language development.

Substantial evidence continues to accrue for familial transmission of specific language impairment (SLI). The incidence in families with a history of SLI is estimated at approximately 20%-40%, whereas in the general population the estimated incidence is about 4%. Typical aggregation studies compare data on the speech and language status of parents and siblings of individuals with SLI (the probands) to similar data from family members of control individuals with no speech or language disorder history. In the present study, family aggregation of SLI was examined for a unique sample of children who were ascertained before 6 months of age and thus did not have SLI, but were born into a family with a positive history of SLI (FH+). No study to date has examined the pattern of affectance in families of children ascertained at such a young age. In addition, the ratio of boys to girls born into such families was investigated, as previous studies have suggested alterations in the expected gender ratios. Consistent with prior research, SLI was found to aggregate in families; the average affectance rate in FH+ families was 32%, with significantly more boys (41%) reported as having SLI than girls (16%). A comparison of FH+ and control families (FH-) on sociodemographic factors and medical history revealed differences in the overall rate of autoimmune diseases; FH+ families reported a significantly higher incidence (35%) compared to FH- families (9%). Finally, the 3-year language abilities of a subset of 32 children from FH+ families were compared with those of 60 children from FH- families. Children from FH+ families scored significantly lower on standardized measures of language and were more likely to fall below the 16th percentile (28%) than children from FH- families (7%). These results provide converging evidence that children from FH+ families are indeed at greater risk of developing language delay compared to children from control families.

Autoimmune Diseases↗