Children with deficit in executive abilities have risk for emerging weakness in grammar understanding

Abstract

Abstract Background Children with specific language impairment have difficulties producing and understanding language (Bishop, 1997). Specifically, these children have deficit in grammar understanding. The goal of this research was to examine the hypothesis that children at the age of 5-6 with deficit in executive abilities have a risk for emerging weakness in grammar understanding at the age of 8-9. Methods 136 children at the age of 5-6 were assessed using 5 subtests from NEPSY (Tower, Auditory Attention and Response Set, Visual Attention, Statue, Design Fluency), which are designed to assess executive abilities in children. We have revealed 27 children with deficit in executive abilities. These children were included in the experimental group. The control group included 27 children with no deficit in executive abilities. In the framework of longitudinal research children at the age of 8-9 from both groups were assessed by Grammar Understanding Test from Luria's neuropsychological assessment technique. Results One-way ANOVA has revealed significant differences (p<.05) between groups for scores in Grammar Understanding Test. Children from experimental group had low level of grammar understanding. Conclusions This research has shown that deficit in executive abilities can predict the delay in development of grammar understanding in children. These results provided insight into cognitive mechanisms in typically developing and the underlying nature of specific language impairments, helping to elucidate the nature of impaired mechanism in this disorder. It can be assumed that deficit in executive abilities is one of the risk factors for emerging weakness in grammar understanding in children. Key messages Deficit in executive abilities is one of the risk factors for emerging weakness in grammar understanding in children. There is relationship between grammar understanding and executive abilities in children.