Gesture, Play, and Language Development of Spanish-Speaking Toddlers With Developmental Language Disorders

Abstract

The purpose of this preliminary study was to (a) examine relationships between the symbolic and language skills of a mixed (developmental language disordered [DLD] and typical language [TL]) Spanish-speaking sample; (b) describe gesture, play, and language skills of DLD and TL groups; (c) compare the development between groups; and (d) explore whether combining symbolic and language measures predict language scores. A major focus of this study was to interpret how this information may be clinically useful, especially for non-Spanish-speaking speech-language pathologists who are responsible for the initial screening, monitoring, and/or assessment of the language development of young Spanish speakers. Analyses revealed that some symbolic skills were significantly associated with language, but group differences were detected only in conventional gesture usage. Conventional gesture and number of different words (NDW) combined significantly predicted language scores. This study showed that play-based approaches provide important developmental information that contributes to screening and assessment decisions.