Gesture Production in Language Impairment: It's Quality, Not Quantity, That Matters

Charlotte Wray,Natalie Saunders,Courtenay Frazier Norbury,Georgia Cousins,Rosie Mcguire

doi:10.1044/2016_jslhr-l-16-0141

Charlotte Wray, Natalie Saunders + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1044/2016_jslhr-l-16-0141

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether children with language impairment (LI) use gesture to compensate for their language difficulties. The present study investigated gesture accuracy and frequency in children with LI (n = 21) across gesture imitation, gesture elicitation, spontaneous narrative, and interactive problem-solving tasks, relative to typically developing (TD) peers (n = 18) and peers with low language and educational concerns (n = 21). Children with LI showed weaknesses in gesture accuracy (imitation and gesture elicitation) in comparison to TD peers, but no differences in gesture rate. Children with low language only showed weaknesses in gesture imitation and used significantly more gestures than TD peers during parent-child interaction. Across the whole sample, motor abilities were significantly related to gesture accuracy but not gesture rate. In addition, children with LI produced proportionately more extending gestures, suggesting that they may use gesture to replace words that they are unable to articulate verbally. The results support the notion that gesture and language form a tightly linked communication system in which gesture deficits are seen alongside difficulties with spoken communication. Furthermore, it is the quality, not quantity of gestures that distinguish children with LI from typical peers.

Highlights

MeasuresBecause previous research has focused on the link between vocabulary and gesture use (Rowe & Goldin-Meadow, 2009; Rowe et al, 2008), the current article used a composite of the Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT; Brownell, 2000b) and Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT; Brownell, 2000a) to index vocabulary
The bottom 14% of children were classified as high risk (HR) for language impairment (LI), while children scoring above this threshold were classified as low risk (LR) of LI
Our analysis indicated that LI children did not differ from their typically developing (TD) peers in terms of the function of gestures they produced during the narrative task, F(1, 41) = 1.28, p = .83, d = 0.09

Summary

Introduction

MeasuresBecause previous research has focused on the link between vocabulary and gesture use (Rowe & Goldin-Meadow, 2009; Rowe et al, 2008), the current article used a composite of the Receptive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (ROWPVT; Brownell, 2000b) and Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT; Brownell, 2000a) to index vocabulary. Children completed two subtests from the Movement Assessment Battery for Children–2 (Henderson, Sugden, & Barnett, 2007), Posting Coins and Bead Threading. The Posting Coins task required the child to post 12 coins into a money box as quickly as possible, first with the dominant hand and with the nondominant hand. The time it took each child to post all 12 coins in the box was recorded. The time taken to thread all six beads onto the string was recorded. A motor composite score was created, combining time taken to complete both of these tasks. This task was measured in seconds whereby a lower (faster) time indicates more advanced motor ability

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