Language Disorders In Children Research Articles

The prevalence of and potential risk factors for Developmental Language Disorder at 10 years in the Raine Study.

This study sought to determine the prevalence of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in Australian school-aged children and associated potential risk factors for DLD at 10 years. This study used a cross-sectional design to estimate the prevalence of DLD in Generation 2 of the prospective Raine Study. Participants included 1626 children aged 10 years with available language data. Primary outcomes included variables matching diagnostic criteria for DLD. Associations of other potential prenatal and environmental variables were analysed as secondary outcomes. The prevalence of DLD in this sample was 6.4% (n=104) at 10 years. This sub-cohort comprised 33.7% (n=35) with expressive language deficits, 20.2% (n=21) with receptive language deficits, and 46.2% (n=48) with receptive-expressive deficits. No significant difference in sex distribution was observed (52.9% male, p =0.799). Children who were exposed to smoke in utero at 18 weeks gestation were at increased risk of DLD at 10 years (OR= 2.56, CI = 1.23-5.35, p =0.012). DLD is a relatively prevalent condition in Australian children, even when assessed in middle childhood years. These findings can inform future research priorities, and public health and educational policy which account for the associations with potential risk factors.

I pronomi clitici e la diagnosi del Disturbo del Linguaggio in età evolutiva: sull’utilizzo del clitico “ci”

According to the scientific literature, the impaired production of third-person clitics represents a signature of Developmental Language Disorder in Italian-speaking children. Building upon previous findings, this paper aims at investigating the potential role of the Italian ci morpheme as a clinical marker for the disorder. To this goal, we developed a novel elicitation test focused on the pronoun to explore its production by five-year-old typically developing children. Our findings, though preliminary, are relevant to shed light i) on the acquisitional patterns of this morpheme and ii) on a methodological issue, namely the difficulty of eliciting non-obligatory elements.

Dynamic Assessment of Word Learning to Diagnose Developmental Language Disorder in French-Speaking Monolingual and Bilingual Children

Dynamic assessment (DA), which evaluates the learning process rather than static knowledge, has been found to be effective in diagnosing developmental language disorder (DLD) in English-speaking bilingual children. We present three studies that examine whether a French dynamic word learning task can distinguish caseload children with DLD from control children with typical development (TD). Forty-eight monolingual and 69 bilingual French-speaking children, aged four to nine, were required to learn three to six non-words and their semantic characteristics. DA consisted of three phases: (1) a teaching phase in which non-words were taught to the child; (2) an immediate test phase, with graduated prompts, in which children were required to identify and produce the target words and their semantic features; and (3) a delayed test phase. Global results indicated that there were no differences between monolingual and bilingual TD children on the DA whereas there were differences on the static assessment of vocabulary knowledge: bilinguals performed less well than monolinguals. In addition, DA differentiated control and caseload monolingual children. Further work is needed to develop a dynamic word learning task, administered in one session, which can even more accurately differentiate TD and DLD bilingual children.

Identifying Language Disorder in Bilingual Children Using Automatic Speech Recognition.

The differential diagnosis of developmental language disorder (DLD) in bilingual children represents a unique challenge due to their distributed language exposure and knowledge. The current evidence indicates that dual-language testing yields the most accurate classification of DLD among bilinguals, but there are limited personnel and resources to support this practice. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the feasibility of dual-language automatic speech recognition (ASR) for identifying DLD in bilingual children. Eighty-four Spanish-English bilingual second graders with (n = 25) and without (n = 59) confirmed diagnoses of DLD completed the Bilingual English-Spanish Assessment-Middle Extension Morphosyntax in both languages. Their responses on a subset of items were scored manually by human examiners and programmatically by a researcher-developed ASR application employing a commercial speech-to-text algorithm. Results demonstrated moderate overall item-by-item scoring agreement (k = .54) and similar classification accuracy values (human = 92%, ASR = 88%) between the two methods using the best-language score. Classification accuracy of the ASR method increased to 94% of cases correctly classified when test items with poorer discrimination in the ASR condition were eliminated. This study provides preliminary support for the technical feasibility of ASR as a bilingual expressive language assessment tool. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20249994.

Mobile applications for diagnostics, development, and alternative communication for children with language disorders

Problem and goal. Language disorders of different kinds may cause personal issues and prevent the successful development of an individual. Early diagnostics and precise correctional recommendations enable such issues to be resolved efficiently in childhood. A modern speech therapist needs mobile facilities that can both make his/her work with prescribed protocols easier and perform high-quality professional diagnostics. Creating software tools is quite important, especially when dealing with children. The peak of prophylactic and therapeutic activities occurs in pre- and primary school age. Methodology. In the scope of this research, the current state of the problem was observed and analyzed, psycholinguistics part and informatics part of the problem were identified, and their interaction was specified. The results of application of these approaches on the base of several longitude psycho-diagnostic experiments were analyzed and evaluated. Results. The software tools to diagnose child language disorders and to develop language abilities in the case of problems are presented. In addition, a tool for an alternative communication via pictograms is described. These tools implement a playing strategy to decrease stress and improve effectiveness. Conclusion. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that mobile approach reduces time for the therapist’s routine duties and makes diagnostic and correctional process attractive for children.

Temporal stability of parent-reported behavior problems in late talkers over 2 years: a prospective case-control study from toddlerhood to preschool age

BackgroundLate talking (LT) in toddlers is a risk factor for language weakness that may interfere with the development of using language to regulate behavior and emotion and contribute to the development of behavior problems from early childhood. This study examined the temporal stability of parent-reported behavior problems among Mandarin-speaking LT toddlers from ages 2 to 4 in Taiwan.MethodsThirty-one LT and 31 typical language development (TLD) toddlers were assessed for their vocabulary production at age 2 with the Words and Sentences Forms of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventories Toddler Form (Taiwan version). Additionally, participants’ receptive and expressive language abilities were assessed using the receptive and expressive language subscales of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. At age 4, the Child Language Disorder Scale-Revised was applied and included the two core subtests for auditory comprehension and expressive communication. At ages 2 and 4 years, behavior problems were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist.ResultsThere was a higher percentage of participants with persistent behavior problems among LT toddlers than among TLD toddlers. Moreover, toddlers with larger vocabularies were less likely to develop withdrawal behaviors by preschool age.ConclusionsThis study supported the temporal stability of parent-reported behavior problems among LT toddlers across early childhood. Early identification of and intervention for behavior problems associated with LT in toddlerhood is essential to alleviate their behavior problems later in preschool years.

Using Theory to Drive Intervention Efficacy: The Role of Dose Form in Interventions for Children with DLD.

‘Dose form’ is a construct that has evolved over the last number of years and is central to treating childhood language disorders. In this commentary, we present a framework of dose form that includes techniques, procedures, manner of instruction, and intervention context. We present key findings from a systematic review exploring the impact of intervention dose form on oral language outcomes (specifically morphosyntax and vocabulary learning) in children with DLD. We then discuss the hypothesized theoretical mechanisms of action underpinning these findings.

Language Disorders Research on Bilingualism, School-Age, and Related Difficulties: A Scoping Review of Descriptive Studies.

Developmental language disorder (DLD) often remains undetected until children shift from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn,' around 9 years of age. Mono- and bilingual children with DLD frequently have co-occurring reading, attention, and related difficulties, compared to children with typical language development (TLD). Data for mono- and bilingual children with DLD and TLD would aid differentiation of language differences versus disorders in bilingual children. We conducted a scoping review of descriptive research on mono-and bilingual children < and >= 9 years old with DLD versus TLD, and related skills (auditory processing, attention, cognition, executive function, and reading). We searched PubMed for the terms "bilingual" and "language disorders" or "impairment" and "child[ren]" from August 1, 1979 through October 1, 2018. Two abstracters charted all search results. Main exclusions were: secondary data/reviews, special populations, intervention studies, and case studies/series. Abstracted data included age, related skills measures', and four language groups of participants: monolingual DLD, monolingual TLD, bilingual DLD, and bilingual TLD. Of 366 articles, 159 (43%) met inclusion criteria. Relatively few (14%, n=22) included all 4 language groups, co-occurring difficulties other than nonverbal intelligence (n=49, 31%) or reading (n=51, 32%) or any 9-18 year-olds (31%, n=48). Just 5 (3%) included only 9-18 year-olds. Among studies with any 9 to 18 year olds, just 4 (8%, 4/48) included 4 language groups. Future research should include mono- and bilingual children with both DLD and TLD, beyond 8 years of age, along with data about their related skills.

Language Sample Analysis With TalkBank: An Update and Review

This chapter examines state-of-the-art methods for coding, analyzing, and interpreting discourse-level language data from children and adults with language disorders using the data, tools, and methods provided by the TalkBank system (https://www.talkbank.org). These open and free methods have been used for language sample analysis (LSA) with several clinical populations (e.g., child language disorders, stuttering, aphasia, dementia, traumatic brain injury, right hemisphere brain damage), as well as with control participants without communication impairments. We review the six core principles guiding TalkBank, the current shape of the 15 TalkBank databanks, and the different analytic tools provided by TalkBank. We examine automatic TalkBank methods that use ASR (automatic speech recognition), NLP (natural language processing), database technology, statistics in R and Python, and ML (machine learning). The specific tools include corpus analysis methods, LSA profiling systems, online database searches through TalkBank, online browsing through transcripts linked to media, and a new system for online collaborative commentary. These systems provide multimedia access to transcripts from a wide variety of participants with and without language disorders.

Identifying Language Disorder Within a Migration Context: Development and Performance of a Pre-school Screening Tool for Children With German as a Second Language.

BackgroundThere is a lack of accurate and practicable instruments for identifying language disorders in multilingual children in pre-school settings.ObjectiveTo develop a language screening instrument for pre-school children who are growing up with German as their second language.DesignAfter the development and initial validation of a language screening tool, the new instrument (LOGiK-S) was administered to three cohorts of children (2014, 2015, 2017) with a non-German first language attending a variety of public pre-schools in Upper Austria. The screening instrument measures expressive and receptive grammatical skills in German. The final validation study included the results for 270 children for the screening measure and reference tests. A combination of a standardized comprehensive language test of grammatical skills developed for children acquiring German as a second language and a test of expressive vocabulary with the use of specific cutoffs for second language learners was applied as the gold standard for identifying language disorders.ResultsThe LOGiK-S screening of expressive grammar demonstrated excellent accuracy (AUC.953). The screening subscale of receptive grammar did not improve the prediction of language disorders. Using an optimized cutoff yielded a fail rate of 17%, excellent sensitivity (0.940), and specificity (0.936). Time economy and acceptance of the screening by children and screeners were mostly rated as high.ConclusionThe LOGiK-S language screening instrument assessing expressive German grammar development using bilingual norms is a valid and feasible instrument for the identification of language disorders in second language learners of German at the pre-school age.

Diferencias entre el rendimiento en tareas de conciencia fonológica y conciencia prosódica acentual en escolares con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje

Background and objectiveProsodic stress awareness is a metalinguistic ability that develops in parallel to other abilities such as phonological awareness (PhA). The objectives of this article are: to determine prosodic stress awareness the of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in second and fourth grade elementary school children, Prosodic stress awareness and PhA are related to each other and, to determine if those eventual relations are presented equally in individuals of second and fourth grade of primary education. Materials and method131 children participated in the study, 76 in the 2nd grade of primary school (PS) (26 DLD and 50 without DLD) and 55 children in the 4th grade of PS (22 DLD and 33 without DLD). Two prosodic stress awareness tests were used: lexical accent test and metric accent test, and 2tests of PhA. Results and conclusionsThe results show that children with DLD present difficulties in prosodic stress awareness regardless of grade. In addition, the relationship between prosodic stress awareness and CF is corroborated.

Can Dynamic Assessment Identify Language Disorder in Multilingual Children? Clinical Applications From a Systematic Review.

Multilingual children are disproportionately represented on speech pathology caseloads, in part due to the limited ability of traditional language assessments to accurately capture multilingual children's language abilities. This systematic review evaluates the evidence for identification of language disorder in multilingual children using dynamic assessment and considers clinical applications of the evidence. A systematic search of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Education Resources Information Centre, Education Source, Google Scholar, Linguistics, Medline, and PsycINFO databases produced 10 articles that met the inclusion criteria: between-groups comparison studies that used dynamic assessment to identify language disorder in children under 12 years old that spoke a different language at home to the majority society language. Articles were critically appraised using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) protocol. Nine of the 10 studies reported that their dynamic assessment identified language disorder in multilingual children. However, small sample sizes, limited language pairs, variability in the reference standard, and design deficiencies resulted in poor ratings for all studies on QUADAS-2. The studies in this review reflected an emergent area of research. Preliminary guidelines for clinical application indicate that dynamic assessment may be a suitable and time-efficient complementary method of diagnosis of language disorder in multilingual children. Further recommendations about age of use, language of instruction, and relevant scores are included.

Parental Perspective Regarding Consanguineous Marriages as the Cause for Speech and Language Disorders in Pakistan

Background: Consanguineous connections are portrayed as connections between close relatives. These relationships are generally preferred in the majority of Asian and African nations particularly in the Muslim nations. Nonetheless, it is clear that these sorts of marriages have higher risk of congenital anomalies and disorders in children. Objective: To determine the parental perspective regarding consanguineous marriages as the cause for speech and language disorders in children. Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted through different hospital and centers in Lahore, Pakistan (Mayo Hospital, Services hospital, Autism Resource center and The University of Lahore Teaching hospital). Questionnaire will be used and compromised of questions. Data was collected through standardized questionnaire after taking the consent and was distributed among the consanguineous parents who have children with speech and language disorders. Parents were asked to complete the questionnaire. The data was collected using the online questionnaire as well. Results score was recorded for every respondent. Results: The study showed that majority of the people thought that consanguinity cannot lead to speech and language disorders in children. Conclusion: According to my research, although there is higher frequency of speech and language disorders recorded among consanguineous marriages than non-consanguineous marriages but majority of the people had a trend and preference for cousin marriages. Keywords: Consanguinity, Cousin Marriage, parental attitude, speech problems, language disorders, perception, Pakistan

A PRELIMINARY STUDY: WORD AND NON-WORD REPETITION TASKS IN CHILDREN WITH SPEECH DELAY

This study examined the potential of using word and non-word repetition to screen children with speech delay in Indonesia. The tasks adapted Dollaghan &amp; Campbell (1998), which was adjusted to Indonesian. There were 32 items arranged in two sets, consisting of 16 words and 16 non-words, and four items in one, two, three, and four syllables. The sets were counterbalanced across participants. The total number of phonemes in each set was 96. This research involved two children with speech delay (aged 5;0 (year;month) coded B12, and aged 7;1 coded A12); and eleven typically developing children as a control group for each of A12 and B12. The accuracy of word repetitions of all number of syllables by B12 revealed significantly lower results than the accuracy of the control group. The accuracy of non-word repetition in this group did not show any significant differences. For the group of participants aged 7 years, the word repetition revealed significant differences, although A12 had performed normally in two-syllable words. In this group, the repetition of 3- and 4-syllables non-words by participant A12 showed significantly lower results compared to the accuracy of the control group. Clinical and developmental implications in the Indonesian context were discussed.KEYWORDS: Speech Delay, Non-word Repetition, Word Repetition, Language Disorders in Children

Discourse prominence effects on interpretation of reflexive pronoun “ziji” in children with ASD

The core of language disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the loss of social function in language communication.Futher, the correct use and processing of personal pronouns is the basis of language social function. Therefore, clarifying the mechanism of processing the pronoun reference in children with ASD is a major focus in autism research. Currently, the main contradictory focus of the anaphora processing ability in children with ASD is use of semantic pragmatic information in the process of pronoun processing. Therefore, this study will focus on the effect of semantic cues on pronoun processing in children with autism spectrum disorder. This study uses the Chinese reflexive pronoun "ziji" (eg., himself/herself) as the media, because the Chinese reflexive pronoun "ziji (oneself)" is relatively flexible, which is not only restricted by the rule of syntactic rules, but also influenced by the semantic information of the antecedent. This study investigated the processing mechanism of Chinese reflexive pronoun "ziji (oneself)" in children with autism spectrum disorder by manipulating the position of strong semantic cues. The results showed that participants from both the experimental group (children with ASD) and the two control groups (children with typical development and children with intellectual disabilities) were able to process strong semantic cues. When the second person pronoun "you" or the s participant’s name appears in the remote subject position, children from both the experimental group and the two control groups could use semantic information to make long distance anaphora of the reflexive pronoun "ziji (oneself)". Conversely, when the second person pronoun "you" appeared in the close subject position, the children with autism spectrum disorder and the two control groups would both make close anaphora with the reflexive pronoun “ziji (oneself)”. This study found that children with autism spectrum disorder can process semantic information normally during pronoun anaphora when the semantic cues are sufficiently prominence. The results of this study provide a more comprehensive understanding of the language processing mechanism of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Challenges in Delivering Tele-Practice Services for Communication Disorders Among Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists.

Outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has affected immensely the service delivery to patients with communication disorders. Tele-rehabilitation has become a new norm for the service in the field of speech and hearing. Daily challenges in service delivery are widely being reported. The objective of study is to highlight challenges faced by Audiologists and Speech Language pathologists during tele-practice. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out through a web-based questionnaire regarding challenges faced by Audiologists & Speech Language Pathologists, and their perspectives towards tele-practice was compared. Total of 18 questions were divided into three sections. Section I included questions regarding training related to tele-practice, types of cases being handled, etc. Section II comprised of questions related to tele-therapy resources and section III had questions related to evaluation and treatment by tele-mode. 118 participants (47% Postgraduate students, 29% undergraduate students and 24% Professionals) participated in the study. Only 16.1% of the clinicians were trained formally for service delivery via tele-mode. All the participants reported child language disorders, difficult to handle during sessions. Participants reported lack of evidence based tele resources for the use during their practice and also stated difficulty assessing and intervening clients via tele-mode. Results show telerehabilitation is being widely used. Challenges faced by Audiologists and Speech language pathologists are difficulty handling paediatric population, lack of evidence-based tele-resources, and difficulty in evaluation & management of the patients. Effective training regarding tele practice is the need of current scenario. Future research on developing evidence- based resources is emphasized.

The Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral Play Therapy on Improvements in Expressive Linguistic Disorders of Bilingual Children.

The present study attempted to investigate the effect of cognitive-behavioral play therapy (CBPT) on the improvements in the expressive linguistic disorders of bilingual children. The population consists of all bilingual children with expressive linguistic disorders studying in preschools. Considering the study’s objectives, a sample of 60 people, in three groups (experimental, control, and pseudo-control), were selected using WISC, TOLD, and clinical interviews. The experimental group members participated in CBPT training sessions. The training consisted of twelve 90-min sessions, three times per week programs held every other day. The pseudo-control group received training different from play therapy. The experimental group members were subjected to the follow-up test 2 months after the end of the intervention. All three groups sat the TOLD3 test before and after the experiment. Data analysis was carried out using ANCOVA. The results of data analysis suggested that CBPT can improve the expressive language disorders of bilingual children.

Nonword Repetition Performance Differentiates Children Who Stutter With and Without Concomitant Speech Sound and Developmental Language Disorders.

The aim of this study was to examine how nonword repetition (NWR) performance may be impacted by the presence of concomitant speech and language disorders in young children who stutter (CWS). One hundred forty-one children (88 CWS and 53 children who do not stutter [CWNS]) participated. CWS were divided into groups based on the presence of speech sound and/or language disorder or typical speech sound production and language abilities. NWR abilities were measured using stimuli composed of one- to four-syllable nonwords. CWS with typical speech and language and CWNS had higher accuracy scores than CWS with concomitant speech and language disorders. We found no difference in accuracy scores between CWNS and CWS with typical speech and language abilities, nor did we find differences between CWS with speech sound disorder and CWS with both speech sound and language disorders. Accuracy decreased as nonword length increased for all groups. We found that the presence of a concomitant speech and language disorder was a driving factor behind poorer NWR performance in CWS. Accuracy scores differentiated CWS with concomitant disorders from CWS with typical speech and language but not CWS with typical speech and language from CWNS. Considering the speech and language abilities of CWS helped clarify poorer NWR performance and enhances generalizability to the population that exists clinically.

Problem-Based Learning as a Tool to Facilitate Graduate Students’ Understanding of Terminology and Evidence-Based Practice in Child Language Disorders

There have historically been a variety of diagnostic terms used to describe children with unexplained language disorders. Recently there has been some consensus around the use of the term developmental language disorder (DLD) however, students, in particular graduate students, need to be aware of the various terms that have historically been used so that they are able to successfully employ evidence-based practice (EBP). The current study used a Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach, based on a teaching module recently published by the authors (see Victorino & Magaldi, 2019), to teach students enrolled in a graduate program in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) about the evolving terminology used to describe children with unexplained language disorders. Students’ confidence in their understanding of the concepts surrounding the variety of terms used and confidence to seek evidence relating to children with unexplained language disorders was measured. Quantitative findings indicated increased student confidence after the PBL exercises on all areas measured, with the largest gains related to the nature of unexplained language disorders in children, and their ability to employ EBP. Qualitative findings also suggested the PBL exercises impacted students thinking about EBP. Implications for educators in CSD programs are discussed.

Language disorders in children: Complementary role of child psychiatrists and speech-language pathologists

AbstractThe high prevalence of developmental and psychiatric comorbidities in children and adolescents with language disorders calls for a multidisciplinary approach to assessment and management. More specifically, this study aimed to provide an overview of the complementary role of child psychiatrists in the assessment and management of children and adolescents with language disorders. Case vignette-based discussion has been chosen as a pedagogical methodology to highlight practical concerns during clinical practice. In language disorders, comorbidity is a rule rather than an exception. This diagnostic overlap is not limited to one-time point in development but is likely to occur across the lifespan. Understanding and teasing out complex relationships between language disorders, and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric comorbidities are an important step in assessment, diagnosis, and management. Language disorders may pose social disadvantages in developmental tasks such as peer relationships and learning difficulties. Children with language impairment may show considerable improvement with early intervention and may come in contact with the clinician later during childhood or adolescence, with concerns primarily related to comorbid disorders such as anxiety or depression and consequent decompensation in functionality. It would be prudent for clinicians to educate families about the longitudinal nature of language disorders and their cascading impact on overall developmental and mental health outcomes of the child. Professionals of various disciplines working with neurodevelopmental disorders, where the common interests related to the etiology and biological underpinnings of the interventions are the atypical development of the central nervous system, are best considered “clinical neuroscientists.” Consistent attempts over time and transcending interdisciplinary boundaries as a “clinical neuroscientist” will result in a coordinated team that places the best interest of the given child and the family as central.