Child's Chronological Age Research Articles

Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infants' development: analyzing the results of developmental assessments at ages 10-11 and 18-24 months.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infant development. The study investigated the development of infants at 10-11 months of age between 2020 and 2023 by using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development-2020 (KSPD2020), an individualized developmental scale, and the Kinder Infant Developmental Scale (KIDS), a developmental questionnaire. We compared the results of the KSPD2020 with those of a pre-pandemic developmental research and compared the developmental age (DA) of KIDS with children's chronological age (CA). Moreover, the same developmental research was conducted again on the same children at 18-24 months of age. DA for receptive language and expressive language was lower in the KIDS compared to CA in the investigation at 10-11 months. However, in the investigation at 18-24 months, there were no areas where KIDS' DA was lower than CA, and DA in the areas of manipulation, receptive language, social relationship with adults, discipline, and eating was higher than CA. On the other hand, using the KSPD2020, there were no differences when compared to pre-pandemic data in the investigation at 10-11 months. Furthermore, the investigation at 18-24 months showed that developmental quotient (DQ) was lower in the Language-Social (L-S) areas than in the investigation at 10-11 months. The lower DQ of L-S in this study was also evident in comparison to the 18-24 months pre-pandemic data. These results suggested that to investigate the medium- and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's development, it is necessary to use not only parent-filled questionnaires but also individualized developmental scales. In addition, the finding that results may differ depending on the method of developmental assessment is considered important not only for developmental researchers but also for professionals involved in supporting children's development.

Real-time coded measures in natural language samples capture change over time in minimally verbal autistic children.

Prior research supports the use of natural language sampling (NLS) to assess the rate of speech utterances (URate) and the rate of conversational turns (CTRate) in minimally verbal (MV) autistic children. Bypassing time-consuming transcription, previous work demonstrated the ability to derive URate and CTRate using real-time coding methods and provided support for their strong psychometric properties. (1) Unexplored is how URate and CTRate using real-time coding methods capture change over time and (2) whether specific child factors predict changes in URate and CTRate in 50 MV autistic children (40 males; M = 75.54, SD = 16.45 (age in months)). A NLS was collected at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2) (4.5 months between T1 and T2) and coding was conducted in ELAN Linguistic Annotator software using a real-time coding approach to derive URate and CTRate. Findings from paired samples Wilcoxon tests revealed a significant increase in child URate (not examiner URate) and child and examiner CTRate from T1 to T2. Child chronological age, Mullen expressive language age equivalent scores, and URate and CTRate at T1 were predictive of URate and CTRate at T2. Findings support using NLS-derived real-time coded measures of URate and CTRate to efficiently capture change over time in MV autistic children. Identifying child factors that predict changes in URate and CTRate can help in the tailoring of goals to children's individual needs and strengths.

Demirjian method and Willems method to study the dental age of adolescents in Shanghai before and after 10 years.

The aim of this study was to assess whether the difference in dental ages between 2009 to 2011 and 2021 is affected by environmental factors such as environmental pollution, floating population, and dietary habits. Demirjian and Willems dental age estimation methods were conducted for a Han population of children aged 8 to 14 in Shanghai, China. A total of 1259 digital panoramic radiographs of children aged 8.00-14.99 were estimated. All digital panoramic radiographs were estimated using the Demirjian and Willems methods. Data collected in 2009 to 2011 and 2021 were statistically analysed by paired t-tests. The results show that the Demirjian method overestimates 2009 to 2011 and underestimates 2021 the children's chronological age. When using the Willems method, the age of males was overestimated and the age of females was underestimated from 2009 to 2011, and it was underestimated for both genders in 2021. In conclusion, the difference in dental ages between 2009 to 2011 and 2021 was statistically significant. Factors such as environment and dietary habits have been found to be affected by dental development. However, there are disputes among some researchers about the exact factors, so it is suggested to further study the effects of environmental factors on tooth development.

The Predictive Role of Quantity and Quality Language-Exposure Measures for L1 and L2 Vocabulary Production among Immigrant Preschoolers in Italy.

In this study, we investigated the lexical ability in L1 and L2 of 60 immigrant children who were 37 to 62 months old and exposed to minority languages (L1) and Italian (L2). Using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories, we measured children's vocabulary production in L1 and L2. From interviews, we collected data on quantitative language exposure (parental input, child output, length of exposure to L2 at preschool, and parental oral fluency) and qualitative home-language exposure (HLE) practices (active, play, and passive) in L1 and L2. We conducted stepwise regression analyses to explore which factors predicted children's vocabulary production in L1 and L2. The child's chronological age and parental education were not predictors of vocabulary production. L2 parental input, L1 child output, and L1 HLE-active practices explained 42% of the variance in children's L1 vocabulary production. L2 child output and L2 HLE-active practices explained 47% of the variance in children's L2 vocabulary production, whereas length of L2 exposure in preschool was a predictor only when we included quantitative language-exposure factors in the model. The effects of the quantity and quality of language exposure on lexical ability among preschool immigrant children are discussed.

Automated prediction of children's age from voice acoustics

The emergence of a variety of applications aimed at video gaming, parental control, education, specific language impairment, child development assessment, and speech therapy create demands for age-targeted approaches. Yet, there is a lack of methods providing robust and easily interpretable age estimation of speakers from early childhood to post-pubertal stage. This study aims to provide a fully-automated approach for children's age prediction based on voice acoustics. Sustained phonation of vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ recorded from 255 speakers (132 girls and 123 boys) ranging between 4 and 15 years of age were analysed. The first three formant frequencies and fundamental frequency across each vowel were automatically evaluated and used as features for linear and nonlinear regressors to estimate the prediction model. We demonstrate rapid, accurate age estimation with reasonable accuracy of an average 1.3-year difference from actual children's chronological age. The lower age prediction error of 1.2 years was achieved for boys compared to 1.5 years for girls. The early childhood age from 4 to 5 years was less accurate for prediction. No effect of utterance duration on estimated results was observed. Our results present a robust technology with clinically interpretable outcomes insusceptible to overfitting that enables to predict children's age in a wide range of ages. Better prediction accuracy for boys than girls appears to reflect the faster vocal tract growth for men. The lower prediction accuracy in early childhood can be attributed to rapid nonlinear development and greater variability in the level of motor control maturation.

The association between maternal sensitivity/availability and attachment in children with autism Spectrum disorder: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

The association between maternal sensitivity and attachment security has long been established among normative samples. However, less is known about how this association operates among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This meta-analytic review is the first to address the association between maternal sensitivity/availability and attachment security in a population of children with ASD (aged 1 to 7 years) and to explore if this association is moderated by child chronological age, mental age, ASD-related symptoms severity. The objective was also to assess the role of methodological moderators, including the informant of the attachment measure, country and publication year. A systematic search was performed on relevant databases. Seven studies were retained. Meta-analytic results showed a significant medium effect size between maternal sensitivity/availability and attachment security in children with ASD (r = .47; 95% CI: 0.32–.60; p < .001), which is a stronger association than in the general population (r = .24). Moderation analyses did not show any significant effect of child chronological age and publication year on effect sizes. The categorical moderators (e.g., informant, country) could not be tested due to the limited number of studies. More research is needed to better understand the way mothers adapt to their children with autism and identify the nuances regarding how maternal sensitivity/availability relates to child attachment in the context of ASD.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02227-z.

The Contribution of Socioeconomic Status to Children's Performance on Three Grammatical Measures in the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative contribution of socioeconomic status (SES) on three grammatical measures-finite verb morphology composite (FVMC), percent grammatical utterances (PGU), and clausal density-in children between the ages of 4 and 9 years. Method Data for this study were from the normative sample in the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument. For 359 children, hierarchical linear regression was performed to evaluate the amount of variance in FVMC, PGU, and clausal density that was uniquely explained by SES after accounting for child chronological age and language status (typical, impaired). Results After child age and language status were controlled, SES was a significant predictor of PGU and clausal density scores, but not of FVMC scores. SES uniquely accounted for 0.5% of variance in PGU scores and 0.8% of variance in clausal density scores. Conclusions Consistent with maturational accounts of children's development of tense markers, results of this study offer evidence that, among grammatical measures, FVMC is uniquely robust to variation in SES. Although significant, the variance of PGU and clausal density scores uniquely accounted for by SES was close to minimum. Clinicians can therefore include these three grammatical measures for assessing children of different socioeconomic backgrounds. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.14810484.

Patterns and Regularities of Psychophysical Development of Early Age Children with Neurological Pathology

The aim of the article is to describe the characteristics and to identify individual types of psychophysical development of children with neurological pathology in the early age. Research methods. Munich Functional Diagnostics Development was used to assess children’s developmental age, which highlights the areas of child development: motor development, fine motor skills development, perception development, the development of speech and language comprehension, social development, autonomy development. The concept «developmental age» is understood as the level of child development in each sphere. Study sample: children aged from one to three years with neurological diagnoses of cerebral palsy (n = 99) and CNS PROP (n = 201). Results of the study. The indicators of developmental age in all spheres increase with the increase of child chronological age, which indicates the dynamics of psychophysical development in the period from one to three years. The value of the indicator of the discrepancy between the chronological age and the age of development increases by children of the third year of life compared to the children of the second year of life, which means that development speed of children slows down. Based on a set of criteria six types of child development profiles which are presented in the general sample with different frequency, were identified: the most common profiles are those with a significant decrease in the developmental indicators, less often – profiles with a slight decrease in the developmental indicators and the profile with an excess of chronological age indicators is found in rare cases. The types of development profiles are not strictly related to nosological categories. Conclusions. The developmental profile reflects the structure of the defect, and allows to define backward and intact function as well as to set objectives for remedial work and to determine the zone of proximal development of the child. The established patterns of development of a child with a neurological pathology will be of interest to neurologists and also have practical significance for dealing with mothers, who have no idea about the slowing down of the child’s development with age.

Tense Marking in the Kindergarten Population: Testing the Bimodal Distribution Hypothesis.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore whether evidence for a bimodal distribution of tense marking, previously documented in clinically referred samples, exists in a population-based sample of kindergarten children from a rural county in Tennessee. Method A measure of tense marking, the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI) Screening Test, was individually administered to consented kindergarten students (N = 153) across three elementary schools in a single school district. The consented children constituted 73% of kindergartners in the district. Cluster analysis was used to evaluate the number and composition of latent classes that best fit the distribution of the TEGI Screening Test scores. Results Analysis of the scores revealed a distribution that deviated significantly from normality. Cluster analyses (Ward's, k-means, single linkage) revealed a two-cluster solution as the best fitting model. The very large effect-size difference in mean TEGI Screening Test score between the two clusters (d = 4.77) provides validation of an identifiable boundary delineating typical from atypical tense marking in this sample of kindergartners. The difference in tense marking across the two clusters was not attributable to child chronological age. The percentage of the sample comprising the low-performing cluster aligns with specific language impairment and developmental language disorder prevalence estimates. Conclusion Additional demonstrations of a bimodal distribution of tense marking in future studies with carefully defined samples could strengthen the clinical marker evidence and utility of this linguistic feature.

High Risk for Obesity in Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is characterized by marked impairment in the acquisition of motor skill. The poor performance of movement skills marks developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and this defect affects the child's activities of daily living in innumerous ways. The ability of the child in the execution of the motor task is substantially below that expected for a child's chronological age and intelligence. DCD affects the child's ability in performing both gross and fine motor skills. Performing the Variety of motor tasks is impaired, and the child is isolated socially and emotionally. These children experience frequent academic failure because of their poor handwriting skill. Despite having IQ more significant than 70, these children experience academic failure. As because of their motor coordination difficulty, these children avoid peer group interaction. They were termed as clumsy and awkward, by their teachers and often by their peer group. Thus they were avoided by their peer group children. This recurrent isolation becomes permanent for children with DCD, and they tend to isolate themselves from everybody. As they become isolated, these children are more prone to psychological distress. As because of poor social interaction and participation in green land play along with peer group children, they were at high risk for obesity and other related disorders. Awareness of the importance of participation in a physical activity needs to be delivered for all the parents of children with and without DCD. Benefits of green land play need to be understood by the parents for further facilitation of children's engagement in physical activity sessions.

Initial psychometric evaluation of the Hartley Knows Writing Shapes Assessment Version 2 with typically developing children between the ages of 4 and 8.

Despite advances in technology, handwriting still remains an important part of the school curriculum. Especially during the early years of schooling, handwriting difficulties have been shown to negatively affect academic success. Consequently, occupational therapists rely on sound psychometric tools to assess a child's visual motor abilities and implement appropriate strategies to facilitate their handwriting outcomes. The Hartley Knows Writing Shapes Assessment Version 2 (HKWSA-V2) evaluates knowledge of writing shapes, ability to replicate writing shapes and knowledge of handwriting concepts used in the Hartley Knows Writing Program (HKWP). The current study describes the initial development and psychometric evaluation of the HKWSA-V2. Typically developing children (N=50) between 4 and 8years old, completed two visual motor assessments: the HKWSA-V2 and the Beery Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration 6th Ed. (Beery VMI). Guided by the COnsensus-based standards for the Selection of health Measurement INstruments, statistical analysis was conducted using various non-parametric tests to assess the internal consistency, construct, and criterion validity of the HKWSA-V2. The internal consistency of the HKWSA-V2 ranged between adequate and excellent (Cronbach's α=0.61-0.88). Construct validity as hypothesised, was supported with strong correlations found between groups of children who had and had not been involved in the HKWP. Statistically significant differences were also found in HKWSA-V2 scores based on the child's chronological age (r=.51, p<.01; r=.34, p<.05) and year level (p=.00). Criterion validity was substantiated with moderate to strong correlations found between all HKWSA-V2 scales and subscales and the Beery VMI subscales (ρ=0.06-0.53). Evaluation of the tool provides promising initial psychometric findings. The tool allows professionals and clinicians to evaluate a child's visual motor abilities according to concepts learnt within the HKWP. Further development of the HKWSA-V2 is warranted.

Vocal imitation between mothers and their children with cochlear implants.

To better explain variation in language acquisition in children with hearing loss, this study examined vocal (e.g., vocalization) and lexical (e.g., word) imitation in spontaneous interactions between mothers and children with 12months of hearing experience using their cochlear implants (n=12; mean age 27.9months). Hearing children in two control groups were matched to children with cochlear implants, either by child chronological age (n=12; mean age=27.4months) or by child hearing experience (n=12; mean age 12months). All three groups of mother-child dyads were audio-recorded playing together. Mothers and children in all groups imitated their partners' vocalization and word utterances; however, the cochlear implant and hearing experience-matched groups produced fewer word imitations than the age-matched group. The frequency of preceding child vocalization or word production predicted maternal imitation type (vocalization or word); however, frequency of maternal vocalization predicted child vocalization imitation only. The results showed that child hearing experience affected imitation in both communication partners.

Learning progress of fathers compared to mothers in auditory-verbal rehabilitation: A pilot study

ABSTRACT Fathers’ participation in early intervention services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing has increased, but few studies have examined the learning progress of skills learned in these sessions. The aim of this study was to compare the competence patterns of fathers and mothers in implementing auditory-verbal therapy (AVT) practices, and to investigate how the parents’ behaviours changed over time when interacting with their children. Five fathers were matched with mothers with respect to children's chronological age, hearing loss degree, and length of enrolment in AVT. Teaching and behavioural skills of fathers and mothers were rated by children's AV therapists at 3-month intervals. Differences in performance scores and learning progress in AVT skills utilisation between fathers and mothers were explored. Fathers showed greater improvement than mothers in the reinforcement domain from Time 2 to Time 3. However, no statistically significant difference in performance scores between fathers and mothers was detected at any time point, nor was there a significant difference in skill progress rate between fathers and mothers. Results suggest that fathers and mothers are equally suited to serving as their children's language facilitators. Fathers can grow positively in both teaching and parenting behaviours through systematic learning to achieve performance levels comparable to mothers’ in learning early intervention techniques for speech and hearing.

Understanding the role and function of maternal touch in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities

During the first years of life, maternal touch can serve different functions including facilitation of child’s gaze orientation to faces which is a key precursor for social attention. Although children with neurodevelopmental disability (ND) may have reduced social skills, the role of maternal touch in contributing to gaze orientation to maternal face has not been explored in previous research. In the present study, we investigate the functions of maternal touch in dyads of mothers and children with ND, compared to dyads of children with typical development (TD). Micro-analytic 2-s coding of maternal touch (i.e., affectionate, playful, facilitating, holding, no touch) and children’s gaze orientation (i.e., mother-oriented, object-oriented, non-oriented) occurred during 5-minute interactions between mothers and their 12-to-24-month-old ND and TD children. Dyads were paired for children chronological age and sex. Mothers of children with ND used more touch – especially facilitating and holding types –, compared to mothers of TD peers. Children with ND exhibited more non-orientated gaze compared to TD counterparts. Playful touch associated with increased mother-oriented gaze in children with ND, whereas affectionate and holding touch associated with greater mother-oriented gaze in TD children. Findings suggest that specific types of touch support children’s attention to social partners.

Language outcome in children with congenital hearing impairment: The influence of etiology

ObjectivesTo investigate the possible association between the etiology of hearing impairment (HI) and language outcome in children with congenital HI after an early medical-technical intervention and three years of AVT. MethodsA retrospective, two-center study was conducted of 53 patients who were divided in four categories of etiology (degeneratio labyrinthi acustici (DLA) congenita hereditaria, DLA congenita non specificata, DLA congenita postinfectiosa and auditory neuropathy). Language outcome was assessed by examining receptive vocabulary (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, PPVT-4), receptive language (Reynell test) and productive language (the Danish ‘Viborgmaterialet’). All tests were conducted 1, 2 and 3 years after the children received their hearing device. Test scores were calculated from the child's chronological age. Analysis of possible associations was performed using Fisher's exact test and McNemar's test was conducted to examine possible differences between each year of testing for every speech-language test. Subsequently, univariate analyses were performed to search for other possible covariates associated with language outcome. ResultsNo significant associations were found between the etiology of the HI and the language outcome of children with HI after 1 year of AVT (PPVT, p = 0,234; Reynell, p = 0,845; Viborgmaterialet, p = 0,667), neither after 2 years of AVT (PPVT, p = 0,228; Reynell, p = 0,172; Viborgmaterialet, p = 0,659) nor after 3 years of AVT (PPVT, p = 0,102; Reynell, p = 0,512 Viborgmaterialet, p = 0,580). Some significant associations were found between language outcome and the type of hearing device and between language outcome and additional disabilities, however no strong evidence was found. ConclusionMost children with congenital HI developed a comparable level of speech and language regardless of the etiology of their HI. This study highlights the interest of further research using objective assessments techniques in a larger and more homogeneous population. If the findings from this study will be confirmed in future studies, this will have a clinical and societal impact regarding the diagnostics of HI.

The Influence of Maternal Pragmatics on the Language Skills of Children with Autism.

This study examined the relationship between mothers' pragmatics and child language in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and non-ASD language delay (LD) mother-child dyads. Participants consisted of 20 dyads of mothers and their toddlers aged 24 to 48 months, with ASD (n = 10) or non-ASD LD (n = 10). Groups were matched on child chronological age, language, and cognition. Maternal pragmatic language was qualified based on the degree of pragmatic violations during a semistructured interview, and was examined in relation to both child language, as measured by the Preschool Language Scale-4 and maternal use of language facilitation strategies during play. Lower rates of maternal pragmatic violations were associated with higher expressive language scores in children with ASD, and with higher receptive language scores for children with non-ASD LD. Within ASD dyads, maternal pragmatic violations were negatively related to mothers' use of linguistic expansions. These findings indicate that parental pragmatics likely contribute to early language learning, and that the effects of maternal pragmatics on early language in ASD may be indirect (e.g., through parents' use of facilitative strategies). Parent-mediated language interventions for ASD should therefore consider parent pragmatics, especially given that pragmatic differences have been identified in unaffected family members of individuals with ASD.

Health care provider responses to initial parental reports of autism spectrum disorder symptoms: results from a nationally representative sample

Health care provider (HCP) responses to initial parental report of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms were examined in relation to latency to diagnosis and child chronological age at diagnosis. Secondary data analyses were conducted for a sample of 1384 parents of children with ASD utilizing data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN, 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2009) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pathways to Diagnosis and Services (CDC PDS, Survey of pathways to diagnosis and services, 2011). Approximately 44% of the sample experienced predominantly delayed HCP responses, 38% experienced predominantly proactive responses, while the remaining 18% experienced a relatively even mix of delayed and proactive responses across HCPs. With regard to outcomes correlated with the type of HCP response, individuals exposed to proactive HCPs were diagnosed with ASD almost a year earlier for child chronological age than individuals exposed to mixed HCPs. This difference increased beyond a year between individuals receiving proactive HCPs versus individuals experiencing delayed HCPs. Finally, after controlling for socioeconomic status, parent-reported severity of ASD symptoms, and age at time of referral, proactive HCP was correlated with decreased time to diagnosis from parental first report of ASD symptoms. Results are discussed with regard to increasing proactive HCP responses to parental first concerns of ASD symptomology versus a mix or delayed responses.

Predictors of Elopement Exhibited by School-Aged Children With Special Health Care Needs: Towards the Development of a Screening Instrument for Elopement.

Elopement exhibited by school-aged children with special health care needs is a relatively low frequency problem behavior with the potential for severe negative consequences for the child and family. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Survey of Pathways to Diagnosis and Services, our results represent one of the first empirical studies of variables that may be associated with children with special health care needs engaging in elopement. Using data from a nationally representative sample of children with special health care needs, our results revealed two variables that were statistically significant predictors of parent-reported elopement in the past year: (1) the child's chronological age, and (2) the presence of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. We found that the likelihood of an elopement event was inversely related to age, but positively associated with the presence of an ASD diagnosis. Using parent-response items from the CDC data set, we selected a set of questions to screen for risk of elopement and analyzed their psychometric properties. We discuss the need for future research to validate this screening instrument for school-aged youth with special health care needs. Our study provides an initial psychometric analysis to support a potential screening instrument for elopement events among school-aged youth that needs to be validated by a longitudinal study of its predictive validity.

A comparative study of the physical development and motor performance of mentally non-handicapped children and children with intellectual and development disabilities.

Several studies state that there might be a difference in the physical development and the motor performance of the mentally non-handicapped children and those with intellectual and development disabilities. The aim of our research was to compare the two groups from these aspects. The study included the assessment of the physical development and motor performance of altogether 225 primary school pupils (mentally non-handicapped and with intellectual and development disabilities) aged 8-11. The following indicators of physical development and build were examined: body height, body weight and body mass index (BMI), musculoskeletal plasticity index, biceps and triceps skinfold thickness. The motor tests included: 20 m dash, standing long jump, medicine-ball throwing, six minutes continuous running, obstacle race-test and a match test. We also examined the children's chronological (decimal) and morphological age. Data were analysed with SPSS programme. The differences between the averages were calculated with ANOVA and Fisher's LSD tests. The results show that the children with intellectual and development disabilities are in general less developed physically than non-handicapped children of the same age and sex. It is also concluded that in most motor tests the children with intellectual and development disabilities fall behind the non-handicapped ones.

Sympathetic arousal of young children who stutter during a stressful picture naming task

PurposeThe purpose of the current study was to investigate sympathetic arousal of young children who do and do not stutter during a stressful picture-naming task under instructions to name pictures as rapidly as possible. MethodThirty-seven young children who stutter (CWS) and 39 young children who do not stutter (CWNS) served as participants. Dependent measures consisted of tonic skin conductance during a pretask baseline, a stress-inducing rapid picture-naming task, and post-picture-naming task condition. ResultsFindings indicated that, when chronological age was not taken into account, there was no between-group difference in tonic skin conductance level. When age was taken into account, however, there was a significant talker group×age group interaction, with follow-up analyses indicating that 3-year-old CWS exhibited significantly higher sympathetic arousal than their CWNS peers, and their 4-year-old CWNS peers. ConclusionsFindings were taken to be consistent with non-physiological results indicating an association between emotional processes and childhood stuttering. This association, at least for this cross-sectional study of tonic skin conductance level (SCL) during a picture-naming task, was moderated by children's chronological age. Such developmental differences may be associated with various processes, for example, attention, cognition, or physiology, or some combination of two or more of these processes. Future empirical study of these processes in young CWS and CWNS may profit from longitudinal measurement of converging lines of evidence from behavioral, parent and psychophysiological indexes of emotional reactivity and regulation.Educational Objectives: After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (a) discuss salient findings in the literature regarding the association between emotional processes and childhood stuttering; (b) discuss sympathetic arousal, and how skin conductance is used to measure it; and (c) discuss the role of chronological age in the association between emotion and stuttering in young children.