Fluent Children Research Articles

Impact of Parent-Child Paired Reading on Reading Fluency in Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Single-Subject Study

Children with intellectual disabilities (ID) face difficulties in reading fluency, which may hinder their overall reading development. To address this challenge, this study investigated the impact of parent-child pairing reading on reading accuracy and speed in children with intellectual disabilities. Three children with ID participated in this cross-subject multi-baseline single-subject study and their parents were trained to use paired reading strategies to engage in a six week reading activity with them. The study was divided into three stages, with participants without reading guidance during the baseline and maintenance periods. During the intervention period, parents used paired reading strategies to guide their children in reading. Data were collected and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and interviews with parents who participated in the study were conducted to assist with assessment of the intervention results. After intervention, all three children showed better reading accuracy than the baseline period, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. The intervention had little effect on the reading speed of the three participants, but it gradually improved during the maintenance period. Each of the parents held a positive attitude toward the effectiveness and applicability of parent-child paired reading in children with intellectual disabilities. The results of this preliminary study indicate that training and guiding parents to implement paired reading strategies can effectively improve reading fluency in children with intellectual disabilities.

Exploring the Activation of Target Words in Picture Naming in Children Who Stutter: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials.

Target word activation in picture naming was explored in children who stutter (CWS) and typically fluent children (TFC) using event-related potentials (ERPs). A total of 18 CWS and 16 TFC completed a task combining picture naming and probe word identification. On each trial, a picture-to-be-named was followed by an auditory probe word-to-be-identified; the probe was identical (Identity condition) or Unrelated to the picture name. ERPs were recorded from probe onset. Attenuation of the N400 ERP component was predicted to Identity versus Unrelated trials (N400 priming). Between-groups differences in amplitude, timing, and topography of N400 priming were explored. Naming was more accurate on Identity versus Unrelated trials. Probe word identification accuracy was not affected by Condition. N400 priming was detected, indicating that self-generated picture names facilitated semantic processing of identical probes. This effect was larger in amplitude in CWS versus TFC. Unexpectedly, an N400-preceding, frontally maximal, positive-going ERP component-associated with expectancy processing-was larger in amplitude to Unrelated versus Identity trials. This effect was smaller in CWS versus TFC. A larger N400 priming effect in CWS versus TFC reflects a tendency toward more extensive semantic processing in picture naming in CWS. A smaller Condition effect on frontally maximal, positive-going, N400-preceding ERP activity in CWS versus TFC indicates a reduced ability to form expectancies about the lexical and/or phonological identity of probe words in CWS. Both effects may point to inefficient activation of target words in picture naming in CWS.

A Comparison of Repeated Reading and Listening While Reading to Increase Oral Reading Fluency in Children

A Comparison of Repeated Reading and Listening While Reading to Increase Oral Reading Fluency in Children

Analisis Pemerolehan Bahasa Terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Anak Usia 8 Tahun

This study aims to find out about children's language acquisition towards children's language development at the age of 8 years. The purpose of this study is to analyze children's language acquisition at the age of 8 years who experience a phase of speech delay on their language development. Researchers use qualitative research, and this type of research natural observation method involves observing and recording certain behaviors, situations, or events, without direct interaction with the subject. The approach used in this research is a qualitative approach with natural observation methods. Acquisition techniques methods in this observation used 3 ways, namely interview techniques, experiments, and observations. Based on the results of data analysis, children’s language skills are influenced by the first language obtained and environmental factors that children live in. Another factor that affects children's language acquisition is the child's fluency factor, this is the cause of delayed language acquisition in children. Based on the results of the study, language development in children is influenced by the child's language acquisition process. The role of parents is quite important in this aspect of children's language development.

Keterlamabatan Bicara pada Anak Usia 5 Tahun

This study aims to find out about children's language acquisition towards children's language development at the age of 8 years. The purpose of this study is to analyze children's language acquisition at the age of 8 years who experience a phase of speech delay on their language development. Researchers use qualitative research, and this type of research natural observation method involves observing and recording certain behaviors, situations, or events, without direct interaction with the subject. The approach used in this research is a qualitative approach with natural observation methods. Acquisition techniques methods in this observation used 3 ways, namely interview techniques, experiments, and observations. Based on the results of data analysis, children’s language skills are influenced by the first language obtained and environmental factors that children live in. Another factor that affects children's language acquisition is the child's fluency factor, this is the cause of delayed language acquisition in children. Based on the results of the study, language development in children is influenced by the child's language acquisition process. The role of parents is quite important in this aspect of children's language development

Bedtime Storytelling: A Method to Enhance Early Childhoods’ Language Development

Psychologically, young children generally enjoy listening to stories told by their parents. This study aims to analyze the impact of storytelling before bed by parents in order to improve early childhood language development. This research uses a qualitative method with a case study approach. The respondents of this study were 15 mothers and 15 children aged 5-6 years. The methods used to collect data were in-depth interviews and observation. Data analysis techniques use qualitative and quantitative descriptive. The results of the research show that storytelling before bed impacts children's fluency in pronouncing words, vocabulary mastery, self-confidence, and creativity in retelling the stories they hear. In conclusion, storytelling before bed can empirically improve children's language development significantly. Apart from that, this research has implications for the teaching and learning process in PAUD units, where teachers are advised to use the storytelling method during the teaching and learning process. Parents are also advised to get into the habit of telling stories before bed as one of the methods used in developing language in early childhood, especially for young children. 5-6 years.

Processing Speed Deficit and Its Relationship with Math Fluency in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

(1) To determine the processing speed (PS) deficit in children with ADHD; and (2) To investigate if PS deficit was the primary cause of daily dysfunction in ADHD by testing the direct and indirect effects via working memory (WM) of PS on math fluency (MF). Seventy-eight children (52 children with ADHD and 26 controls) were tested on their motor, perceptual, cognitive, and verbal PS, WM, and MF. Children with ADHD performed worse than controls on all PS, suggesting a general PS deficit. Moreover, cognitive PS was a significant predictor for MF. Mediation analysis showed that cognitive PS had direct and indirect effects via WM on MF, suggesting PS deficit might be the primary cause of MF difficulties in ADHD. Findings of this study suggested a general PS deficit in ADHD. Due to the importance of PS in MF, interventions for MF underachievers should include assessment and training of PS.

Transcranial Direct-Current Stimulation Improves Verbal Fluency in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with impaired verbal fluency as an executive function. The left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the right inferior frontal gurus (IFG), which show reduced functionality in individuals with ADHD, are involved in verbal fluency. In this study, a total of thirty-seven children with ADHD participated in two separate experiments. Each experiment included three different stimulation conditions: anodal left dlPFC/cathodal right vmPFC stimulation, the reversed montage, and a sham stimulation in Experiment 1, and anodal right dlPFC, anodal right IFG with extracranial return electrode, and a sham stimulation in Experiment 2. During each session, participants performed semantic and phonemic verbal fluency tasks while receiving tDCS. The results revealed a significant main effect of stimulation condition on phonemic verbal fluency during anodal left dlPFC stimulation in Experiment 1, and on semantic verbal fluency during both real stimulation conditions in Experiment 2. In conclusion, this study suggests that anodal left dlPFC stimulation improves phonemic verbal fluency, while anodal right dlPFC and right IFG stimulation enhance semantic verbal fluency. This domain-specific improvement can be attributed to the distinct cognitive demands of phonemic and semantic verbal fluency tasks. Phonemic verbal fluency heavily relies on working memory processes, whereas semantic verbal fluency requires effective inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.

Komparasi Kemampuan Membaca Permulaan Anak Melalui Media Pembelajaran Montase

Beginning reading ability is the basis for further and fluent children's reading ability. Through observations conducted by researchers at PAS Ar-Rohim Kindergarten, researchers found that there were some children who still had initial reading abilities that were not in line with expectations, including 10 out of 13 children who still had difficulty recognizing letter symbols from A-Z, distinguishing words that had the same initial letter, and arranging letters to form a word. This study aims to find out whether there are differences in children's beginning reading abilities through montage learning media in group A of TK PAS Ar-Rohim Bancang Sambit Ponorogo. This study used a quantitative method of the pre-experimental type and the One Group Pretest Posttest design. Data collection was carried out through observation and tests. The research object came from the students of PAS Ar-Rohim Kindergarten selected by saturated sampling technique. The research data were then analyzed using the paired sample t-test and drawing conclusions. Data analysis in this study was processed and visualized with the help of SPSS 23. Based on the results of data analysis it was found that (1) in the experiments that had been carried out there were differences in children's initial reading ability before and after the montage activity was given. The children's initial reading ability before being given treatment obtained the pretest results with an average score of 19.6923 and after being given the treatment the results of the posttest were 30.5385. The difference between before and after the treatment was given was 10.84615. On the results of the paired sample t-test, the sig.(2-tailed) result is 0.00 <0.005, which means that Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted

Sex differences in the temporal dynamics of autistic children’s natural conversations

BackgroundAutistic girls are underdiagnosed compared to autistic boys, even when they experience similar clinical impact. Research suggests that girls present with distinct symptom profiles across a variety of domains, such as language, which may contribute to their underdiagnosis. In this study, we examine sex differences in the temporal dynamics of natural conversations between naïve adult confederates and school-aged children with or without autism, with the goal of improving our understanding of conversational behavior in autistic girls and ultimately improving identification.MethodsForty-five school-aged children with autism (29 boys and 16 girls) and 47 non-autistic/neurotypical (NT) children (23 boys and 24 girls) engaged in a 5-min “get-to-know-you” conversation with a young adult confederate that was unaware of children’s diagnostic status. Groups were matched on IQ estimates. Recordings were time-aligned and orthographically transcribed by trained annotators. Several speech and pause measures were calculated. Groups were compared using analysis of covariance models, controlling for age.ResultsAutistic girls used significantly more words than autistic boys, and produced longer speech segments than all other groups. Autistic boys spoke more slowly than NT children, whereas autistic girls did not differ from NT children in total word counts or speaking rate. Autistic boys interrupted confederates’ speech less often and produced longer between-turn pauses (i.e., responded more slowly when it was their turn) compared to other children. Within-turn pause duration did not differ by group.LimitationsOur sample included verbally fluent children and adolescents aged 6–15 years, so our study results may not replicate in samples of younger children, adults, and individuals who are not verbally fluent. The results of this relatively small study, while compelling, should be interpreted with caution and replicated in a larger sample.ConclusionThis study investigated the temporal dynamics of everyday conversations and demonstrated that autistic girls and boys have distinct natural language profiles. Specifying differences in verbal communication lays the groundwork for the development of sensitive screening and diagnostic tools to more accurately identify autistic girls, and could inform future personalized interventions that improve short- and long-term social communication outcomes for all autistic children.

What Is the Role of Questioning in Young Children's Fluency?

Most therapy programs for young children who stutter (CWS) involve caregiver counseling and adjustment of caregiver behavior to maximize opportunities for the child to be more fluent. One component sometimes included as a recommended adjustment is a reduction in caregiver question asking, as question asking is hypothesized to increase language formulation demands on the child. However, there is limited research to guide clinician advisement to caregivers that has controlled for numerous potential confounding factors, including utterance length and grammaticality, that may impact potential stressors on children. Our aim was to assess whether there was an empirical basis for such recommendations by comparing disfluency profiles of answers to questions and nonanswer utterances produced by children during spontaneous play with parents and examiners. We analyzed fluency and structural properties as well as pragmatic function of 15,782 utterances from language samples produced by 32 CWS and 32 children who do not stutter (CWNS) who were between 28 and 50 months of age. CWS and CWNS were matched on gender and age within 4 months and were matched as closely as possible on maternal education. For utterances produced by CWS, answers to adult questions were significantly less likely to contain stuttering-like disfluencies than other utterance types, and this was still true after controlling for utterance length and grammaticality. In contrast, for utterances produced by CWNS, answers to questions were significantly more likely to be disfluent than other utterance types after controlling for length and grammaticality. Given the current findings, some prior research, and the documented potential benefits in language development for adult question asking of children, we do not believe that clinicians need to recommend changes to typical question-asking behavior by caregivers of CWS.

Motivasi dan Bimbingan Orangtua terhadap Kelancaran Anak dalam Membaca Al-Quran

The purpose of this study was to find out what forms of motivation and guidance are given by parents to children's fluency in reading the Koran and also to find out how the results of parental motivation and guidance on children's fluency in reading the Koran. This study uses a qualitative approach. This research was carried out at TPQ Al Jihan Rt 04 Rw 03, Rawa Makmur Permai sub-district, Bengkulu City. The research subjects consisted of Koran teachers, parents and TPQ students. Data collection techniques include; observation, interviews and documentation, data analysis techniques using data reduction, data display, and verification / drawing conclusions. The results of the study, as for the forms of motivation and guidance provided by parents are parents asking the obstacles faced by children in learning the Koran, giving understanding to children about the importance of studying the Koran as Islamic character formation, giving gifts/punishments to children, facilitating children in learning, and provide encouragement and motivation, while the form of guidance given by parents is attention when children study, guiding children when reading the Koran, scheduling Koran learning activities at home. In conclusion, from the forms of motivation and guidance that have been given by parents, the results are very good for children who are also guided by their parents at home, not only relying on studying at TPQ, if the motivation and guidance are good the results obtained are also good, and vice versa.
 
 Keywords: Motivation, Guidance, Parents, Fluency in reading the Koran, TPQ

Tips Bagi Orang Tua untuk Meningkatkan Prestasi Belajar Anak

This study aims to determine the role of parents on students' ability to learn. This study uses a phenomenological method which aims to describe the relationship of motivation and parental guidance with student learning outcomes. The results of the study, the role of parents, especially motivation and guidance, is still very lacking so that the fluency of children in reading the Qur'an still really needs attention. This is in line with the teacher's statement that there are still some children who have not mastered the recitation of the Qur'an and are even less fluent in reading the Qur'an. Conclusion Motivation has a relationship with children's fluency in reading the Qur'an, generally children's learning achievement. The motivation and guidance of parents is very important for the fluency of children in reading the Qur'an.
 
 Keywords: Guidance, Motivation, Reading Al-Qur'an, Achievement

Subdimensions of social-communication behavior in autism-A replication study.

In order to identify more refined dimensions of social-communication impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) a previous study applied exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to diagnostic algorithm scores of the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS), Module 3. A three-factor model consisting of repetitive behaviors, impairments in 'Basic Social-Communication' and in 'Interaction quality' (IQ) was established and confirmed. The current study aimed to replicate this model in an independent sample. To advance our understanding of the latent structure of social communication deficits, previous work was complemented by a probabilistic approach. Participants (N=1363) included verbally fluent children and young adults, diagnosed as ASD or non-ASD based on "gold standard" best-estimate clinical diagnosis. Confirmatory factor analysis examined the factor structure of algorithm items from the ADOS Module 3 and correlations with individual characteristics (cognitive abilities, age) were analyzed. Linear Regressions were used to test the contribution of each latent factor to the prediction of an ASD diagnosis. To tackle large inter-correlations of the latent factors, a Bayesian exploratory factor analysis (BEFA) was applied. Results confirmed the previously reported observation of three latent dimensions in the ADOS algorithm reflecting 'Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors', 'Basic Social-Communication' behaviors and 'Interaction Quality'. All three dimensions contributed independently and additively to the prediction of an ASD diagnosis. By replicating previous findings in a large clinical sample our results contribute to further conceptualize the social-communication impairments in ASD as two dimensional.

Conversational adaptation in children and teens with autism: Differences in talkativeness across contexts.

Successful social communication is complex; it relies on effectively deploying and continuously revising one's behavior to fit the needs of a given conversation, partner, and context. For example, a skilled conversationalist may instinctively become less talkative with a quiet partner and more talkative with a chattier one. Prior research suggests that behavioral flexibility across social contexts can be a particular challenge for individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC), and that difficulty adapting to the changing needs of a conversation contributes to communicative breakdowns and poor social outcomes. In this study, we examine whether reduced conversational adaptation, as measured by talkativeness, differentiates 48 verbally fluent children and teens with ASC from 50 neurotypical (NT) peers matched on age, intelligence quotient, and sex ratio. Participants completed the Contextual Assessment of Social Skills with two novel conversation partners. The first acted interested in the conversation and talked more (Interested condition), while the second acted bored and talked less (Bored condition). Results revealed that NT participants emulated their conversation partner's behavior by being more talkative in the Interested condition as compared to the Bored condition (z=9.92, p < 0.001). In contrast, the ASC group did not differentially adapt their behavior to the Bored versus Interested context, instead remaining consistently talkative in both (p=0.88). The results of this study have implications for understanding social communication and behavioral adaptation in ASC, and may be valuable for clinicians interested in improving conversational competence in verbally fluent individuals with autism. LAY SUMMARY: Social communication-including everyday conversations-can be challenging for individuals on the autism spectrum. In successful conversations, people tend to adjust aspects of their language to be more similar to their partners'. In this study, we found that children and teens with autism did not change their own talkativeness in response to a social partner who was more or less talkative, whereas neurotypical peers did. These findings have clinical implications for improving conversational competence in verbally fluent individuals with autism.

소근육 운동과 시각단서 기반 기억인출 교수법이 쓰기장애 위험군 아동의 글씨 쓰기의 명료도와 속도에 미치는 영향

소근육 운동과 시각단서 기반 기억인출 교수법이 쓰기장애 위험군 아동의 글씨 쓰기의 명료도와 속도에 미치는 영향

Reading Fluency in Children and Adolescents Who Stutter.

Speech fluency is a major challenge for young persons who stutter. Reading aloud, in particular, puts high demands on fluency, not only regarding online text decoding and articulation, but also in terms of prosodic performance. A written text has to be segmented into a number of prosodic phrases with appropriate breaks. The present study examines to what extent reading fluency (decoding ability, articulation rate, and prosodic phrasing) may be altered in children (9–12 years) and adolescents (13–17 years) who stutter compared to matched control participants. Read speech of 52 children and adolescents who do and do not stutter was analyzed. Children and adolescents who stutter did not differ from their matched control groups regarding reading accuracy and articulation rate. However, children who stutter produced shorter pauses than their matched peers. Results on prosodic phrasing showed that children who stutter produced more major phrases than the control group and more intermediate phrases than adolescents who stutter. Participants who stutter also displayed a higher number of breath pauses. Generally, the number of disfluencies during reading was related to slower articulation rates and more prosodic boundaries. Furthermore, we found age-related changes in general measures of reading fluency (decoding ability and articulation rate), as well as the overall strength of prosodic boundaries and number of breath pauses. This study provides evidence for developmental stages in prosodic phrasing as well as for alterations in reading fluency in children who stutter.

Short Vestibular and Cognitive Training Improves Oral Reading Fluency in Children with Dyslexia.

(1) Background: This study explored the effect of short vestibular and cognitive training on the reading speed in dyslexic children. (2) Methods: The reading speed was evaluated by using a reading test (Évaluation de la Lecture en FluencE, ELFE) in a crossover design before (baseline) and after vestibular training (post VT) and no vestibular training (post no VT). Nineteen dyslexic children (9.48 ± 0.15 years) participated in the study. The vestibular and cognitive training (software developed by BeonSolution S.r.l.) consisted in four exercises presented on a Wacom tablet 10″ done for 16 min per session two times per week for four weeks; each exercise was composed of eight levels with increased difficulty. (3) Results: Following vestibular and cognitive training, dyslexic children increased their reading speed; interestingly, such an increase persisted at least one month after training. (4) Conclusions: Vestibular and cognitive training could improve the vestibular network, which is well known for being involved in several cognition functions leading to reading improvement in dyslexic children. Adaptive mechanisms could be responsible for maintaining such improvement for at least one month.

Social cognitive skills groups increase medial prefrontal cortex activity in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Few studies have examined the neural mechanisms of change following social skills interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examined the neural effects of social cognitive skills groups during functional MRI (fMRI) tasks of irony comprehension and eye gaze processing in school-aged children with ASD. Verbally fluent children (ages 8-11) were randomized to social cognitive skills groups or facilitated play comparison groups. Behavioral assessments and fMRI scans were obtained at baseline and endpoint (12 weeks). During fMRI, children completed two separate tasks to engage social cognition circuitry: comprehension of potentially ironic scenarios (n= 34) and viewing emotionally expressive faces with direct or averted gaze (n= 24). Whole-brain analyses were conducted to examine neural changes following treatment. Regression analyses were also conducted to explore the relationship between neural and behavioral changes. When comparing the two groups directly, the social cognitive skills group showed greater increases in activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), implicated in theory of mind, relative to the comparison group for both irony comprehension and gaze processing tasks. Increased mPFC activity during the irony task was associated with improvement in social functioning on the Social Responsiveness Scale across both groups. Findings indicate that social cognitive skills interventions may increase activity in regions associated with social cognition and mentalizing abilities. LAY SUMMARY: Social skills groups are a common intervention for school-aged children with ASD. However, few studies have examined the neural response to social skills groups in school-aged children with ASD. Here, we report on a study evaluating neural outcomes from an empirically supported social cognitive skills training curriculum using fMRI. This study seeks to understand the effects of targeting emotion recognition and theory of mind on the brain circuitry involved in social cognition in verbally fluent children ages 8-11. Results indicate increased neural activity in the mPFC, a region considered to be a central hub of the "social brain," in children randomized to social cognitive skills groups relative to a comparison group that received a high-quality, child-directed play approach. In addition, increased activation in the mPFC during an irony comprehension task was associated with gains in social functioning across both groups from pre- to post-treatment. This is the first fMRI study of social skills treatment outcomes following a randomized trial with an active treatment condition in school-aged children with ASD.

Psychometrics of the Pragmatic Rating Scale for School-Age Children With a Range of Linguistic and Social Communication Skills.

Purpose Social communication or pragmatic skills are continuously distributed in the general population. Impairment in these skills is associated with two clinical disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Such impairment can impact a child's peer acceptance, school performance, and current and later mental health. Valid, reliable, examiner-rated observational measures of social communication from a semistructured language sample are needed to detect social communication impairment. We evaluated the psychometrics of an examiner-rated measure of social (pragmatic) communication, the Pragmatic Rating Scale-School Age (PRS-SA). Method The analytic sample consisted of 130 children, ages 7-12 years, from five mutually exclusive groups: ASD (n = 25), language concern (LC; n = 5), ASD + LC (n = 10), social communication impairment only (n = 22), and typically developing (TD; n = 68). All children received language and autism assessments. The PRS-SA was rated separately using video-recorded communication samples from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Assessment data were employed to evaluate the psychometrics of the PRS-SA. Analysis of covariance models were used to assess whether the PRS-SA would detect differences in social communication functioning across the five groups. Results The PRS-SA demonstrated strong internal reliability, concurrent validity, and interrater reliability. PRS-SA scores were significantly higher in all groups compared to the TD group and differed significantly in most pairwise comparisons; the ASD + LC group had the highest (more atypical) scores. Conclusions The PRS-SA shows promise as a measure of social communication skills in school-age verbally fluent children with a range of social and language abilities. More research is needed with a larger sample, including a wider age range and geographical diversity, to replicate findings. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.15138240.