Language Abilities Research Articles

Socio-economic factors affecting spatial inequalities in pregnancy-related ambulance attendances in Greater London

Exploring inequalities in ambulance and pre-hospital demand is important to improve service equity and reduce wider health inequalities. Maternity incidents amongst ambulance demand are a key area of focus because of the specialized care that is needed for patients, as well as the impact of wider determinants of health on pregnancy outcomes. Since there are spatial inequalities amongst pregnant patients who call for an ambulance, the aim of this study is to assess the underlying factors associated with pregnancy related ambulance complaints, to determine why maternity patients utilize the ambulance service. Local indicators of spatial autocorrelation were used to identify clusters of ambulance maternity demand within Greater London (UK). A negative binomial regression model was used to explore associations between socioeconomic, environmental, accessibility and demographic variables. Our results reveal that neighborhoods with low adult skills (i.e. qualifications/English language abilities) have a higher rate of demand. Moreover, our results imply that the demand for ambulance services may not be directly tied to health outcomes; rather, it might be more closely associated with patients' reasons for calling an ambulance, irrespective of the actual necessity. The benefits of identifying factors that drive demand in ambulance services are not just linked to improving equity, but also to reducing demand, ultimately relieving pressure on services if alternative options are identified or underlying causes addressed. Doing so can improve health inequalities by firstly, improving ambulance care equity by directly supporting a better allocation of resources within ambulance systems to target patterns in demand.

Follow-up of expressive language and general development at 12, 18 and 36 months for children with no canonical babbling at 10 months

ABSTRACT Little is known about the developmental trajectories in children who do not use canonical babbling (CB) at 10 months. The aim was to examine how speech, language, cognitive and motor abilities developed in children without CB. For 15 children identified as not having CB, consonant production, expressive vocabulary and general development were assessed at 12, 18 and 36 months from audio–video recordings. Twelve (79%) children still lacked CB at 12 months. At 18 months, six (40%) had parent-reported expressive vocabulary results below the 10th percentile, and two (14%) did not use dental/alveolar stops. The percentage of consonants correct for the group was at the level of peers at 36 months (89%, SD 0.17), but the group had fewer established target consonants than age norms. Most children had a small expressive vocabulary in comparison with Swedish age norms for younger children as well as with age-matched norms for other Nordic languages. The general development (Bayley-III) for three children (21%) who did not use speech was 1–2 SD below the average range in at least one domain (cognitive, language or motor), but the results for the whole group were within the average range. In conclusion, the heterogeneity in early consonant development in the study group resembles that of children in clinical groups with known risk for speech and language difficulties and the expressive vocabulary resembles that of children with delayed expressive vocabulary. For about one-fifth of the children, the absence of canonical babbling at age 10 months could be seen as an early sign of a more comprehensive developmental disability.

Evaluation of a Visual Cognitive Style in Autism: A Cluster Analysis.

Cognitive style refers to how individuals perceive their environment and solve problems. Among various cognitive styles documented, verbal and visual styles, including object versus spatial cognition, have been widely studied. "Thinking in pictures" is often associated with autism and characterized by enhanced performance and autonomy of certain perceptual areas. This study aimed to characterize the cognitive style of autistic individuals, focusing on this visual "thinking in pictures" style. We assessed 43 autistic and 42 non-autistic adults using the Object Spatial Imagery Verbal Questionnaire to evaluate three dimensions of their cognitive style: visual object, visual spatial, and verbal. Using a cluster analysis, we identified cognitive style profiles. We then examined manifestations of cognitive style within these profiles, including mental imagery abilities (with the Mental Rotation Test), the vividness of mental images (with the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire), language abilities (with the Mill Hill vocabulary test), and synesthetic experiences. Our results revealed three distinct cognitive profiles: a visual profile characterized by significant mental imagery and vivid mental images, a visuo-spatial profile associated with strong abilities to manipulate mental images but lower vividness of mental images, and a verbal profile with lower spatial imagery and manipulation abilities. While all profiles were observed in autistic individuals, the visual cognitive profile was the most common. Additionally, we found synesthesia to be more prevalent in the autistic population compared to the non-autistic population. This study confirms that, while not exclusive, a visual cognitive style is prevalent among autistic individuals.

Associated factors and outcomes for quality of life in children receiving cochlear implantation before seven years of age.

To evaluate the relationship of cochlear implant-related factors with quality of life (QOL) outcomes in pediatric cochlear implantation (CI) recipients. In this cross-sectional study, data from 146 children who received CI before 7 years of age were collected. QOL was measured using the Children using Hearing Implants Quality of Life (CuHI-QoL) questionnaire. Auditory and language abilities were measured using categories of auditory performance II(CAP-II) scale and speech intelligibility rating (SIR) scale. The reliability and validity of the CuHI-QOL scale were tested using internal consistency tests and correlation analysis, respectively. Bivariate correlations were used to compare CuHI-QOL scores and educational placements to cochlear implant-related factors. QOL scores were further compared using ANOVA in different groups based on age at CI with different durations of implant use. The mean total CuHI-QOL scores was 60.13 (SD 8.97). The Cronbach's alpha of overall CuHI-QOL scale was 0.820. The CuHI-QOL total score was strongly to moderately correlated with CAP score (r = 0.542), SIR score (r = 0.545), duration of implant use (r = 0.403), and educational placement (r = 0.478). ANOVA showed the CuHI-QOL scores after 5 years post-CI were higher than those less than 2 years post-CI in children implanted ≤ 3 years of age. Good QOL could be obtained for children with CI and were significantly associated with young age at implantation, good auditory and speech abilities, speech rehabilitation training pre-CI, long duration of cochlear implant use, and mainstream educational placement.

ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT AS A TOOL FOR IMPARTING HEBREW LEARNING SKILLS

This research explored the role of alternative assessments in highlighting students' language abilities by focusing on their strengths. Through interviews with 20 Hebrew language teachers in the Arab-Bedouin education system in Israel, the study revealed that, unlike traditional assessments, alternative methods were performance-based, student-centered, and emphasized communication over accuracy. Teachers identified authentic tasks as crucial for allowing students to assess their own learning while meeting educational goals. Key criteria for these tasks included reflecting students' interests, connecting to real-life contexts, encouraging creativity, and producing high-quality results.

Enhancing Language Acquisition in Children from Lower Socioeconomic Backgrounds: The Role of Parental Involvement

Abstract: Early language acquisition is fundamental to a childs future academic success. The development of vocabulary and oral storytelling skills at a young age serves as a strong foundation for later achievements in overall literacy. Disparities in language abilities become apparent by kindergarten and tend to persist throughout a childs educational journey. Therefore, prioritizing early language development is crucial to ensuring that all children could reach their full potential. This literature review examines three effective interventions - the 3Ts Home Visiting Curriculum, Too Small to Fail, and the STELLA curriculum - designed to improve language acquisition and development in children from lower socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. It provides brief descriptions of each intervention, analyzes the underlying psychological principles of language acquisition and development, and considers the implications of these global approaches. Parental involvement is crucial in creating and sustaining the success of these programs. Future directions to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and inclusivity of language development interventions for targeted children are explored.

Integrating Gender-Affirming Care in a Medical Spanish Endocrine System Curriculum.

With a growing Hispanic population in the United States, medical education is adapting to provide the necessary language skills and cultural competence for effective health care. However, the incorporation of gender-affirming care in the context of medical education for Hispanic populations requires further emphasis. This curriculum presented a 3-week medical Spanish endocrine system module designed for first-year medical students. The module aimed to enhance students' ability to communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking patients about endocrine health while integrating principles of gender-affirming care. It included classroom sessions, standardized patient practice, and clinical practice with peer tutors. Pre- and postmodule surveys and assessments were conducted to evaluate the module's effectiveness. Out of 76 participants, 72 completed the postmodule evaluation. Survey results indicated significant increases in confidence levels across various aspects of patient interaction in Spanish, with statistically significant gains observed in all assessed areas. Knowledge test outcomes revealed enhanced proficiency in Spanish terminology related to the endocrine system, with scores increasing from an average of 22.3 premodule to 25.7 postmodule (p = .002), as measured by the paired t test. Additionally, students performed well in the diabetic consultation objective structured clinical examination station, with a high mean score of 86%, surpassing the satisfactory threshold. This curriculum highlights the success of a comprehensive educational approach in expanding medical students' language proficiency and ability to provide gender-affirming care to address health care disparities and improve patient outcomes among diverse populations.

Students’ Interactions and Communication Skills Towards Their Maximum Learning

This paper explores the critical role of interaction and communication skills in educational Settings, especially in the context of higher education in China, and analyzes the impact of these skills on maximizing student learning outcomes. The paper emphasizes the importance of effective interaction and communication as core elements in the process of language learning, because language acquisition and ability development depend on the effective combination of input and output. The paper proposes that a comprehensive educational reform is necessary to address the identified communication barriers of students, aiming at promoting the improvement of students' interaction and communication skills. Such reforms are essential to achieve the goal of high-quality undergraduate education and to develop innovative and communicative skills.

The Role of Gamification in Enhancing Students’ Motivation Toward Learning English in Jeddah Public Schools

Entertaining strategies in education, such as the use of gamification, can turn learning English into an interesting and motivating experience. A number of studies in Saudi Arabia have explored gamification and the way it develops the different language abilities of students. However, limited research has been conducted concentration on the role of gamification in enhancing students’ motivation toward learning English in the context of public schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Hence, this quantitative study investigated from teachers’ and students’ points of view the role of gamification in enhancing students’ motivation. The participants in the study comprised a total of 409 teachers and students (155 teachers and 254 students). The study used two Google Form questionnaires and then analyzed the data using SPSS version 27. The findings of the study revealed that both teachers and students have positive feelings about the implementation of gamification considering it a beneficial instrument to increase students’ motivation in English language classrooms.

Myth, Religion, Imagination, and (Virtual) Realities

This article provides a way to think through the division between religious and secular approaches to contemporary society through the use of rival myths. Myths are narrative structures that invite the interplay of language and the imagination, resulting in the creation of virtual realities and social imaginaries. Strong virtual realities were once premised on myths that guided the imagination to embrace an openness to mystery and the unknowable; however, current technological culture is predicated on a closed imagination that has led to worldwide despair. Religion was originally grounded in the virtual reality inspired by language and the capacity of language to distill and extract the “virtual” from the real. The ability of language to create a virtual reality created the capacity to think of a soul, as well as destinations for the soul. In the twentieth century, Freud found that the notion of “God” that was created had become problematic for humans and so created a modern myth that would provide a secular substitute. After providing a close reading of Freud’s governing myth for modern culture, showing how it inspires the imagination and the ways in which it falls short, this article concludes with an alternative myth—that of the Invisible City—proposed to inspire faith, hope, and love in our modern world. My approach relies on a depth psychological framework, which was formed to interrogate the nature of reality (relative to individuals and culture) at the intersection of myth, religion, language, and imagination. Throughout, I use a hermeneutic methodology, which is consistent with the initial mode of depth psychological exploration as well as the central role language plays in revealing the truth of a reality. This orientation enables an exploration of a deeper sense of virtual realities than what is deployed through current technology.

A meta-analysis of 97 studies reveals that statistical learning and language ability are only weakly correlated

Malgré la croyance largement répandue selon laquelle les différences individuelles dans les capacités d’apprentissage statistique (AS) sont associées aux compétences linguistiques, la recherche a produit des résultats mitigés. Afin de fournir une évaluation complète de la littérature, nous avons effectué une méta-analyse de 97 études examinant la corrélation entre l’apprentissage statistique et les aptitudes linguistiques. Les résultats ont révélé une corrélation globale faible mais significative ( r = .16). Notre analyse a pris en compte les caractéristiques de l’échantillon, les caractéristiques de la tâche AS et le type de test linguistique en tant que prédicteurs de la force des corrélations observées. Notamment, la variation entre les études n’a été expliquée que par les caractéristiques de la tâche AS (c’est-à-dire le paradigme, la modalité du stimulus et le domaine du stimulus). Aucune indication de biais de publication n’a été identifiée. Ces résultats confirment l’existence d’une association positive, mais limitée, entre l’AS et les résultats linguistiques et soulignent la nécessité d’une sélection réfléchie des tâches.

Language Profiles of School-Age Children With 16p11.2 Copy Number Variants in a Clinically Ascertained Cohort.

Individuals with proximal 16p11.2 copy number variants (CNVs), either deletions (16p11.2DS) or duplications (16p11.2Dup), are predisposed to neurodevelopmental difficulties and disorders, such as language disorders, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder. The purpose of the current study was to characterize language profiles of school-age children with proximal 16p11.2 CNVs, in relation to the normative sample and unaffected siblings of children with 16p11.2DS. Standardized language tests were conducted in 33 school-age children with BP4-BP5 16p11.2 CNVs and eight unaffected siblings of children with 16p11.2DS to evaluate language production and comprehension skills across various language domains. A standardized intelligence test was also administered, and parents completed a standardized questionnaire to assess autistic traits. Language profiles were compared across 16p11.2 CNVs and intrafamilial pairs. The influence of nonverbal intelligence and autistic traits on language outcomes was investigated. No significant differences were found between children with 16p11.2DS and those with 16p11.2Dup, although both groups exhibited significantly poorer language skills compared to the normative sample and unaffected siblings of children with 16p11.2DS. Severe language deficits were identified in 70% of individuals with 16p11.2 CNVs across all language subdomains, with significantly better receptive vocabulary skills than overall receptive language abilities. In children with 16p11.2DS, expressive language deficits were more pronounced than receptive deficits. In contrast, only in children with 16p11.2Dup did nonverbal intelligence influence their language outcomes. The current study contributes to the deeper understanding of language profiles in 16p11.2 CNVs in a clinically ascertained cohort, indicating generalized deficits across multiple language domains, rather than a syndrome-specific pattern targeting specific subdomains. The findings underscore the importance of early diagnosis, targeted therapy, and monitoring of language skills in children with 16p11.2 CNVs. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27228702.

Development of Multimedia Based Busy Book Learning Media to Improve Cognitive and Language Abilities in Early Childhood

This study aimed to provide multimedia-based busy book learning resources to enhance the language and cognitive abilities of young children attending Bengkulu City's Lembayung Indah Kindergarten. Both books and multimedia-based busy books are the end products of this research project. Potential and problems, data collection, initial product design, expert validation, design revision, small group trials, product revision I, large group trials, product revision II, and final product are the ten steps that make up this research, which is a development research (Research & Development) using the Borg and Gall model. 36 youngsters made up the sample used in this study, which was selected at random. Children's abilities tests, open interviews, and observation were the methods used to get the data. T tests, percentages, and scores were employed in this study's data analysis. Based on the study's findings, the creation of multimedia-based busy book materials was deemed both practical and successful in enhancing the language and cognitive abilities of young children in group B of Lembayung Indah Kindergarten in Bengkulu City.

Handgrip Strength and Cognitive Recovery in Older Stroke Survivors: A Prospective Study

Background and Objectives: Handgrip strength (HGS) is an important indicator of overall physical capability and is linked to various health outcomes in older adults. Despite extensive research on the relationship between HGS and cognitive decline, longitudinal studies on poststroke cognitive changes in relation to HGS are scarce. This study aimed to observe whether HGS at discharge from acute stroke rehabilitation affects cognitive function 6–12 months after stroke onset and to compare cognitive outcomes between patients with normal and low HGS at discharge. Materials and Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at a tertiary care hospital. In agreement with the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria, low muscle strength was defined as an HGS of less than 28 kg for men and less than 18 kg for women, and participants were categorized into normal and low HGS groups. Neuropsychological evaluations were conducted before discharge (approximately one month after stroke onset) and between 6 and 12 months after stroke onset. Results: The low HGS group was older and had lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. However, after adjusting for covariates, the linear mixed model analysis showed no significant differences between the groups in global cognition or specific cognitive domains, except for psychomotor speed during the subacute phase. Notable improvements in language ability were observed in both groups over time, while significant improvements in executive function were observed exclusively in the low HGS group. Conclusions: This longitudinal study is the first to explore the relationship between HGS and changes in cognitive function in older adults with stroke, providing insights into physical strength and cognitive recovery during stroke rehabilitation.

Hippocampal contributions to biologic, behavioral and cognitive deficits in autism: An update review

The most characteristic symptoms for the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the future life of the individual are deterioration in social communication and stereotyped or repetitive behaviors. ASD is associated with diverse atypical difficulties, including memory, learning, language, emotion, and cognitive impairment. Consequently, the hippocampus is important for memory, learning, language ability, emotional regulation, and cognitive mapping. Thus, the hippocampus plays an influential role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of ASD. Here, we provide an updated review of hippocampal structural and functional abnormalities and highlight the hippocampus as an important area for future research.

Characteristics of early cognitive development in children with Williams syndrome: a prospective cohort study

To investigate the early cognitive development characteristics of children with Williams syndrome (WS) at different age stages. From September 2018 to June 2023, 106 children diagnosed with WS at the Department of Pediatric Health Care, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, aged 1 to <5 years, were prospectively enrolled. All children underwent Gesell developmental diagnostic assessments to analyze the cognitive development characteristics of WS children across different age groups. The average age of the 106 WS children was (3.1±1.2) years; 58 were male, and 48 were female. There were no significant differences in developmental levels between males and females in the five domains of gross motor skills, fine motor skills, language, personal-social skills, and adaptive behavior (P>0.05). The incidence rates of mild, moderate, severe, and profound developmental disabilities among children of different age groups showed no significant differences (P>0.05). Comparisons of developmental levels in gross motor skills, language, personal-social skills, and adaptive behavior among different age groups were also not statistically significant (P>0.05). With the increase of age, the developmental level of fine motor skills showed a decreasing trend (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in verbal IQ and non-verbal IQ within each age group of WS children (P>0.05). The overall developmental level of WS children stabilizes with age, and their early language abilities do not significantly exceed their non-verbal abilities.

Innovative Design and Practical Exploration of Junior Middle School English Unit Teaching Under the Guidance of New Curriculum Standards

This paper aims to explore the innovative design and practice of junior middle school English unit teaching under the background of new curriculum standards. Under the guidance of the new curriculum standards, the establishment of unit teaching objectives should be guided by core literacy, focusing on cultivating students' ability and quality of doing things in English, and improving their language ability, cultural awareness, thinking quality and learning ability in the process of problem solving. When designing the unit teaching content, we should take the big concepts as the core, refine and focus on these big concepts according to the teaching objectives, and build the logical structure and timing structure of the teaching content around them, so as to effectively promote students' understanding of the big concepts. When arranging the unit teaching process, English practice should be taken as the path, and practical English teaching process should be built through project-oriented, task-based and activity-based design methods, so that students can achieve comprehensive improvement of core literacy in the complete English practice process.

Speech based detection of Alzheimer’s disease: a survey of AI techniques, datasets and challenges

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing global concern, exacerbated by an aging population and the high costs associated with traditional detection methods. Recent research has identified speech data as valuable clinical information for AD detection, given its association with the progressive degeneration of brain cells and subsequent impacts on memory, cognition, and language abilities. The ongoing demographic shift toward an aging global population underscores the critical need for affordable and easily available methods for early AD detection and intervention. To address this major challenge, substantial research has recently focused on investigating speech data, aiming to develop efficient and affordable diagnostic tools that align with the demands of our aging society. This paper presents an in-depth review of studies from 2018–2023 utilizing speech for AD detection. Following the PRISMA protocol and a two-stage selection process, we identified 85 publications for analysis. In contrast to previous literature reviews, this paper places a strong emphasis on conducting a rigorous comparative analysis of various Artificial Intelligence (AI) based techniques, categorizing them meticulously based on underlying algorithms. We perform an exhaustive evaluation of research papers leveraging common benchmark datasets, specifically ADReSS and ADReSSo, to assess their performance. In contrast to previous literature reviews, this work makes a significant contribution by overcoming the limitations posed by the absence of standardized tasks and commonly accepted benchmark datasets for comparing different studies. The analysis reveals the dominance of deep learning models, particularly those leveraging pre-trained models like BERT, in AD detection. The integration of acoustic and linguistic features often achieves accuracies above 85%. Despite these advancements, challenges persist in data scarcity, standardization, privacy, and model interpretability. Future directions include improving multilingual recognition, exploring emerging multimodal approaches, and enhancing ASR systems for AD patients. By identifying these key challenges and suggesting future research directions, our review serves as a valuable resource for advancing AD detection techniques and their practical implementation.

Children learning Mongolian as an additional language through the implementation of a task-based approach

Abstract This study was undertaken at a Mongolian community language school which aims to support Mongolian heritage children to learn their home language and culture. The learners were aged 4–15 years with diverse abilities in the Mongolian language. Informed by both purpose-developed Needs and Interest Analyses, a task-based language teaching (TBLT) program was developed and implemented over a six-month period. To evaluate the usefulness of this, two methods were utilised. Firstly, learners’ task-based interactions were recorded regularly, transcribed and qualitatively analysed. Secondly, stakeholder feedback was elicited via interviews. The findings showed that the learners interacted in ways facilitative of second language acquisition (i.e., they received abundant input, used a variety of interactive strategies, provided peer scaffolding, and modified their output according to the feedback). They also engaged in translanguaging to support their understanding and meaning making. Stakeholder feedback pointed to some challenges, but also many positive outcomes.

Automated Detection of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Face-to-Face Mobile Technology Among Typically Developing Greek Children: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are characterized by heterogeneity, complexity, and interactions among multiple domains with long-lasting effects in adulthood. Early and accurate identification of children at risk for NDs is crucial for timely intervention, yet many cases remain undiagnosed, leading to missed opportunities for effective interventions. Digital tools can help clinicians assist and identify NDs. The concept of using serious games to enhance health care has gained attention among a growing group of scientists, entrepreneurs, and clinicians. This study aims to explore the core principles of automated mobile detection of NDs in typically developing Greek children, using a serious game developed within the SmartSpeech project, designed to evaluate multiple developmental domains through principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 229 typically developing children aged 4 to 12 years participated in the study. The recruitment process involved open calls through public and private health and educational institutions across Greece. Parents were thoroughly informed about the study's objectives and procedures, and written consent was obtained. Children engaged under the clinician's face-to-face supervision with the serious game "Apsou," which assesses 18 developmental domains, including speech, language, psychomotor, cognitive, psychoemotional, and hearing abilities. Data from the children's interactions were analyzed using PCA to identify key components and underlying principles of ND detection. A sample of 229 typically developing preschoolers and early school-aged children played the Apsou mobile serious game for automated detection of NDs. Performing a PCA, the findings identified 5 main components accounting for about 80% of the data variability that potentially have significant prognostic implications for a safe diagnosis of NDs. Varimax rotation explained 61.44% of the total variance. The results underscore key theoretical principles crucial for the automated detection of NDs. These principles encompass communication skills, speech and language development, vocal processing, cognitive skills and sensory functions, and visual-spatial skills. These components align with the theoretical principles of child development and provide a robust framework for automated ND detection. The study highlights the feasibility and effectiveness of using serious games for early ND detection in children. The identified principal components offer valuable insights into critical developmental domains, paving the way for the development of advanced machine learning applications to support highly accurate predictions and classifications for automated screening, diagnosis, prognosis, or intervention planning in ND clinical decision-making. Future research should focus on validating these findings across diverse populations integrating additional features such as biometric data and longitudinal tracking to enhance the accuracy and reliability of automated detection systems. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06633874; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06633874. RR2-https://doi.org/10.3390/signals4020021.