Language Development Problems Research Articles

Exploring grammatical development in children aged 2;6 to 7: a novel approach using elicited production

ABSTRACT The assessment of children’s grammatical skills is a crucial component of diagnosing language disorders. Elicited production is a commonly used method for obtaining data on a child’s productive language abilities. We introduce a new instrument developed as part of the third edition of a standardised test battery for German. This instrument utilises elicited production, wherein participants describe coloured pictures depicting everyday situations, in order to generate four test scores: mean length of utterances, completeness of utterances, and two grammar scores comprising relevant target structures. The construction of the grammar scores was inspired by the Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn), modified for German and computerised. The detailed results provide a comprehensive profile of a child’s syntactic and morphological strengths and weaknesses. Analysis of data collected from 348 monolingual German children who formed part of the norming sample, aged between 2;6 and 6;11 years of age, revealed age-related changes in these scores. Additionally, the age range was determined for both grammatical milestones and ‘red flags’, which may indicate potential problems in language development. In conclusion, the newly developed, time-efficient instrument allows for a detailed assessment of grammatical skills, identification of potential intervention targets, and facilitates various research objectives.

Dialogic Reading Strategy for Billingual Child with Language Difficulties

Development of language skills is an important factor in determining children's school readiness. However, problems in language development and communication in early childhood are common. Difficulties in children's language development can have impacts on social engagements, familial dynamics, and scholastic accomplishments. This study aims to assess the efficacy of dialogic reading intervention programs to enhance oral language skills in bilingual children with language difficulties. This study used a quasi-experimental research method, focused on a single participant, utilizing observation for data collection. Quantitative descriptive analysis was employed for data interpretation. The outcomes of this study found that the dialogic reading intervention program was effective in improving children's oral language skills as seen from the number of word responses on pretest and posttest. These findings can provide valuable insights for parents and educators in developing strategies to foster children's oral language skills

Oor- en gehoorproblemen bij schisis

Ear and hearing problems in patients with (a) cleft(s) Ear and hearing problems frequently occur in patients with (a) cleft(s). Mainly middle ear problems, and especially otitis media with effusion, can be present during childhood. Moreover, the middle ear problems in children with a cleft last longer than in non-cleft children. Otitis media with effusion is commonly associated with hearing loss and can be solved by placing ventilation tubes, which is frequently necessary in these children, who are prone to speech and language development problems. A minority of patients exhibit ear lobe/external ear canal or inner ear anomalies. Regular follow-up by an ear, nose and throat specialist, including hearing tests, is mandatory.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTISM CHILDREN IN ISLAMIC PSYCHOANALYTIC TREATMENT (Case Study at Southeast Sulawesi Autism Service Center)

Symptoms of autism, in general, are usually detected at the age of children who have not reached three years old, with varying levels in each child, ranging from mild to severe symptoms. These symptoms include constant difficulty in socializing, communicating and interacting with others verbally, difficulty in using and understanding language, and inability in using body language to convey meaning. Therefore, even though they have reached the age when speech development should occur, the children are unable to establish conversations or interactions with other people. Children with autism tend to repeat words or phrases spoken by others without forming their speech style and not developing their language skills. The objectives to be achieved in this study were to describe the language development problems of autistic children who were currently under psychoanalytic treatment at Kendari Autism Service Center and the factors that influenced them. The research findings showed that the language development abilities of autistic children in the phonological form in obtaining vowel sounds and diphthongs were good. However, they were still lacking in obtaining consonants. More practice was needed so that they could pronounce perfect phonemes. Meanwhile, autistic children in Kendari's autistic service could master nouns with more numbers than verbal and adjectives in lexicon skills. However, the phonological process that occurred in autistic children was very slow. This happened because they were sometimes like deaf people who could not hear what people were talking about. If called, they did not want to turn around. They also did not focus on interacting with other people. For example, he would answer if he was being spoken to, but his gaze was not on the person spoken to. Almost more than half of autistic children were unable to speak well. Their speech proned to be echolalia, literal, lack rhythm, lack vowels in the word produced, replacing or removing consonants contained in a word.

AR Computer-Assisted Learning for Children with ASD based on Hand Gesture and Voice Interaction

For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), innovative computer-assisted solutions can provide useful teaching, learning, and support tools. Speech, video, narrative, and a mix of 2D/3D images of virtual objects shown on screens and mobile phones can help to improve the learning experience. Augmented Reality (AR) presents a valuable technology for achieving certain educational objectives. This study presents a gesture and voice-based learning framework for children with ASD that offers interactivity, engagement, and visual support during school/cognitive therapy sessions. The proposed prototype was designed to increase children's engagement and focus during the session and achieve a high level of social interaction and inclusion. It was implemented in accordance with the requirements of specialists from regional rehabilitation centres for children with ASD and structured activities and AR-based games were defined. A multi-baseline feasibility pilot study was carried out with 18 children, aged 2–12 years, diagnosed with ASD and with learning difficulties (concentration and language development problems, social interaction and inclusion), and 3 therapists/parents. Preliminary qualitative and quantitative results show significantly higher engagement and concentration time using the proposed AR-computer system compared to a non-computer condition. In addition to improved receptive vocabulary and social interaction for the children, the prototype reduces teacher workload while engaging the children.

Prematurity and Language Developmental Outcomes in Preschool Age

Global progress in child survival and health cannot be achieved without addressing preterm birth, because every year an estimated 15 million babies are born preterm. Over 1 million children die each year due to complications of preterm birth. Complications highly associated with prematurity include acute respiratory, gastrointestinal, immunologic, central nervous system, as well as longer-term motor, cognitive, behavioral, social-emotional, health, growth and language problems. The aim of the study was assessment of language skills at school aged children born premature and identification of risk factors affecting language development outcomes. Case-control retrospective study was conducted in Child Developmental Center of M. Iashvili Children’s Central Hospital (Georgia, Tbilisi).We evaluate language skills in 72+3 months old children (n=134). Children were divided into study (n=80) and control (n=54) groups. Groups were homogenous based on child age, gender, maternal health, maternal education, household income, family structure. Statistical analysis was based on SPSS 20. The difference in language development assessment among the full-term and late preterm children shows low correlation and is not significant (Cramer’s V is 0,118; Pearson Chi-square data 0,098 (p>0,05). While the language assessment data in early and moderate preterm group compared to term infants show significant difference (Cramer’s V is 0,354, Pearson Chi-square data 0,004). Statistical analysis show medium correlation, value (p<0,05), which tell us, that language development is a significantly associated with gestational age. So, small gestational age is correlated with language development problems. Early detection of minimal delays and starting early intervention services can improve developmental outcomes of preterm children. High-quality and stable child care is important for all infants, but especially to those who may be at risk of prematurity.

Phonology Processing and Reading Ability in Elementary School-aged children with Cleft Palate

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the phonological processing and reading abilities of elementary school-aged children with and without cleft palate (CP).Methods: The participants were 10 children with CP and 12 typically developing children in the first to the second grades of elementary school. All children with CP in the study were identified with speech and language development problems during preschool age and were recommended speech and language therapy. The performances of phonological processing were measured in terms of phonological awareness (syllable and phoneme awareness), phonological memory (nonword repetition, digit span and backward digit span), and rapid automatized naming. The reading abilities were also measured in terms of decoding, reading fluency and reading comprehension. The correlations among vocabulary, articulation, and phonological processing and reading ability were examined.Results: Children with CP showed significantly lower performances in phonological awareness of syllable level and nonword repetition than typically developing children. Also, significant group differences were seen in all decoding and reading comprehension tasks except reading fluency. The results showed that nonword repetition performances of children with CP were highly correlated with receptive vocabulary and percentage of consonants correct.Conclusion: This study confirmed that school-aged children with CP who showed speech sound disorders in preschool age are likely to have difficulties in phonological processing and reading. Therefore, this study suggested that comprehensive evaluation of phonological processing skills should be performed more actively in preschool children with CP who show speech sound disorders, and intervention should continue to improve reading skills for school age.

PROBLEMS OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDREN ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of language development in children with ADHD. Researchers use literature study research methods. The data that has been collected is then analyzed qualitatively with the Miles and Huberman model. Some of the problems in language development in children are ADHD, namely, not responding to questions or statements addressed to them, the focus of attention last for a short period, absence of eye contact when communicating, often answering in inappropriate context questions, and a lack of understanding of the explanation of the material that has been submitted by the teacher. In addition, phonological errors are also a problem experienced by ADHD children such as problems when pronouncing the last letter in words, pronouncing words, removing or changing phonemes, and removing phonemes when speaking. Language development in ADHD children also has disturbances in the delivery of speech intent, is less able to carry out conversations with a complete structure, does not pay attention to whether the interlocutor has the same knowledge or information as him, often makes ambiguous sentences, pragmatic language development in ADHD children has not yet developed well.

EARLY MEDIA VIEWING IMPACTS ON DUAL LANGUAGES ACQUISITION OF A YOUNG LEARNER

Despite all benefits of technology, a young child who is exposed to two languages through early media viewing may experience language development problems. It may consequently lead one to undergo therapies which can be counterproductive to their developmental milestones, especially to their dual language development. This research aims to gain deeper insights into the impacts of early media viewing on a young child's early dual language acquisition. A case study of a young dual language learner experiencing language development problems diagnosed as symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was conducted by interviewing participant’s parents to gain preliminary data about his language development problems. Observations took place during 108-hour language intervention sessions. The finding shows that early dual language exposure through early media viewing without adequate social interaction with peers and adults pertinently results in language development problems which are prone to be interpreted as symptoms of ASD rather than as a natural process of bilingualism.

Vocal and gestural productions of 24-month-old children with sex chromosome trisomies.

Children with sex chromosome trisomies (SCT) frequently show problems in language development. However, a clear description of the communicative patterns of these children is still lacking. To describe the first stages of language development in children with SCT in comparison with those in typically developing (TD) children. The purpose was to verify the existence of possible differences in communicative skills (in both vocal and gestural modality) and identify the presence of possible early predictors (i.e., low vocabulary size and low gesture production) of later language impairment in children with SCT. Fifteen 24-month-old children with SCT (eight males with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) and seven females with triple X syndrome (TX)) and fifteen 24-month-old TD children (eight males and seven females) participated in the study. Their spontaneous communicative productions were assessed during a semi-structured play session in interaction with a parent. In addition, their vocabulary size was assessed using a parental report (the Italian version of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories). With regards to their vocabulary size, 60% of children with SCT (75% of children with KS and 43% of children with TX) were at risk for language impairments (i.e., they had a vocabulary size smaller than 50 words). In addition, TD children showed better lexical and syntactic skills than children with SCT in their spontaneous communicative productions. However, the production of communicative gestures was higher in children with SCT than in TD children. Boys with KS appeared to differ from TD males in more aspects of communication than girls with TX differed from TD females. The study showed the importance of early detection of language risk factors in children with SCT, while also considering the use of compensatory strategies (e.g., the use of communicative gestures).

Parents as major partners in the early detection of speech disorders in preschool children

This paper talks about how parents should be educated for early detection of speech disorders in preschool children. Many parents are first informed that their child differs from other children in the group by preschool teachers, thus putting themselves in the unenviable position. Timely intervention and early detection increases the possibility of mitigating or even completely curing speech disorders, which enables the child to participate in regular education without problems. Parents and professionals are partners in the process of providing help for the child. However, the situation when parents are trying to hide the perceived problem, hoping it will go away by itself, not wanting to admit it to themselves or their environment, is a serious problem. Authors will present alarming signals sent by children who have language development problems to conscientious parents and suggest possible procedures for mitigating or completely curing them.

Word recognition and nonword repetition in children with language disorders: the effects of neighborhood density, lexical frequency, and phonotactic probability.

The effects of neighborhood density (ND) and lexical frequency on word recognition and the effects of phonotactic probability (PP) on nonword repetition (NWR) were examined to gain insight into processing at the lexical and sublexical levels in typically developing (TD) children and children with developmental language problems. Tasks measuring NWR and word recognition were administered to 5 groups of children: 2 groups of TD children (5 and 8 years old), children with specific language impairment (SLI), children with reading impairment (RI), and children with SLI+RI (all 7-8 years old). High ND had a negative effect on word recognition in the older TD children and in the children with RI only. There was no ND effect in the younger children or in the children with SLI, who all had lower receptive vocabulary scores than the age-matched TD children and the RI groups. For all groups, NWR items with low PP were more difficult to repeat than items with high PP. This effect was especially pronounced in children with RI. Both the stage of vocabulary development and the type of language impairment (SLI or RI) impact the way ND and PP affect word recognition and NWR.

Effects of Recurrent Acute Otitis Media on Cortical Speech-Sound Processing in 2-Year Old Children

To investigate at the age of 2 years the effects of childhood recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM) on central auditory processing by using cortical event-related potentials elicited by syllable stimuli. During a 1-year period, 22- to 26-month-old children fulfilling the criteria for tympanostomy tube insertion in Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland, were recruited to the RAOM group (N = 20). The control group (N = 19) was matched by age, sex, and mother's educational level. In both groups, children were typically developing and had no family history of language disorder or developmental language problems. Finnish syllables /ke:/ and /pi:/ as standards and their variants with changes in frequency, intensity, vowel, consonant, and vowel duration as deviants were used to record P1, N2, and mismatch negativity (MMN) responses in the multifeature paradigm. The clinically healthy ears at the time of registration were a prerequisite for the participation. Children with RAOM and their controls showed the age-typical P1 and N2 responses with no differences in the amplitudes or latencies between the groups, which suggests unaffected basic encoding of sound features and sound representation formation. However, the groups showed different auditory discrimination profiles. In children with RAOM, frequency and vowel MMN amplitudes were increased. Furthermore, the MMN latency for the frequency change was shorter and the frequency MMN amplitude lateralized to the left hemisphere in the RAOM group instead of an adult-like right-hemispheric lateralization observed in the controls. The children with RAOM had a more anterior MMN amplitude scalp distribution for the intensity change than control children. In addition, the MMN amplitude elicited by consonant change was evenly distributed unlike in controls, who had a left-side preponderant lateralization. Taken together, these results suggest an elevated responsiveness for frequency, vowel, and intensity changes, and an immature pattern of discriminating small speech sound contrasts in children with RAOM. The results suggest that childhood RAOM does not affect the central auditory pathway integrity or sound encoding. However, RAOM may lead to aberrant preattentive discrimination of sound features even when the peripheral auditory input is normal. These results are clinically significant because even transient problems with auditory processing may delay language development.

Childhood Language Skills and Adult Literacy: A 29-Year Follow-up Study

Our aim was to assess the longitudinal trajectory of childhood receptive language skills and early influences on the course of language development. Drawing on data collected for a nationally representative British birth cohort, the 1970 British Cohort Study, we examined the relationship between directly assessed early receptive language ability, family background, housing conditions, early literacy environment, and adult literacy skills. A sample of 11349 cohort members who completed the English Picture Vocabulary Test at 5 years of age were studied again at 34 years of age, when they completed a direct assessment of their basic literacy skills. We contrasted experiences of individuals with language problems at age 5 against the experiences of those with normal language skills at that age, assessing the role of socioeconomic family background and early literacy environment in influencing the longitudinal course of developmental language problems. Statistical comparisons of rates with chi(2) tests at P values of .001, .01, and .05 were made, as well as multivariate logistic regressions. Cohort members with receptive language problems at age 5 had a relatively disadvantaged home life in childhood, both in terms of socioeconomic resources and the education level of their parents, but also regarding their exposure to a stimulating early literacy environment. Although there is significant risk for poor adult literacy among children with early language problems, the majority of these children develop competent functional literacy levels by the age of 34. Factors that reduce the risk for persistent language problems include the child being born into a working family, parental education beyond minimum school-leaving age, advantageous housing conditions, and preschool attendance. Effective literacy-promoting interventions provided by pediatric primary care providers should target both children and parents.

Newborn Event-Related Potentials Predict Poorer Pre-Reading Skills in Children at Risk for Dyslexia

Earlier results from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia showed that newborn event-related potentials (ERPs) of children with and without familial risk for dyslexia were associated with receptive language and verbal memory skills between 2.5 and 5 years of age. We further examined whether these ERPs (responses to synthetic consonant-vowel syllables /ba/, /da/, /ga/; presented equiprobably with 3,910—7,285 ms interstimulus intervals) predict later pre-reading skills measured before the onset of school (6.5 years of age). In line with our earlier results, the at-risk children (N = 11) with atypical speech processing in the right hemisphere (a slower shift in polarity from positivity to negativity in responses to /ga/ at 540—630 ms) scored significantly lower in phonological skills, rapid naming, and letter knowledge than the control children (N = 10) without enhanced right hemispheric speech processing. These results further extend our earlier findings of newborn ERPs in predicting poorer language skills. These consistent differences in ERPs to speech sounds may have applications in the future for the early identification of children at risk for developmental language problems. This would facilitate well-directed intervention even before reading problems are typically diagnosed.

Child maltreatment, mental health and oral language competence: Inviting speech-language pathology to the prevention table

Child maltreatment (neglect and abuse of various forms) is a serious global issue. Although Australia and New Zealand are both affluent, first world countries, child protection statistics indicate that much ground is yet to be covered with respect to ensuring that children are reared in environments that are safe and developmentally nourishing. Both neglect and abuse are associated with serious, pervasive and long-term sequelae for a range of neuropsychological functions, including expressive and receptive language abilities. In spite of its considerable body of knowledge regarding the nature and sequence of language development from infancy through to adulthood and across the lifespan, speech-language pathology (SLP) as a profession has failed to position itself as an agent of prevention where child safety is concerned. Language competence is acquired in the relational milieu of early infant-caregiver attachment, and cannot be separated out from mental health across the lifespan. Most significant mental health problems have their onset early in life, as do developmental language problems. Positioning SLP at the prevention table will require graduates of SLP programs to speak and understand the discourse of public health policy-making, advocacy, and resource-allocation, so that graduates can occupy positions of influence in government. At the current time, however, most undergraduate programs emphasize SLP as a 1:1 service-delivery profession, at the expense of important roles this profession could play in relation to prevention of language and mental health problems at a population level.

Comorbidity in severe developmental language disorders: Neuropediatric and psychological considerations

To explore possible patterns of comorbidity in children with severe developmental language disorders (DLD). A retrospective investigation of the clinical records of 28 children relating to oral motor and language problems, psychological profiles, medical history and EEG findings. 36% of all the children had pure expressive language problems, 64% had combined expressive-receptive language problems and 57% had additional oral motor problems. Girls predominated in expressive-receptive problems, while boys predominated in oral motor problems. Children with expressive-receptive disorders were over-represented at the lower end of normal full-scale IQ (p = 0.015). Lower verbal than non-verbal IQ levels were almost as common as equal levels, but a lower non-verbal IQ than verbal IQ was also found. Pre/perinatal problems were found in 21%, and heredity for developmental language problems or dyslexia in 39%. There was a higher proportion of attention and motor problems, EEG abnormalities, and epileptic syndromes than in the general population (p < 0.001). In severe DLD, both pure expressive and mixed expressive-receptive problems are found, and oral motor problems are common. Gender differences regarding symptoms are present. Receptive language ability is associated with the full-scale IQ level. A high proportion of EEG abnormalities and epilepsy is found. There is a complex pattern of comorbidity between speech-language symptoms, psychological characteristics, heredity and EEG findings.

Identifying children at risk for language impairment: screening of communication at 18 months.

To investigate the possibility of identifying children at risk for language impairment based on a new screening instrument to assess communication and language skills at 18 mo of age. At 18 mo, 58 children were assessed with a screening instrument for communication and language consisting of a professional assessment and a parents' questionnaire. Students of speech and language pathology, well trained in child language assessment, carried out the professional assessment, which was based on observations of play behaviour, interaction and expressive and receptive language skills. Of the 58 children, 43 attended a follow-up assessment of language skills at 54 mo of age. Nine children were considered to be at risk for language impairment at 18 mo and 10 children were evaluated as being at risk at 54 mo. A significant positive correlation was found between the professional evaluations at 18 mo and the language tests at 54 mo. Verbal comprehension and pretend play correlated significantly with the results on the language tests. A professional screening of communication and language at 18 mo of age is worthwhile for predicting problems in language development. The results further show that language comprehension and pretend play rather than expressive skills should be emphasized.

Identifying children at risk for language impairment: screening of communication at 18 months

Aim: To investigate the possibility of identifying children at risk for language impairment based on a new screening instrument to assess communication and language skills at 18 mo of age. Methods: At 18 mo, 58 children were assessed with a screening instrument for communication and language consisting of a professional assessment and a parents' questionnaire. Students of speech and language pathology, well trained in child language assessment, carried out the professional assessment, which was based on observations of play behaviour, interaction and expressive and receptive language skills. Of the 58 children, 43 attended a follow‐up assessment of language skills at 54 mo of age. Results: Nine children were considered to be at risk for language impairment at 18 mo and 10 children were evaluated as being at risk at 54 mo. A significant positive correlation was found between the professional evaluations at 18 mo and the language tests at 54 mo. Verbal comprehension and pretend play correlated significantly with the results on the language tests. Conclusion: A professional screening of communication and language at 18 mo of age is worthwhile for predicting problems in language development. The results further show that language comprehension and pretend play rather than expressive skills should be emphasized.

Brainstem auditory-evoked potentials of 8-year-old preterm children in relation to their psycholinguistic abilities and MRI findings.

Brainstem auditory potential (BAEP) has been used to demonstrate brainstem damage and to provide prognosis for the outcome for newborn children. There are contradictory results of its power to predict problems in language development or problems at school. It is well known that preterm children experience an excess of these problems. To study if BAEP findings of 8-year-old preterm children differ from those of the full-term born control children and whether there is correlation to their linguistic problems or to the findings in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Population-based cohort study. Forty-two preterm children aged 8 years born with birth weight <1750 g and their matched full-term control children with birth weight >2500 g, 24 of whom had BAEP recordings and MRI. Differences in BAEPs between the preterm and the control children. Correlation of BAEPs with linguistic problems and with MRI findings. No differences were found in the absolute latencies nor in the interpeak intervals and in the I/V amplitude ratio. Nor did the results differ even when cerebral palsy disabled preterm children, preterm children with mild neurodevelopmental dysfunction or healthy preterm children were compared to each other or to the control children. No correlation to the linguistic problems or to the findings of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) in MRI or to the different measurements of the brainstem were found. If hearing impairment does not exist, BAEP does not give further information on neurodevelopmental nor linguistic problems of the preterm children.