Language Disorders In Children Research Articles

Identifying developmental language disorder (DLD) in multilingual children: A case study tutorial

Purpose A long-standing issue in identifying developmental language disorder (DLD) in multilingual children is differentiating between effects of language experience and genuine impairment when clinicians often lack suitable norm-referenced assessments. In this tutorial we demonstrate, via a case study, that it is feasible to identify DLD in a multilingual child using the CATALISE diagnostic criteria, Language Impairment Testing in Multilingual Settings (LITMUS) assessment tools, and telepractice. Method This tutorial features a case study of one 6-year-old Urdu-Cantonese multilingual ethnic minority child, and seven age- and grade-matched multilinguals. They were tested via Zoom using Urdu versions of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives (LITMUS-MAIN), the Crosslinguistic Lexical Task (LITMUS-CLT), the Crosslinguistic Nonword Repetition Test (LITMUS-CL-NWR), and the Sentence Repetition Task (LITMUS-SRep). Result The child scored significantly lower in the LITMUS tests compared to her peers in her best/first language of Urdu. Together with the presence of negative functional impact and poor prognostic features, and absence of associated biomedical conditions, the findings suggest this participant could be identified as having DLD using the CATALISE diagnostic criteria. Conclusion The result demonstrates the promise of this approach to collect reference data and identify DLD in multilingual children. The online LITMUS battery has the potential to support identification of multilingual DLD in any target language.

Exploring the Views, Perspectives, and Current Practices of Educational Speech-Language Pathologists and Psychologists in Canada: How Childhood Developmental Language Disorders Are Identified and Diagnosed.

Across Canada, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and educational psychologists (EPs) work in schools to identify and diagnose childhood learning difficulties, including language disorders; however, both professional groups use different terms to identify and diagnose them. Using the term developmental language disorder (DLD), developed by the CATALISE consortium, would provide consistency across fields. To effectively implement the use of DLD, it is crucial to understand how EPs and SLPs currently identify childhood language disorders and to investigate the potential impact of a practice change in this area. The study conducted 13 moderated focus groups and one one-on-one semistructured interview across six Canadian provinces in English and French. We found some social and structural barriers that impact SLPs' and EPs' current practice of identifying and diagnosing language disorders generally (e.g., the belief that children should not be labeled "too early," institutions that prioritize certain professional diagnoses over others, board policies that do not allocate funds for language disorders, professionals' reticence to convey difficult information such as a diagnosis to collaborators) and DLD specifically (e.g., different professional taxonomies, lack of familiarity with or uncertainty about the label, not recognized as a condition in schools that may or may not even identify language disorder as a category of exceptionality). Nevertheless, the focus groups also revealed the extent to which DLD could be useful in their current practice. Both EPs and SLPs acknowledged the importance of working together; therefore, DLD could inspire more collaborative practice between SLPs and EPs around language disorders.

Where to start: Use of the bilingual multidimensional ability scale (B-MAS) to identify developmental language disorder (DLD) in bilingual children

Purpose The identification of developmental language disorder (DLD) is challenging for clinicians who assess bilinguals. This paper introduces a protocol-based approach, the Bilingual Multidimensional Ability Scale (B-MAS), for expert raters to identify DLD in bilinguals. Method Three bilingual speech-language pathologists (SLPs) reviewed 166 Spanish-English bilingual children’s profiles, which included performance on direct (morphosyntax, semantics, and narrative tasks) and indirect (parent/teacher survey) measures in both languages. A multidimensional scale (0–5) was adopted to rate children’s performance. A diagnosis of DLD was made if at least two raters assigned a summary rating of ≤2. Result Analysis of the scores on the B-MAS resulted in the identification of 21 children as having DLD. Though different strategies were employed to make decisions, the three SLPs demonstrated high inter-rater agreement across different ratings (intraclass correlation coefficient values ranged from .83 to .90). Conclusion For bilingual populations that are understudied and for which gold standards of assessment are not available, the B-MAS can be adopted as a starting point to study DLD or as a reference standard to develop new assessment tools in that population. Clinically, this protocol could be tailored and evaluated by a group of SLPs serving a large population of a particular bilingual group for diagnostic purposes.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Speech and Language Disorders in Young Children: A Cross-Sectional Study In a Pediatric Rehabilitation Ward

Background: Speech and language disorders in young children can have substantial impacts on their social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development. Understanding the prevalence and risk factors associated with these disorders is crucial for early intervention and effective treatment strategies. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of speech and language disorders in young children presenting to a Pediatric Rehabilitation Ward, to identify the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics associated with these conditions, and to evaluate the therapy patterns utilized in management. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pediatric Rehabilitation Ward of Liaquat University Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro Hospital, from May to August 2022. A total of 400 patients, aged 2-10 years and diagnosed with speech-language disorders by a psychiatrist, were included through non-probability convenience sampling. Data on demographics, socioeconomic status, therapy patterns, and diagnostic information were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Results: The study found that language delay was the most prevalent disorder, affecting 61.8% of the children. Males were more frequently affected (68.5%). Seizures were the most commonly reported medical condition in the sample (18.5%). The mean age at diagnosis was 3.58 years. A considerable number of children (38.0%) had a positive family history of speech-language disorders. Socioeconomic analysis revealed that a majority of the children (68%) came from middle-class families. The study also found that combined speech and behavioral therapy was the most common treatment approach (28.8%). Conclusion: Language delay is the most common speech-language disorder among children in this study, with a higher prevalence in males and those from middle-class families. Early detection and a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, including both speech and behavioral therapy, are imperative for effective management.

Studies on the association of genes with language disorders in the post-genomic era

Since genetic research entered the post-genomic era, the high heritability of language disorders has been confirmed. A variety of genetic-related diseases may cause various types of language disorders in children and/or adults. This article has summarized language disorders and their underlying mechanisms by searching the Web of Science database over the last decade, and combed the genetic researches for dyslexia, frontotemporal degeneration, specific language disorder, childhood speech apraxia and other single diseases that are strongly associated with the language disorders. It also provided a discussion over the co-occurrence of multiple diseases, with an aim to revealing the genetic association and/or pathogenetic mechanism in order to provide inspiration for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of language disorders.

“Insufficient evidence” for screening for speech/language delays under age 5

In January the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for speech and language delay and disorders in children 5 years or younger who don't show any signs or symptoms of delays.

Delayed auditory experience results in past tense production difficulties and working memory deficits in children with cochlear implants: A comparison with children with developmental language disorder

Extent evidence has shown that morphosyntax is one of the most challenging linguistic areas for children with atypical early language experiences. Over the last couple of years, comparisons between deaf children with CIs and children with DLD have gained interest – as cases of atypical early language experiences, including, but not restricted to, delayed onset of exposure to language input and language-processing difficulties. Evidence suggests that the morphosyntactic difficulties experienced by deaf children with CIs and children with DLD are very similar in nature. However, the few studies that have directly compared both groups are inconclusive, with deaf children with CIs either performing significantly better or on par with children with DLD. These differences in findings can be attributed, in part at least, to a failure to implement essential methodological controls – even more so given that deaf children with CIs comprise a very diverse population. The goal of the present study was to directly compare the performance of deaf children with CIs to that of children with DLD on a morphosyntactic ability known to be particularly difficult for both groups. Specifically, the present study conducted a detailed examination of the past tense marking abilities of deaf children with CIs and children with DLD while controlling for factors specific to deaf children with CIs, for children's basic cognitive abilities as well as for children's age, sex assigned at birth, and SES. Past tense verbs are particularly relevant as they are used as a marker of developmental language disorder (DLD) in children learning French.Moreover, extent evidence shows that deaf children with CIs and children with DLD have important WM difficulties, but also that there is an association between auditory perception, processing abilities, and working memory (WM) abilities as well as with the acquisition of morphological features, including tense marking. Unfortunately, no study has examined the relation between the accurate production of past tense verbs and WM abilities in children with CIs and children with DLD learning French.Fifteen deaf children with CIs between 5 and 7 years of age were compared to 15 children with DLD and to 15 typically-developing monolingual controls (MON), matched on important variables, using a past tense elicitation task as well as measures of phonological and nonverbal WM abilities.The results confirm that the deaf children with CIs and the children with DLD both performed significantly lower than the MON controls on the past tense elicitation task – suggesting that difficulties with past tense verbs in French might not only be a marker of DLD but, instead, a correlate of atypical language acquisition. Of importance, the present study is the first to show that deaf children with CIs perform significantly lower than children with DLD on a past tense elicitation task – highlighting the importance of using methodological controls. As well, significant correlations were found between the performance of the deaf children with CIs and of the children with DLD on the past tense elicitation task and their phonological and nonverbal WM abilities. Taken together with previous studies conducted in the same populations, this represents another evidence suggesting that early atypical language experiences result in language and WM deficits, including morphosyntactic difficulties.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Grammaticality and Utterance Length in Bilingual Children.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of two measures derived from spontaneous language samples, mean length of utterance in words (MLUw) and percentage of grammatical utterances (PGU), in identifying developmental language disorder (DLD) in Spanish-English bilingual children. We examined two approaches: best language and total language. The participants in this study included 74 Spanish-English bilingual children with (n = 36) and without (n = 38) DLD. Language samples were elicited through a story retell and story generation task using Frog wordless picture books in English and Spanish. Stories were transcribed and coded using the Systematic Analysis of Language Samples (Miller & Iglesias, 2020) to extract MLUw and PGU in both languages. Logistic regression analyses suggested that a model that included PGU, MLUw, and age achieved the best diagnostic accuracy in predicting group membership. Both approaches, best language and total language, had fair diagnostic accuracy. In combination, PGU and MLUw seem to be useful diagnostic tools to differentiate bilingual children with and without DLD. Clinical implications and usability are discussed.

Diagnostic accuracy of current assessment measures for developmental language disorders in bilingual children

Background: Speech-language pathologists are facing challenges in assessing bilingual children with developmental language disorder (DLD). The study aimed to systematically review the literature for the past five years and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of current assessment measures in the identification of DLD in bilingual children. Method: Through a keyword search from four electronic databases and a manual search of reference lists, eligible studies were identified and evaluated with respect to quality of evidence, study characteristics, and reported diagnostic accuracy. Results: The assessment measures used in the studies varied widely in format, emphasis, and origin. Most studies lacked clear descriptions of controls for potential biases, making it difficult to rate specific quality indicators and decreasing the overall quality of evidence. Diagnostic accuracy of assessment measures across studies ranged from poor to good. Mixed measures showed a higher percentage of good diagnostic accuracy compared to linguistic and nonlinguistic ones. Discussion/conclusions: Evidence supports the previous findings regarding the difficulties in developing appropriate assessment tools and advocacy for using converging evidence in assessment. Limitations in methodology discussed in the past literature still exist, which may result in inflated diagnostic accuracy and decreased validity.

Indicators for Building a Norm-Referenced Dataset Based on Conversational Language Samples in Typical Mandarin-speaking Children: An Exploratory Study

For proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of language disorders in Mandarin children, it is important to have measures that closely track the course of normal development. The current study uses a large collection of spontaneous conversational language samples to track the developmental course of five language measures: mean length of utterance (MLU), the MLU of the five longest utterances (MLU5), vocD, number of repetitions, and number of retracings. We used cross-validation-based linear regression to estimate the relationship between age, gender and each of the five variables derived from the conversational language samples in 101 typically developing Mandarin-speaking children aged 3 to 7. Each of the five measures showed significant age-related effects during the period from age 3 to age 7. As norm-referenced measures of language development in children speaking Mandarin, these developmental data could inform clinical therapists regarding assessments and interventions for children with language disorder or impairment.

Level of Negative Emotional States among Parents of Speech and Language Delay

Background: The prevalence and impact of delayed speech and language disorders in children have increasingly become a concern, particularly regarding the psychological well-being of their parents. Prior research has explored various factors influencing parental stress in families with children suffering from different developmental disorders, including Down, Williams, Fragile X, and Prader-Willi syndromes. However, there is a need to understand specifically how delayed speech and language disorders in children affect the emotional states of their parents. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among parents of children with primary and secondary speech and language delays. It sought to identify the predominant emotional states in these parents and understand the relationship between the child's developmental status and the parent's emotional well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Multan, involving parents of 70 children with delayed speech and language disorders. Using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) Inventory, parents were assessed for levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. The study employed a non-probability convenient sampling technique, and the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 23. Results: The analysis showed significant correlations between depression, anxiety, and stress. Depression had a mean score of 6.986, anxiety had a mean score of 5.529, and stress showed the highest mean score at 7.971. These results indicate that stress is the most prevalent emotional issue among these parents, exceeding the levels of depression and anxiety. Conclusion: The study concludes that parents of children with delayed speech and language disorders in Multan experience high levels of stress, overshadowing other negative emotional states like depression and anxiety. These findings highlight the need for targeted support and interventions for these families, focusing not only on the child's development but also on the mental health and well-being of the caregivers.

Assessment in Farsi–English Emerging Bilingual Children: A Tutorial

Purpose: Emerging bilingual children represent a diverse population with regard to their language learning histories and individual factors. When assessing a bilingual child, it is important to accurately differentiate typical second-language learning characteristics from differences that indicate a disorder. The Iranian scholarly and clinical communities have established essential linguistic norms and identified linguistic and nonlinguistic indicators of speech and language disorder in Farsi-speaking children. The community has also developed assessment tools that are useful when evaluating the language skills of bilingual Farsi-English–speaking children. Method: We present some relevant characteristics of the Farsi-speaking community and summarize the literature related to linguistic norms and the characteristics of the Farsi language, particularly related to the phonological and morphosyntactic structure of Farsi. To illustrate the diversity in bilingual children's profiles and the need for individualized assessment, we present two case studies of sequential emerging Farsi–English bilingual children. Results: We present the children's assessment results and report clinical indicators of a language disorder. The case examples are used to highlight several recommendations for conducting individualized and culturally sensitive assessments. Conclusions: This tutorial highlights the need for a comprehensive and individualized assessment of a bilingual child. Specific assessment tools and procedures are outlined to support clinicians in completing accurate and sensitive evaluations of Farsi–English bilingual children.

AN EXAMINATION OF THE INDICATORS OF EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION IN TREATMENT OF LANGUAGE DISORDERS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN NAIROBI CITY, KENYA

The purpose of this study was to examine the indicators of effective collaboration in the treatment of language disorders in children with autism in Nairobi City County. This study was guided by Belbin’s Theory of Teamwork and Gregory’s Theory of Perception. The study adopted the qualitative research design targeting 55 caregivers and 10 speech therapists. Purposive sampling was used to select 20 participants. The research was conducted in Nairobi County and piloting at a medical Hospital. Qualitative data was collected using in-depth interviews and analysed thematically. The study findings showed that the indicators of effective collaborative approaches include achievement of set goals, improved speech, inclusivity of all those involved, improved sharing of information, and improved decision-making. Collaboration ensures that the caregivers are well-informed about the treatments and interventions. The study recommends that the public should be educated on the different disorders such as autism and other spectrum disorders that may cause language disorders to address issues of stigmatization and the benefits that come with adopting collaborative approaches in treating language disorders in children with autism.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0045/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Definition and terminology of developmental language disorders-Interdisciplinary consensus across German-speaking countries.

In recent years, there have been intense international discussions about the definition and terminology of language disorders in childhood, such as those sparked by the publications of the CATALISE consortium. To address this ongoing debate, a Delphi study was conducted in German-speaking countries. This study consisted of three survey waves and involved over 400 experts from relevant disciplines. As a result, a far-reaching consensus was achieved on essential definition criteria and terminology, presented in 23 statements. The German term 'Sprachentwicklungsstörung' was endorsed to refer to children with significant deviations from typical language development that can negatively impact social interactions, educational progress, and/or social participation and do not occur together with a potentially contributing impairment. A significant deviation from typical language development was defined as a child's scores in standardized test procedures being ≥ 1.5 SD below the mean for children of the same age. The results of this Delphi study provide a proposal for a uniform use of terminology for language disorders in childhood in German-speaking countries.

Direcții de prevenire a tulburărilor de limbaj la copiii preșcolari

This research paper aims to address the vital topic of preventing language disorders in preschool children. The primary focus is to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention program designed to enhance language and perceptual-auditory skills in this age group. Language disorders are a common concern among preschoolers, with various risk factors, including genetic predispositions, limited exposure to language-rich environments, and underlying medical conditions. Of utmost importance is early diagnosis and intervention, as these play a crucial role in facilitating a child’s language development.

Risiko Infeksi Plasmodium Falciparum dalam Kehamilan terhadap Perkembangan Bahasa Reseptif dan Ekspresif pada Anak Balita

This study aims to analyze the relationship between Plasmodium Falciparum infection in pregnancy and impaired receptive and expressive language development in children under five. The research method uses an observational analytical design with a case-control approach. The results of the study showed that there was no significant relationship between a history of plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy and receptive language disorders in children under five, and there was no meaningful relationship between a history of plasmodium falciparum infection in pregnancy and expressive language disorders in children under five. In conclusion, a history of Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy is not associated with impaired receptive and expressive language development in children under five.
 
 Keywords: Expressive, Pregnancy, Language Development, Plasmodium Falciparum, Receptive

A Study on Prevalence of Speech and Language Disorders in Children with Intellectual Disability in Bankura District of West Bengal

A Study on Prevalence of Speech and Language Disorders in Children with Intellectual Disability in Bankura District of West Bengal

The influence of immersive learning in English classroom on language disorders in children with autism

BackgroundWith the development of society, the incidence rate of autistic children is gradually rising. Autism is often related to genetic factors. In addition, abnormal brain structure and function are also one of the causes of autism. The common symptoms of autism patients include social interaction disorders, communication barriers, narrow interests, and stereotyped and repetitive behavior. Immersive learning is defined as an experiential approach that fully integrates into the training environment, utilizing virtual reality technology.Subjects and MethodsIn order to analyze the impact of immersive learning in English classrooms on language disorders in children with autism, the study selected 100 children with autism and randomly divided them into a treatment group and a control group, with 50 children in both groups. Among them, the control group received normal English classroom teaching, while the treatment group received immersive learning. Both groups have one lecture per day and five classes per week, with a treatment cycle of four weeks. The analysis tools used in the study include the Children’s Autism Rating Scale, Symptom Self Rating Scale, Comprehensive Quality of Life Rating Scale, and SPSS23.0.ResultsThe results showed that after treatment, the scores of loneliness and symptom self-evaluation in children showed a significant decrease, with a significant difference compared to before treatment (P<0.05), and the treatment group showed the most significant decrease. In addition, after treatment, the children’s quality of life scores showed a significant improvement (P<0.05), and the treatment group showed the most improvement.ConclusionsFrom this, it can be seen that immersive learning in English classrooms is beneficial for language disorders in children with autism.

The 10-Word Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Vocabulary Performance in 4- and 5-Year-Old Children.

Understanding the different factors that determine vocabulary development in young children is essential for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of language disorders in children. Language development is closely related to other cognitive processes such as auditory verbal learning and memory. This research focuses on the development of a novel auditory verbal learning test (AVLT) for 4- and 5-year-old children within the Dutch population. This new test is an adaptation of the common AVLT for both older children and adults, usually including a list of 15 words. Considering the lower attention span and limited executive functioning in young children, the word list of this new instrument is reduced to 10 words. Besides, a second recognition form has been developed to improve the ability to distinguish between possible underlying learning and memory deficits. Ninety-five preschool children (ages 4;0-5;12 [years;months]) were tested with this new AVLT 10-word test for kids (10WT-K), yielding different measures of verbal auditory memory. Forty-eight of 95 children received a recognition task with semantically unrelated items, and 47 of 95 received a recognition task with semantically related items. Three additional language skills were assessed to establish test validation: receptive and expressive vocabulary performance and nonword repetition. Outcome of the 10WT-K was related to scores on the language measures. Positive correlations were found between the total score of the 10WT-K and all three aforementioned language skills. We found no correlations between frequency of error types (intrusions and repetitions) and language measures. Furthermore, children who were administered the recognition list with semantically related items showed fewer correct answers and more false-positive and false-negative responses than children who received a recognition list with semantically unrelated items. The 10WT-K for young children can be used to (a) measure different aspects of auditory verbal learning and memory, (b) clarify the nature of possible verbal learning difficulties, and (c) identify a possible nature of language disorders. The word recognition task tested with semantically related items provides a more accurate measurement of individual differences, namely, in distinguishing retrieval and storage abilities. The significant relation found between auditory verbal short-term memory capacity and vocabulary performance in preschool children is a first step toward establishing test validity.

Review of intervention methods for language and communication disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders.

In recent years, the number of patients-particularly children-with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been continually increasing. ASD affects a child's language communication and social interaction to a certain extent and has an impact on behavior, intelligence level, and other aspects of the child. Data indicates that 40% to 70% of children with ASD experience language developmental delays, which are mainly manifested as lack of language or language developmental delay, self-talk, use of stereotyped language, parroting, et cetera. A language communication disorder is a major symptom of ASD and is the most common reason for patients to visit a doctor. Therefore, language intervention training and communication skills have been made a cornerstone of autism intervention. However, a literature search has revealed that most studies only examine certain intervention methods or a combination of two or three intervention methods, which cannot be used by therapists or rehabilitation teachers. Therefore, this article summarizes relevant literature on language communication training for ASD children at home and abroad and briefly introduces the characteristics and training methods of language disorders in children with ASD in order to provide some ideas and references for relevant researchers and practitioners.