Receptive Communication Research Articles

Pre- and postnatal exposure to intimate partner violence among South African HIV-infected mothers and infant developmental functioning at 12months of age.

In rural South Africa, pregnant HIV-infected women report high rates of psychological (55%) and physical (20%) intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV increases the risk of infant developmental delays. Such delays may have negative socioemotional and cognitive outcomes throughout the lifespan. This paper assesses the relationship between IPV and infant development in rural South Africa. The present investigation was a cross-sectional add-on follow-up designed retrospectively. A randomly selected sub-sample of mothers from the main randomized controlled trial (n = 72) were asked to participate with their infants at 12months of age; all women invited agreed to participate. Women were 18.35 ± 5.47weeks pregnant; demographics, HIV disclosure status, and pre- and postnatal IPV measured via the Conflict Tactics Scale during pregnancy at baseline and 12months post-partum were assessed. Infant HIV serostatus and developmental functioning at 12months of age were assessed. Women were a mean age of 29 ± 2years. One third had completed at least 12years of education and had a monthly income of ~ US$76. At 12months post-partum, 6% of infants tested HIV seropositive. Postnatal physical IPV was associated with delays in cognitive and receptive language development p < 0.05, but only in unadjusted analyses. This study identified an association between early IPV exposure and infant cognitive and receptive communication delays. Given the small sample size, findings support replication. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm temporal order and identify appropriate timing for interventions in HIV-exposed infants.

Tech-Based Approaches To Supporting And Engaging Diverse Learners: Visual Strategies For Success

This paper explores teaching and learning applications at the intersection between Universal Design for Learning, Assistive Technology, and mainstream educational technology. Informed by the SETT framework in which the technology choice is informed by student, environment, and task (Dell, Newton, &amp; Petroff, 2017; Zabala, 2005), this paper is designed for a learner-profile consistent with learners who need concrete and visual approaches to optimize receptive and expressive communication. The visual and interactive approaches shared here include Universal Design, graphic organizers, and comic strip creations, and may appeal to teachers of students on the autism spectrum as well as others who are responsive to visual supports. &#x0D; While it is not possible to predict the exact nature of the environment and tasks at hand for these students, the paper leaves those decisions in the hands of the readers. Approaches and suggestions shared here reflect practitioner experience, findings from the literature, and data from a 2016 course, in which a small number of diverse students reinforced the concept that UDL approaches increased their engagement and success.

Children with cochlear implants in infancy: predictors of early vocabulary.

Language outcomes for children with cochlear implants (CIs) vary widely, even for those implanted before 2 years of age. Identifying the main influencing factors that account for some of the variability is important in order to provide information to guide appropriate clinical and intervention services for young children with CIs. However, there is limited research focusing on the predictors of early vocabulary development for children implanted in infancy. To identify significant predictors of vocabulary (12-15 months post-implant) for a sample of 33 children with CIs, the majority implanted between 6 and 10 months of age, drawing on predictors of vocabulary reported for children with normal hearing. Of particular interest was the impact of pre-implant development and use of gestures. Children with severe to profound hearing loss, and no other known disabilities, were recruited from CI clinics in Australia before receiving their CIs. Subscales from the Bayley Scales-III (receptive and expressive communication, gross and fine motor, and cognition) were used to assess their development at that time. Using the Macarthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (Words and Gestures) we documented the children's (1) use of gestures at six data-collection times 3 months apart; and (2) vocabulary at the last three time points. Time since implant and time to consistent use of the CIs were also included as potential predictors. Data were analysed using generalized linear models, assuming a negative binomial response with a log-link function. Stepwise variables selection was followed to retain a smaller number of the covariates. A year after implantation, the significant predictors identified for vocabulary were pre-implant receptive communication and early gesture use. Together with fine motor and cognitive skills, these two variables were also significant predictors of vocabulary 3 months later. With maternal education entered into the models, higher vocabulary scores were significantly associated with higher maternal education 12 months post-implantation, but not 15 months. Pre-implant abilities are important in explaining some variability in the early vocabulary of infants with CIs, together with their use of early gestures post-implantation. That is, having a non-verbal means to express a concept can assist in their development of oral vocabulary. Identifying strategies to help develop fine motor skills for infants with CIs, and encouraging their use of gestures to communicate their needs/intentions, are likely to be of benefit.

Exploring the Factor Structure of a K–12 English Language Proficiency Assessment

ABSTRACTIn this study we investigated the internal factor structure of a large-scale K–12 assessment of English language proficiency (ELP) using samples of fourth- and eighth-grade English learners (ELs) in one state. While U.S. schools are mandated to measure students’ ELP in four language domains (listening, reading, speaking, and writing), some ELP standards released recently have defined ELP on the basis of integrated modalities, such as receptive language or collaborative communication. To explore whether current assessments can empirically support new conceptualizations such as these, we compared seven models based on different hypothesized structures for language proficiency. For the Grade 8 students, we find support for a hierarchical factor model, with general language underlying the four domains. A model with the four domains offered the best fit for the Grade 4 sample but fell just shy of criteria for acceptable fit. Models that incorporate more specific higher-order modalities, such as literacy or productive language, functioned less well for the given data of Grades 4 and 8 samples, suggesting the current shift in ELP definition may require shifts in how ELP assessments are built and scored.

Developmental social communication deficits in the Shank3 rat model of phelan-mcdermid syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.

Clinically relevant outcomes are required to demonstrate the utility of therapeutics. We introduce findings in a rat model, and assess the impact of mutations in Shank3, an autism risk gene. We found that males with deficient expression of Shank3 did not demonstrate typical responses in a bi-directional social communication test and that social interaction was lower on key parameters. Outcome measures reported herein extend earlier results in mice and capture responses to acoustic calls, which is analogous to measuring receptive and expressive communication.

Are the Norms of Bayley Screening Test Appropriate for Persian Language Children?

We aimed to assess the distribution of the Bayley screening test by age, and compare developmental risk category distributions between Persian language children and reference norms. A representative sample of 417 children, 1 to 42-months-old, by consecutive sampling from health -care centers were enrolled, during 2014 to 2015 in Tehran, Iran. The cognitive, language and motor development of children were evaluated using Bayley screening test. For determining cut-off point for the subtest scores, two cut-offs were determined for each age group, that classified children to the at risk, emerging, and competent categories. We estimated the agreement of the risk categories between the two samples using weighted kappa statistics. About 70%-80% of all tests operated to the participating children were classified as normal by both norms. Weighted kappa coefficients for the five subtests ranged from 0.56 to 0.89 suggesting moderate agreement between two classification norms. Expressive and receptive communication had the lowest kappa scores (0.56 and 0.59, respectively), and classification of gross motor revealed the highest level of agreement (0.89). Developmental disabilities are common disorders that impose important functional limitations on the affected children. Identifying infants at risk for developmental disorders by screening is a main step to minimize complications. Dependence on reference-based norms for the Bayley screening test in Persian language children results in misclassification of risk category.

Nursing Staff’s Experience of Nonpharmacological Approaches to Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Geriatric Hospitals

Nonpharmacological approaches to the management of behavioral and psychiatric symptoms of dementia (BPSD) can not only safely and effectively manage symptoms, but also improve the quality of life of persons with dementia. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of nonpharmacological approaches to the management care of BPSD by nursing staff in geriatric hospitals in Korea. Five focus group interview sessions were held with 30 members of the nursing staff, consisting of 20 registered nurses and 10 certified nursing assistants. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Five themes emerged from the data analysis：(1) receptive communication (2) knowing the person well, (3) meeting needs, (4) medications as first-line treatments, and (5) lack of nursing staff. In conclusion, nursing staff recognized well the benefits of nonpharmacological approaches, but they perceived great limitations in staffing to implement those approaches. Therefore, it is necessary to secure enough nursing staffs for long-term care facilities, and it is necessary to provide regular education for nursing staff about coping strategies for BPSD.

Neurodevelopmental assessment of patients with congenital hypothyroidism

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the most common cause of preventable cognitive disability worldwide. Generally, it is produced by an alteration in the embryogenesis of the thyroid gland or by an alteration in the synthesis of thyroid hormones, which determine that affected patients have low or absent thyroid hormone concentrations. The importance of this fact is that brain development during the first three years of life is highly dependent on thyroid hormones. Prior to the implementation of national neonatal screening programs around the world, 8 to 27% of children with CH had an IQ lower than 70. Nowadays, this percentage is close to 0 in countries that have implemented the program. In Chile, CH neonatal screening program achieved national coverage in 1996. Currently, the incidence of the disease in our country is 1: 3163. The degree of disability produced by CH not only depends on the time of detection of the disease and the prompt start of therapy, but also on an adequate monitoring. Despite screening programs, neurocognitive impairment in schoolchildren and teenagers with CH is still observed, reflected in lower scores in cognitive, language and gross motor assessments, receptive communication, expressive communication, fine motor and gross motor skills compared to healthy children. Also, lesser achievements in learning and language disorders are observed. The objective of this review is to update the information available on neurodevelopment of patients with CH.

Development and content validation of a preliminary core set of patient- and caregiver-relevant outcomes for inclusion in a potential composite endpoint for Dravet Syndrome

BackgroundDravet Syndrome (DS) is a rare developmental and epileptic encephalopathy characterized by multiple seizures, frequently prolonged and treatment refractory, with significant developmental disabilities and behavioral and psychiatric disorders. Patients with DS require intensive support and supervision from a caregiver, impacting significantly on both patients' and caregivers' lives. This study aimed to identify core concepts to measure the impact on both patients and caregivers in future DS clinical trials. MethodsQualitative concept elicitation interviews were conducted with caregivers and healthcare professionals involved in caring for children with DS (aged 2–18years) in France to identify important concepts related to the global impact of DS. Interviews explored a range of concepts, including triggers, symptoms, impacts, and coping strategies, from which a conceptual model was developed. A Delphi consensus panel with eight international clinical experts aimed to identify important and relevant endpoints. ResultsSeizure was the most commonly reported symptom with DS further impacting children's cognitive and behavioral functioning. Caregivers identified impact concepts not reported by healthcare professionals. Both groups described additional impacts on wider family members and home modifications. Clinical experts agreed on the inclusion of five patient- and caregiver-relevant concepts for measurement in future DS clinical trials in a composite endpoint. The five concepts for inclusion were; seizures, expressive communication of the child, receptive communication of the child, impact on daily activities, and social functioning of the caregiver. ConclusionsThis study showed the wider potential impact of DS to extend beyond that of seizures, demonstrating that there is a need for additional patient- and caregiver-relevant concepts to be measured in clinical trials to fully identify the value of therapeutic interventions.

Neurodevelopment in patients with retinopathy of prematurity treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. Case series

Abstract Background Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disease caused by an alteration in retinal vasculogenesis that may lead to partial or complete vision loss with a harmful impact in terms of neurodevelopment. The purpose of the present study was to determine the neurodevelopment in patients with type i retinopathy of prematurity treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. Material and methods Case series. The inclusion criteria were: patients with type I ROP treated with a dose of 0.625 mg/0.025 ml of intravitreal bevacizumab. Demographic data and comorbidities were documented. Neurodevelopment was evaluated with the screening test of the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID) in all patients between 11 and 28 weeks of age. Results Seven patients were included in the study. Four patients showed normal neurodevelopment according to the overall scores of the BSID scale. The distribution of high risk for neurodevelopmental delay in the different areas evaluated were as follows: 3 patients presented it in the cognitive area, one in the receptive communication area, one in the expressive area, one in the fine motor skills and 3 patients in the gross motor skills area. Conclusions In these case series, the majority of patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for ROP showed normal neurodevelopment scores.

The Oral Narrative Comprehension and Production Abilities of Verbal Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum.

This study described the oral narrative comprehension and production skills of verbal preschool-age children on the autism spectrum and investigated correlations between oral narrative ability and norm-referenced language test performance. Twenty-nine preschool-age children (aged 4;0-5;9 years;months) with autism, who obtained an age-equivalent score of at least 36 months on the expressive communication subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005), participated. Children listened to an unfamiliar fictional narrative and answered comprehension questions afterward. After listening to the narrative a second time, children were asked to retell the narrative without picture support. Narratives were transcribed and analyzed for length, semantic diversity, grammatical complexity and accuracy, intelligibility, inclusion of critical events, and narrative stage. All children participated in the comprehension task, and 19 children produced an analyzable narrative retell. Compared with published data on typically developing children, significant difficulties were observed in narrative comprehension, intelligibility, and grammatical accuracy. Most of the children told descriptive or action sequences, with only 1 child producing an abbreviated episode. Significant positive correlations were found (a) between performance on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) and semantic diversity and narrative comprehension and (b) between parent-reported receptive communication competence (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition) and narrative comprehension. This study provides preliminary evidence of specific difficulties in oral narrative comprehension and production skills in verbal preschoolers on the autism spectrum.

Effects of lay support for pregnant women with social risk factors on infant development and maternal psychological health at 12 months postpartum.

BackgroundThe ELSIPS (Evaluation of Lay Support in Pregnant Women with Social Risk) RCT showed that lay support for women with social risk had a positive effect on maternal mental health and mother-infant bonding. This exploratory study examined whether these observed benefits would impact infant development at 1 year.MethodsA sub-sample of women whose infants were under one year who had participated in the ELSIPS RCT which randomised women to receive either standard care or the services of a Pregnancy Outreach Worker (POW), and who were contactable, were eligible to participate in the follow up. At home visits, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (3rd Edition) and standardised measures of depression, self efficacy, mind-mindedness and bonding were completed.Results486 women were eligible for follow up, of whom 154 agreed to participate. 61/273 were successfully followed up in the standard maternity care arm and 51/213 in the POW arm. Women who completed follow up were less depressed and had higher selfefficacy scores at 8–12 weeks postpartum than those who did not complete follow up. There were no significant differences in maternal outcomes, infant cognitive development, receptive communication, expressive communication, fine motor development or social/emotional functioning between groups at 12 month follow up. Infants of mothers who received the POW intervention had significantly better gross motor development than infants whose mothers received standard care (p<0.03).ConclusionsThe provision of lay support to women with social risk may facilitate infant gross motor skill development at one year but there were no other demonstrable benefits. The effects of the intervention may be underestimated given that those women who completed follow up had better mental health than the original study sample.Trial registrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN35027323.

A longitudinal study of age equivalent receptive communication and performance on functional outcome measures in congenital myotonic dystrophy

INTRODUCTION: Children with congenital myotonic dystrophy (CDM) have communication and motor delays. It's not well studied how communication delays affect performance on functional measures such as four-stair climb (4SC), rise from floor (RFF) and 10-meter run (10MR). METHODS: 49 participants with CDM were recruited in to three age-based cohorts. Motor performance was assessed in the two oldest cohorts using the 4SC, RFF and 10MR. Each participant's Age Equivalent Receptive Communication was calculated using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II. RESULTS: The 10MR time improved by 6.5% over 12 months. Participant's chronological age suggested/showed significant weak-modest negative correlations for 4SC (r= -.39, p=.032) and 10MR (r= -.39, p=.034). There was no significant correlation between participants age equivalent receptive communication and the 10MR, 4SC, or RFF. CONCLUSION: Age equivalent receptive communication doesn't appear to correlate with performance/improvement on these measures. Perhaps suggesting performance on these measures is more closely associated with motor function/planning. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

C21orf131 gene-related 21q21.1 microdeletion patient with global developmental delay: A case report

Objective: The proximal region of Chromosome 21, specifically band 21q21 is known as location of gene encoding amyloid peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease or Down syndrome. Besides, 21q21 deletions identified are likely pathogenic shown various symptoms such as facial dysmorphisms, global developmental delay, intellectual disability and abnormal skeletal system and the genes responsible for the phenotypes are being presented. We present a case of with 21q21 deletions spanning 2.0Mb involving C21orf131 gene based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH). Case report: A 22 months old boy was born at 39 weeks by normal delivery after uneventful pregnancy. His birth weight was 3.08kg and there were no perinatal problems. He achieved independent sitting and crawling at 12 months. Despite having received physical and occupational therapy since the age of 13 months, he showed global delayed development. He could do pull up standing at 15 months and assisted side walking since 17 months but he couldn't gait independently until 22 months and visited our clinic to reevaluated his development status. He was showed ataxic gait and left hind-foot valgus position during foot strike. In Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) his gross motor functions were rated at 11 months and fine motor functions were rated at 12 months. His cognitive functions were rated at 14 months and receptive communication was rated at 11 months and expressive communication was rated at 8 months. Total score of Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) was 59.46%. Brain magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated thinning of corpus callosum for his age and periventricular leukomalacia was suspected but was not clear. Diffusion tensor tractography showed absent right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and focal absent callosal fiber on midbody of corpus callosum. There was no abnormality in standard high resolution chromosome analysis, but microdeletion sized 2.0Mb on 21q21.1 was detected by array CGH study. The location was involving C21orf131 gene. Conclusion: C21orf131 gene, another name of linc00320, is located in 21q21.1 and has known as being expressed at high levels in the human brain, but the specific functions are not clear. This case is the first report showing neurodevelopment problems related to C21orf131 gene. We suggest that investigating the role of the gene is required to understand development of human brain.

A hearer-based analysis of Turkish–Azerbaijani receptive multilingual communication

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:Receptive multilingualism (RM), a mode of multilingual communication in which speakers of different languages use their own native language to communicate and still understand each other, is considered to be a relatively under-investigated area in multilingual research. This paper examines features of Turkish–Azerbaijani RM and, focusing on a hearer-based analysis, looks into strategies applied for achieving understanding in the receptive multilingual communication (RMC).Design/Methodology/Approach:The study is carried out within the conceptual framework of RM.Data and Analysis:Authentic data obtained from oral communication between an Azerbaijani and a Turkish native speaker are analyzed and a post-interview was conducted with the participants in order to investigate to what extent they were able to understand each other in the RMC and what strategies they applied to achieve understanding.Findings/Conclusions:The study reveals that the Turkish and Azerbaijani participants could communicate with each other in RM mode without much difficulty thanks to the typological proximity of their languages. In a few instances in which lack of understanding occurred, the participants were found to apply strategies such as asking questions for clarification, conveying confirmation, repeating, rephrasing, resorting to their lexical and world knowledge as well as utilizing the let-it-pass strategy.Originality and Significance/Implications:The significance of the study is twofold: first, it demonstrates that RMC between Turkish and Azerbaijani can be utilized as an alternative to lingua franca communication; and second, the study expands the taxonomy of hearer-based strategies in RMC.

Maternal and Child Characteristics Associated With Mother–Child Interaction in One‐Year‐Olds

Mothers' interactions with their young children have predicted later child development, behavior, and health, but evidence has been developed mainly in at-risk clinical samples. An economically and racially diverse sample of pregnant women who were not experiencing a high-risk pregnancy were recruited to participate in a community-based, longitudinal study of factors associated with child cognitive and social-emotional development during the first 3 years. The purpose of the present analysis was to identify associations between the characteristics of 1125 mothers and their 1-year-olds and the mothers' and children's scores on the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS). A multivariable approach was used to identify maternal and child characteristics associated with NCATS scores and to develop prediction models for NCATS total and subscale scores of mothers and children. Child expressive and receptive communication and maternal IQ, marital status, age, and insurance predicted NCATS Mother total score, accounting for 28% of the score variance. Child expressive communication and birth weight predicted the NCATS Child total score, accounting for 4% of variance. Child's expressive communication and mother's IQ and marital status predicted NCATS mother-child total scores. While these findings were similar to reports of NCATS scores in at-risk populations, no previous teams examined all of the mother and child characteristics included in this analysis. These findings support the utility of the NCATS for assessing mother-child interaction and predicting child outcomes in community-based, non-clinical populations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Speech-Language Pathologists' Use of Hearing Screening for Clients With Aphasia: Challenges, Potential Solutions, and Future Directions.

The co-occurrence of aphasia and hearing loss can lead to compounded receptive communication impairment that is significantly worse than in either disorder alone. Therefore, identifying potential hearing loss is a critical part of communication assessment for clients with neurogenic communication disorders, many of whom have aphasia. This clinical focus article explores speech language pathologists' (SLPs') hearing-screening practices with this population, identifies patterns of concern, and presents potential solutions and future research needs. SLPs completed an online survey. Data were obtained from 102 SLPs who work with adults with aphasia. Most respondents indicated that they do some form of hearing screening, although few do them in a reliable, valid manner. Awareness of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association hearing-screening guidelines was low. The most common reasons given for not conducting screenings included cost and lack of proper equipment and time. SLPs are an important resource for identifying potential hearing loss in individuals with aphasia. These data suggest that hearing screenings are being conducted only inconsistently with this population, often using nonstandardized methods. The results demonstrate a need to develop hearing-screening tools that are affordable, easily accessible, and validated for aphasia, and to raise awareness of currently available hearing-screening protocols and tools.

Neurodesarrollo en pacientes con retinopatía del prematuro tratados con bevacizumab intravítreo. Serie de casos

BackgroundRetinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disease caused by an alteration in retinal vasculogenesis that may lead to partial or complete vision loss with a harmful impact in terms of neurodevelopment. The purpose of the present study was to determine the neurodevelopment in patients with type i retinopathy of prematurity treated with intravitreal bevacizumab. Material and methodsCase series. The inclusion criteria were: patients with type I ROP treated with a dose of 0.625mg/0.025ml of intravitreal bevacizumab. Demographic data and comorbidities were documented. Neurodevelopment was evaluated with the screening test of the Bayley Scale of Infant Development (BSID) in all patients between 11 and 28 weeks of age. ResultsSeven patients were included in the study. Four patients showed normal neurodevelopment according to the overall scores of the BSID scale. The distribution of high risk for neurodevelopmental delay in the different areas evaluated were as follows: 3 patients presented it in the cognitive area, one in the receptive communication area, one in the expressive area, one in the fine motor skills and 3 patients in the gross motor skills area. ConclusionsIn these case series, the majority of patients treated with intravitreal bevacizumab for ROP showed normal neurodevelopment scores.

A survey of augmentative and alternative communication used in an inner city special school

This study surveyed staff use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) within a large inner city special school for children with complex needs and learning disabilities. A questionnaire asked 72 staff members about the range of AAC strategies they typically used during the working day and how often they used it; training they had received about AAC; and which AAC approaches they found easy to use and those they found difficult. A range of AAC approaches were identified by staff. Participant confidence and understanding of the reasons for using identified AAC strategies was reported to be one of the key barriers to implementing AAC effectively. The implications in relation to how children with complex needs receive support for their receptive and expressive communication within an education environment are discussed.

Prenatal exposure to DDT for malaria control and neurodevelopment among VHEMBE study participants, South Africa

Introduction: The pesticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) are believed to be endocrine disruptors, and have been shown to be associated with poorer child neurodevelopment. The present study examined the association between in utero exposure to DDT and DDE, and Bayley neurodevelopmental outcomes at age one and two years. Methods: The VHEMBE study is an ongoing birth cohort study in a malaria-endemic area of South Africa's Limpopo Province. DDT and pyrethroid insecticides are frequently sprayed in homes for malaria control, resulting in high exposures for residents. The Bayley assessment (3rd edition) was administered to children at one year (n=689) and two years (n=680). Measured scales included cognitive, expressive communication, receptive communication, fine motor, and gross motor development, as well as composite scores for language and motor development. DDT and DDE concentrations were measured in maternal blood samples collected at delivery, and were lipid-adjusted and log10-transformed for analysis. Linear regression models were adjusted for maternal education, poverty status, hypertension during pregnancy, child sex, birthweight, and examiner. Results: VHEMBE mothers had higher concentrations of DDT and DDE than pregnant women enrolled in NHANES (p,p’-DDT: GM=69.4 ng/dL vs 4.5 ng/dL; p,p’-DDE: GM=287.2 ng/dL vs 156.6 ng/dL; o,p’-DDT: GM: 3.3 ng/dL vs 1.8 ng/dL). Most neurodevelopmental outcomes did not show associations with p,p’-DDT, p,p’-DDE, or o,p’-DDT at either 1 or 2 years, although a 10-fold increase in concentrations of o,p’-DDT was associated with a decrease in the language composite score (β=-0.99, 95% CI=-1.98,-0.002). Conclusions: Early results suggest that prenatal DDT exposure may not be associated with impaired neurodevelopment in the VHEMBE study population. Further analysis is underway, including sex-specific and longitudinal analyses.