Nonsense Word Repetition Research Articles

53 Case Study Comparison of Logopenic and Semantic PPA Variants within the Medically Complex Veteran Population

Objective:To explore the utility of neuropsychological testing for patients with Primary Progressive Aphasia and compare testing data for a Logopenic and Semantic PPA variants within the medically complex Veteran population.Participants and Methods:Both participants were referred by their psychiatrist due to memory concerns. The case studies testing data will be compared to look at the differences on testing between different PPA presentations within the Veteran population. Patient A is a 77 year old, right handed, African American, divorced man with approximately 14 years of formal education. Patient B is a 76 year old, right handed, Caucasian, widowed man with approximately 16 years of formal education.Results:Patient A displayed problems with single-word retrieval, repetition of nonsense words and sentences, comprehension, reading, spelling, and naming. He also displayed impairments in aspects of working memory, along with learning and memory. His cognitive profile raises concern for a logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia, which often has Alzheimer's disease pathology. Patient B displayed empty speech, impairments in fluency and reduced semantic knowledge that raises concern for a semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia. However, aspects of his presentation are not consistent with this diagnosis, specifically intact confrontation visual naming. Patient has a history of significant alcohol abuse, although he has mostly remained sober since moving to Texas. This evaluation cannot rule out the contribution of sustained alcohol use on his cognitive functioning; however, this is likely not the primary etiology given his significant language issues.Conclusions:Patients with medically complex histories and unclear timelines of symptom progressive make it difficult for diagnostic clarity. Diagnoses can be additionally difficult to determine at times when the clinical presentation is not as clearly defined in textbooks. This case study comparison displays the importance of integrating all data to determine the proper diagnosis to optimize patient care and provide recommendations tailored to that individual.

Oral Diadochokinetic Performance on Perceptual and Acoustic Measures for Typically Developing Cantonese-Speaking Preschool Children.

This study investigated native Cantonese-speaking preschool children's diadochokinetic performance, including rate, accuracy, and regularity. The second aim of this study was to examine whether language-specific patterns exist by comparing diadochokinetic rates with the average DKK rate for native English speakers. Sixty-four typically developing preschool children who were native Cantonese speakers participated. The diadochokinetic task administered to the children involved repetitions of monosyllabic, disyllabic, and trisyllabic words and nonsense words. The maximum performance of the children was compared by diadochokinetic rate (number of syllables per second), accuracy (percentage of matched production), and regularity (pairwise variability indexes, known as PVIs). Monosyllabic units were produced faster, more accurately, and more regularly than multisyllabic units. Word repetition showed higher accuracy and generally lower regularity than nonsense words but similar rates. Older children were faster and more regular (higher raw PVI of initial consonants) than younger children, but younger children performed as accurately as them. When compared with data from English speakers, the diadochokinetic rates of Cantonese children were generally lower. Developmental progression was evident in terms of rate and regularity. The distinctive accuracy and regularity patterns between word and nonsense word repetition suggest a clinical value for both stimulus types. Language typology plays a role in diadochokinetic rate, supporting the use of language-specific reference data in practice. The typical diadochokinetic profile obtained in this study could serve as a clinical reference for speech motor assessments.

Investigation of the Relationship between Semantic Information and Verbal Working Memory in Children with Typical Developing, Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between semantic knowledge and verbal working memory (VWM) in children with typical development (TD), Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Descriptive research and relational research methods were used in the design of the research.Children in the study group were matched with the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test according to their non-verbal intelligence score.The study group of the study consisted of 17 TD children aged 4-5 years and 14 DS and 15 ASD children whose nonverbal intelligence ages are between 4-5 years.Semantic knowledge was evaluated in the dimensions of vocabulary breath and vocabulary depth.The language sample collected in narrative context was used to evaluate of vocabulary breath. Vocabulary Depth Test (VDT) was used to assess vocabulary depth.VWM was assessed with the Nonsense Word Repetition Test (NWR).The results of the research revealed that all groups showed significant differences in vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth and VWM performances.It was found that there was a significant and positive relationship between vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth and VWM in all groups.VMW predicted vocabulary breadth and vocabulary depth in children with TD and DS.Vocabulary breadth was found to predict vocabulary depth in children with TD and ASD.However, VMW did not predict vocabulary breadth and depth in ASD.The results obtained from the study show that the results differ in the two different diagnostic groups.While the results were discussed regarding the contribution of verbal working memory in the acquisition of semantic knowledge in DS, the importance of word width in the acquisition of word depth in ASD was discussed. In addition, it has been suggested to examine different variables that may be effective in the development of semantic knowledge in both diagnostic groups.

Relationship between hearing capacity and performance on tasks of speech perception in children with hearing loss.

To establish the relationship between the performance on word recognition tasks, using words with and without sense and degree, and the configuration of hearing loss, by using Speech Inteligibility Index (SII) values as indicators, in children with hearing loss. SII were established for 55 and 65 Decibel of Sound Pressure Level (dB SPL) input sounds of ten children presenting bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), adapted with bilateral hearing aids, and who have oral language as the main mode of communication. The children were submitted to a word and nonsense-word repetition task of two or three intensity degrees. Their productions were analyzed according to the Word Association for Syllable Perception (WASP) Protocol. In the data analysis, the values of SII were compared with the results obtained in each analysis criterion. Pertaining to the words, there was statistically significant difference between the two types of stimuli in 55 dBSPL. As for the performance of consonants and point of articulation, there was a statistically significant difference between stimuli types in 65 and 55 dB SPL, and between intensities 65 and 55 dB SPL in nonsense words. Overall, there was no regularity in the relationship between hearing ability and performance in speech perception tasks. The results suggest that performance in the nonsense words recognition tasks was more related to intelligibility index than to words with meaning, possibly because it limits semantic closure strategies by the subject.

Reading Outcomes for Individuals With Histories of Suspected Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

Purpose The primary aims of this study were to examine the speech-language correlates of decoding difficulties in children with histories of suspected childhood apraxia of speech (sCAS) and to identify predictors of low-proficiency reading levels. Method Participants were school-age children and adolescents, 7-18 years of age, diagnosed with sCAS (n = 40) or speech sound disorder but no sCAS (SSD-no sCAS; n = 119). The sCAS and SSD-no sCAS reading groups were compared on measures of performance IQ, oral language, phonological awareness, rapid automatic naming, diadochokinetic rates, single word articulation, and multisyllable and nonsense word repetition. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictors of low-proficiency reading in the sCAS and SSD-no sCAS groups. Results Sixty-five percent of the participants with sCAS compared to 24% of those with SSD-no sCAS were classified as low-proficiency readers based on nonsense and single word decoding. Analysis failed to reveal significant differences in reading, oral language, or phonological awareness between low-proficiency readers with sCAS and low-proficiency readers with SSD-no sCAS. Oral language and phonological awareness skills were the best predictors of reading level for all participants, followed by performance on multisyllabic word repetition and diadochokinetic rate. Conclusions The language and phonological awareness deficits of children with sCAS are related to their risks for reading failure. To a lesser degree, motor speech deficits and speech sound production also increase risks for reading difficulties. The findings justify early intervention for this subset of children.

Bone Conduction Amplification in Children: Stimulation via a Percutaneous Abutment versus a Transcutaneous Softband.

Objectives:Research suggests that the speech perception of children using bone conduction amplification improves if the device is coupled to an implanted abutment rather than to a softband. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the benefit of direct stimulation via an abutment is limited to small improvements in speech perception or if similar or greater benefits occur for other auditory tasks important for learning and communication.Design:Fourteen children (7 to 15 years of age) with bilateral conductive and three children with unilateral conductive or sensorineural hearing loss were enrolled. Each child completed four tasks while using a bone conduction device coupled to an implanted abutment and with the device coupled to a softband. The two devices were worn at the same time and activated one at a time for testing. The children completed four tasks under each coupling condition: (a) a traditional word recognition task, (b) an auditory lexical decision task in which the children repeated aloud, and indicated the category of, real and nonsense words, (c) a nonsense-word detection task which required the children to identify nonsense words within short sentences, and (d) a rapid word learning task in which the children learned to associate nonsense words with novel images.Results:Regression analyses revealed that age, duration of device use, in-situ hearing thresholds, or device output did not account for a significant portion of the variability in performance for any of the four tasks. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed significant increases in word recognition with the abutment as well as significantly better performance for the lexical decision and word learning tasks. The data indicated that the children with the poorest performance with the softband tended to benefit most with the abutment. Also, the younger children showed improved performance for more tasks with the abutment than the older children. No difference between coupling conditions was observed for nonsense-word detection.Conclusions:The improved recognition of familiar words, categorization and repetition of nonsense words, and speed of word learning with the abutment suggests that direct stimulation provides a higher-quality signal than indirect stimulation through a softband. Because these processes are important for vocabulary acquisition and language development, children may experience long-term benefits of direct stimulation for academic, social, and vocational purposes in addition to immediate improvement in communication.

Construction of The Arabic Phonological Short Term Memory Test on Egyptian Children

Background: Phonological short-term memory is a part of working memory, as working memory consists of four components: the central executive, the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad and the episodic buffer. Aim of the work: To construct a valid and reliable test for assessment of phonological short-term memory, which can be applied in language child disorders as on specific language impaired children. This might help to clarify more points in their diagnosis and therefore to guide a better management. Subjects and methods: The subjects of the study were 2 groups: The first group consisted of 102 normal children between the ages of 4 to 8 years old, with average number of 25 children in each with 1 year age range. The second group included 31 specific language impaired children that were selected to match the control group as regard age and IQ level. The constructed test items were 17 in number. The test included the following items: digit span, syllable repetition ( for 1,2,3,4 syllables ), non-sense word repetition (NSWR) of (1,2,3 and 4 syllables),dissimilar word set recall (short word set recall of 1 and 2 syllables, long word set recall of 3 and 4 syllables) and lastly similar word set recall (of 1,2,3 and 4 syllables). Results: Reliability of the test was measured by test re-test, alpha Cronbach and split half method. Validity of the test was also measured using internal consistency, contrasted group validity and factorial validity. Conclusion: The constructed test for measuring phonological short-term memory (PSTM) showed high reliability and validity and could be used on Arabic speaking children from 4 years to 8 years of age.

Construction of The Arabic Phonological Short Term Memory Test on Egyptian Children

Background: Phonological short-term memory is a part of working memory, as working memory consists of four components: the central executive, the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad and the episodic buffer. Aim of the work: To construct a valid and reliable test for assessment of phonological short-term memory, which can be applied in language child disorders as on specific language impaired children. This might help to clarify more points in their diagnosis and therefore to guide a better management. Subjects and methods: The subjects of the study were 2 groups: The first group consisted of 102 normal children between the ages of 4 to 8 years old, with average number of 25 children in each with 1 year age range. The second group included 31 specific language impaired children that were selected to match the control group as regard age and IQ level. The constructed test items were 17 in number. The test included the following items: digit span, syllable repetition ( for 1,2,3,4 syllables ), non-sense word repetition (NSWR) of (1,2,3 and 4 syllables),dissimilar word set recall (short word set recall of 1 and 2 syllables, long word set recall of 3 and 4 syllables) and lastly similar word set recall (of 1,2,3 and 4 syllables). Results: Reliability of the test was measured by test re-test, alpha Cronbach and split half method. Validity of the test was also measured using internal consistency, contrasted group validity and factorial validity. Conclusion: The constructed test for measuring phonological short-term memory (PSTM) showed high reliability and validity and could be used on Arabic speaking children from 4 years to 8 years of age.

Desempenho do processamento fonológico, leitura e escrita em escolares com transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade

RESUMO Objetivo: comparar o desempenho do processamento fonológico, da leitura e escrita de palavras reais e inventadas entre os escolares com transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade e escolares com bom desempenho escolar. Métodos: participaram deste estudo 30 escolares, na faixa etária de 9 a 12 anos, de ambos os gêneros, do Ensino Fundamental de escolas públicas e particulares, divididos em: Grupo Experimental (15 escolares com diagnóstico interdisciplinar de transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade) e Grupo Controle (15 escolares com bom desempenho escolar), pareado com o Grupo Experimental em idade, gênero, escolaridade, tipo de instituição de ensino (pública e particular). Os instrumentos utilizados para avaliação foram: Instrumento de Avaliação Sequencial (CONFIAS), Teste de Nomeação Seriada Rápida (RAN), Prova de repetição de palavras sem significado e Prova de leitura e escrita. Os resultados foram analisados por meio de testes estatísticos (Mann Whitney e Teste t de Student), adotando-se nível de significância de 5% (0,05). Resultados: os resultados analisados por meio de testes estatísticos revelaram diferenças significantes entre o grupo experimental e o grupo controle nas provas avaliadas. Conclusão: escolares com transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade apresentaram desempenho inferior em habilidades de consciência fonológica, acesso ao léxico, memória operacional, leitura e escrita de palavras, quando comparados aos escolares sem transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade, com bom desempenho escolar.

Phonics Training Improves Reading in Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Prospective Intervention Trial

To examine the efficacy of a phonics-training program in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and reading difficulties. Thirty children (7-12 years of age) with NF1 completed a double-baseline, 24-week intervention trial. Literacy outcome measures were assessed at 4 time points: (1) at baseline; (2) after an 8-week no-treatment period; (3) immediately post-treatment; and (4) at follow-up 8 weeks post-treatment. Repeated-measures ANOVA were conducted to examine change over time for all outcome measures, and significant main effects were explored with planned comparisons. Predictors of treatment effects were examined by linear regressions. Ninety percent of participants completed the intervention. Intervention-specific improvements were observed across a range of literacy outcomes, including reading accuracy (nonword reading, Cohen d = 1.10; regular-word reading, Cohen d = 0.32), letter-sound knowledge (Cohen d = 0.80), blending (Cohen d = 0.88), repetition of nonsense words (Cohen d = 0.94), phonemic decoding fluency (Cohen d = 0.55), and reading comprehension (Cohen d = 0.31). Improvements were maintained 8 weeks post-treatment. Age (P = .03) and working memory (P = .02) significantly influenced efficacy, with greatest improvements observed in older children with stronger verbal working memory capacity. Home-based, computerized reading intervention was effective in improving the reading and reading-related abilities of children with NF1 and reading difficulty. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12611000779976.

Defining language impairments in a subgroup of children with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed on the basis of core impairments in pragmatic language skills, which are found across all ages and subtypes. In contrast, there is significant heterogeneity in language phenotypes, ranging from nonverbal to superior linguistic abilities, as defined on standardized tests of vocabulary and grammatical knowledge. The majority of children are verbal but impaired in language, relative to age-matched peers. One hypothesis is that this subgroup has ASD and co-morbid specific language impairment (SLI). An experiment was conducted comparing children with ASD to children with SLI and typically developing controls on aspects of language processing that have been shown to be impaired in children with SLI: repetition of nonsense words. Patterns of performance among the children with ASD and language impairment were similar to those with SLI, and contrasted with the children with ASD and no language impairment and typical controls, providing further evidence for the hypothesis that a subgroup of children with ASD has co-morbid SLI. The findings are discussed in the context of brain imaging studies that have explored the neural bases of language impairment in ASD and SLI, and overlap in the genes associated with elevated risk for these disorders.

Performance of Phonological Processing in Children with Attention Deficit Hiperactivity Disorder

Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the performance of Phonological Processing (Phonological Awareness, Lexical Acess and Working Memory) between children with ADHD and children with typical development. Methods: Participated in this study, 30 school aged children of both genders aged between 9 - 12 years, divided into 2 groups: Experimental Group (EG), 15 children with ADHD combined type and, Control Group (CG), 15 children with typical development, who attended elementary school in public and private education. The instruments utilized were: Phonological Awareness Test—Sequential Assessment Tool (CONFIAS); Rapid automatic Naming Testd); and Proof of repetition of nonsense words (Kessler, 1997). Results: The results revealed differences between in the instruments used. Conclusion: Regarding the performance of Phonological Processing, the children with ADHD showed lower performance in Phonological Awareness, Access to Lexical and Phonological Memory compared to children with typical development.

The Relationship of Cognitive and Executive Functioning With Achievement in Gifted Kindergarten Children

This study provides baseline data to assist researchers in conducting future studies exploring the developmental trajectories of young gifted learners on measures of cognitive ability and achievement. The study includes common neuropsychological tests associated with preliteracy and the early-reading process as well as markers for inattention and executive functioning skills. Using a sample of kindergarteners identified as gifted, the results indicated that despite intelligence quotient scores in the very superior range and high means on traditional achievement measures, great variability was observed within the sample on several benchmarking measures of cognitive, academic, neuropsychological, and executive functioning. Additionally, only an average mean score on a visual–motor processing neuropsychological measure was obtained. Four neuropsychological measures provided important loadings in canonical correlations with achievement: Oromotor Sequences, Repetition of Nonsense Words, Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration scores, and Speeded Naming. In addition to providing baseline data on these measures, the results also offer support for defining giftedness as a developmental process.

Arabic psycholinguistic screening tool: a preliminary study

EnAbstract Background Psycholinguistics or the psychology of language refers to the study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, and understand language. Objectives This work aimed at designing and applying an Arabic Psycholinguistic Screening Tool on a group of native Egyptian students aged 7 through 9, 11 years old, enrolled in primary grade 1 through primary grade 4, and analyzing the obtained results in order to attain a better understanding of psycholinguistic skills in the studied age range and preliminarily study the constituent items of the tool. Participants and methods The sample in this study included 45 healthy native Arabic-speaking Egyptian children: 25 boys and 20 girls. The groups were as follows: group I (from 7 to 7; 11 years old), group II (from 8 to 8; 11 years old), and group III (from 9 to 9; 11 years old). They were attending regular classes in schools following the Egyptian Arabic National curriculum. The participants were enrolled in primary grade 1 through primary grade 4. Children were randomly selected from a cluster of children reported to be subjectively free from any hearing difficulties, delayed language development, medical problems, and intellectual, social, psychiatric, psychological, or serious academic difficulties. Psycholinguistic abilities for each child were evaluated using the Arabic Psycholinguistic Screening Tool designed in the current study. Tested parameters included oral similarity, morphological closure, proper word and nonsense word repetition, phonological deletion, phonological rhyming awareness and production, spoken and written vocabulary, sequencing events, sight and sound decoding, in addition to sight and sound spelling. The results obtained were then analyzed using descriptive, comparative, correlation, reliability, and validity studies. Results The results reflected internal consistency as well as the content, construct, and convergent validity of the Psycholinguistic Screening Tool for children aged 7 through 9; 11 years for those items covering oral similarity, morphological closure, proper word repetition, spoken and written vocabulary, proper word repetition, spoken and written vocabulary, sequencing of events, sight and sound decoding, and sound spelling. Although nonsense word repetition, sight spelling, phonological rhyming awareness, and production subtests were found to have convergent validity as well as internal consistency, statistical studies did not quite prove their construct validity. Conclusion and recommendations (a) The phonological rhyming awareness and production as well as nonsense word repetition and sight spelling subtests should be revised taking into consideration the Arabic educational curriculum applied in Egyptian schools. (b) Further studies should be carried out on the Arabic Screening Tool to study predictive validity on a larger group of children. (c) Studies should be carried out using the Arabic Psycholinguistic Screening Tool on a group of children with learning disabilities to examine its diagnostic sensitivity.

Communication, Listening, Cognitive and Speech Perception Skills in Children With Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) or Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

Parental reports of communication, listening, and behavior in children receiving a clinical diagnosis of specific language impairment (SLI) or auditory processing disorder (APD) were compared with direct tests of intelligence, memory, language, phonology, literacy, and speech intelligibility. The primary aim was to identify whether there were differences between these characteristics in children with SLI or APD. Normally hearing children who were clinically diagnosed with SLI (n = 22) or APD (n = 19), and a quasirandom sample of mainstream school (MS) children (n = 47) aged 6-13 years, underwent tests of verbal and nonverbal IQ, digit span, nonsense word repetition, Spoonerisms, reading, grammar, and sentence and VCV nonword intelligibility. Parents completed questionnaires on the children's communication, listening, and behavior. There was generally no difference between the performance of the children with SLI and the children with APD on the questionnaire and test measures, and both groups consistently and significantly underperformed compared with the children in the MS group. Speech intelligibility in both noise and quiet was unimpaired in the SLI and APD groups. Despite clinical diagnoses of SLI or APD, the 2 groups of children had very similar behavioral and parental report profiles, suggesting that the children were differentially diagnosed based on their referral route rather than on actual differences.

Effects of dyslexia on postural control in adults

Dyslexia has been shown to affect postural control. The aim of the present study was to investigate the difference in postural stability measured as torque variance in an adult dyslexic group (n=14, determined using the Adult Dyslexia Checklist (ADCL) and nonsense word repetition test) and an adult non-dyslexic group (n=39) on a firm surface and on a foam block and with eyes open and eyes closed. Another aim was to investigate the correlation between ADCL scores and postural stability. Findings showed that ADCL scores correlated with torque variance in the anteroposterior direction on foam with eyes closed (p=0.001) and in the lateral direction on the foam surface with eyes closed (p=0.040) and open (p=0.010). General Linear Model analysis showed that high dyslexia scores were associated with increased torque variance (p<0.001). However, we found no significant difference between dyslexics and non-dyslexics, though there were indications of larger torque variance in the dyslexics. The findings suggest that adults with high dyslexic ADCL scores may experience sub-clinical balance deficits. Hence, assessing motor ability and postural control in those with high ADCL scores is motivated.

Defining language phenotypes in autism

All children with autism spectrum disorders have deficits in pragmatic aspects of communication; however, formal language abilities are extremely heterogeneous, ranging from nonverbal to superior linguistic skills. Recent studies have focused on defining different language phenotypes among verbal children. One subtype has been compared to specific language impairment (SLI), a language disorder that is diagnosed on the basis of delays and deficits in language acquisition in the absence of hearing impairment, frank neurological damage or co-morbid psychopathology. Two behavioral studies address the question of whether children with autism and language impairment have specific language deficits that are similar to those found in SLI. These experiments focused on phonological processing in a nonsense word repetition task, and use of grammatical morphology in conversational speech. The findings from these studies are discussed in the context of recent neuroimaging and genetic studies of autism.

The role of morphological awareness in children's vocabulary acquisition in English

Tasks of speeded naming, phonological awareness, word identification, nonsense word repetition, and vocabulary, along with two measures of morphological awareness (morphological structure awareness and morpheme identification), were administered to 115 kindergartners and 105 second graders. In the combined sample, 48% of the variance in vocabulary knowledge was predicted by the phonological processing and reading variables. Morphological structure awareness and morpheme identification together predicted an additional unique 10% of variance in vocabulary knowledge, for a total of 58% of the variance explained; both measures of morphological awareness were uniquely associated with vocabulary knowledge. Results underscore the potential importance of different facets of morphological awareness, as distinct from phonological processing skills, for understanding variability in early vocabulary acquisition.

Tense marking in children with autism

A recent large-scale study identified a subgroup of children with autism who had a language profile similar to that found among children with specific language impairment (SLI), including difficulties with nonsense word repetition, an ability that has been implicated as one clinical marker for SLI. A second clinical marker for English-speaking children with SLI is high rates of omission of grammatical morphemes that mark tense in obligatory contexts. This study used experimental probes designed to elicit third person and past tense morphology with a large heterogeneous sample of children with autism. The subgroup of children with autism who were language impaired showed high rates of omission of tense marking on the experimental tasks. In addition, some of the children with autism made performance errors that were specific to the autistic population, such as echolalia. These findings further refine the characteristics of language impairment found in a subgroup of children with autism.

Highly Significant Linkage to the SLI1 Locus in an Expanded Sample of Individuals Affected by Specific Language Impairment

Specific language impairment (SLI) is defined as an unexplained failure to acquire normal language skills despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. We have reported elsewhere a full-genome scan in 98 nuclear families affected by this disorder, with the use of three quantitative traits of language ability (the expressive and receptive tests of the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals and a test of nonsense word repetition). This screen implicated two quantitative trait loci, one on chromosome 16q (SLI1) and a second on chromosome 19q (SLI2). However, a second independent genome screen performed by another group, with the use of parametric linkage analyses in extended pedigrees, found little evidence for the involvement of either of these regions in SLI. To investigate these loci further, we have collected a second sample, consisting of 86 families (367 individuals, 174 independent sib pairs), all with probands whose language skills are >/=1.5 SD below the mean for their age. Haseman-Elston linkage analysis resulted in a maximum LOD score (MLS) of 2.84 on chromosome 16 and an MLS of 2.31 on chromosome 19, both of which represent significant linkage at the 2% level. Amalgamation of the wave 2 sample with the cohort used for the genome screen generated a total of 184 families (840 individuals, 393 independent sib pairs). Analysis of linkage within this pooled group strengthened the evidence for linkage at SLI1 and yielded a highly significant LOD score (MLS = 7.46, interval empirical P<.0004). Furthermore, linkage at the same locus was also demonstrated to three reading-related measures (basic reading [MLS = 1.49], spelling [MLS = 2.67], and reading comprehension [MLS = 1.99] subtests of the Wechsler Objectives Reading Dimensions).