Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test Research Articles

The effect of prenatal lithium exposure on the neuropsychological development of the child.

ObjectivesLithium is an effective treatment for bipolar disorder, also during pregnancy to prevent the recurrence of episodes in the perinatal period. Little is known about the neuropsychological development of lithium‐exposed offspring. The current study was designed to investigate neuropsychological functioning in lithium‐exposed children with the aim to provide further knowledge on the long‐term effects of lithium use during pregnancy.MethodsParticipants were offspring of women with a diagnosis of bipolar spectrum disorder, aged 6–14 years. In total, 99 children participated in the study, 56 were exposed to lithium in utero and 43 were not exposed to lithium. Neuropsychological tests were administered, including the Snijders‐Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test and the NEPSY‐II‐NL assessment. Linear and negative binomial regression models were used to investigate the association between prenatal lithium exposure and neuropsychological functioning. In secondary analyses, the association between lithium blood level during pregnancy and neuropsychological functioning was assessed. Additionally, norm scores and percentiles for task outcomes were calculated.ResultsLithium use during pregnancy was associated with the total number of mistakes made on the Auditory Attention task, but not statistically significant after full adjustment for potential confounding factors. No association between prenatal lithium exposure and IQ was found. Also, no relationship between lithium blood level during pregnancy and neuropsychological functioning was found after adjustment for potential confounders. Task outcomes in both groups were comparable to the general population.ConclusionIn this study, we found no evidence for significantly altered neuropsychological functioning of lithium‐exposed children at the age of 6–14 years, when compared to non‐lithium‐exposed controls.

A randomised clinical pilot trial to test the effectiveness of parent training with video modelling to improve functioning and symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability.

Poor eye contact and joint attention are early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and important prerequisites for developing other socio-communicative skills. Teaching parents evidence-based techniques to improve these skills can impact the overall functioning of children with ASD. We aimed to analyse the impact of conducting a group parent-training intervention with video modelling to improve the intelligent quotient (IQ), social and communication functioning and to minimise symptoms in children with ASD and intellectual disability (ID). Study design: A multicentre, single-blinded, randomised clinical pilot trial of parent training using video modelling was conducted. Sixty-seven parents of children with ASD, aged between 3 and 6years and with IQs between 50 and 70, were randomised: 34 to the intervention group and 33 to the control group. Intervention program: The intervention group received parent training over 22 sessions, and the control group received the standard community treatment. Pre-evaluation and post-evaluation (week 28), the following were used: Autism Diagnostic Interview, Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale I, Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test, Autism Behaviour Checklist and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Intention to treat and complier-average causal effect (CACE) were used to estimate the effects of the intervention. There was a statistically significant improvement in the Vineland standardized communication scores in CACE (Cohen's d=0.260). There was a non-statistically significant decrease in autism symptomatology (Autism Behaviour Checklist total scores) and a significant increase in the non-verbal IQ in the intervention group. After the false discovery rate correction was applied, IQ remained statistically significant under both paradigms. The effect size for this adjusted outcome under the intention-to-treat paradigm was close to 0.4, and when considering adherence (CACE), the effect sizes were more robust (IQ's Cohen's d=0.433). Parent training delivered by video modelling can be a useful technique for improving the care given to children with ASD and ID, particularly in countries that lack specialists.

Assessment tool for visual perception deficits in cerebral visual impairment: reliability and validity.

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Children's Visual Impairment Test for 3- to 6-year-olds (CVIT 3-6). Reliability was assessed via test-retest correlation and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in typically developing children, children with cerebral visual impairment (CVI), intellectual impairment, and simulated impaired vision (validation groups n=59, mean developmental age=4y 10mo, 27 females, 32 males). Internal validity was evaluated with a confirmatory factor analysis on the normative sample (n=301, median age=4y 8mo,SD=9.7mo, 148 females, 153 males). External validity was assessed by correlating performance on CVIT 3-6 with L94, the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visuo-Motor Integration (Beery-VMI), the Freiburg Vision Test, the revised Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test for children between 2years 6months and 7-years-old (SON-R 2.5-7), and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) questionnaire and bycomparing performance between validation groups. We observed very good test-retest reliability (r=0.82, p<0.001, ICC=0.80) and confirmed the hypothesized factor structure (comparative fit index=1; Tucker-Lewis index=1.045). We found high correlations with tests with a strong visual perception component (L94: r=0.74, p<0.001; SON-R 2.5-7: r=0.37, p=0.01) and low correlations with other tests (Beery-VMI: r=0.25, p=0.09; SRS: r=0-0.26, p=0.09). Lowest scores were observed for children with CVIcompared to the other validation groups (F[3,44]=5.1, p=0.003). CVIT 3-6 is grounded in knowledge of visual perception. The tool specifically measures CVI-related visual perception deficits and is not mediated by intellectual abilities or low visual acuity. Evidence for good test-retest reliability of the Children's Visual Impairment Test for 3- to 6-year-olds (CVIT 3-6). Factor structure of normative data reflects CVIT 3-6's foundations in vision science. CVIT 3-6 specifically measures visual perception impairments. CVIT 3-6 performance is not influenced by intelligence or low visual acuity.

Sex Similarities and Differences in Intelligence in Children Aged Two to Eight: Analysis of SON-R 2-8 Scores.

The aim of this study was to investigate sex similarities and differences in visuospatial and fluid abilities and IQ scores based on those abilities in children aged two to eight. Standardization data from the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test for Children aged 2–8 (SON-R 2–8) were used. A representative sample composed of 965 children from the Netherlands and 762 children from Germany was examined. Small but significant mean sex differences favoring girls were observed until age four. At ages six and seven, boys achieved similar cognitive development levels to girls regarding all abilities assessed and outperformed girls on the Mosaics subtest measuring visuospatial cognition. Boys also displayed higher variability rates in performance. The distribution of IQ scores, with the overrepresentation of girls scoring above mean and the overrepresentation of boys scoring below mean in early childhood, altered with age towards parity between the sexes. The results suggest that girls tend to mature earlier with respect to cognitive abilities. During the course of development, however, the differences between girls and boys may become negligible.

Organophosphate Pesticide Metabolite Concentrations in Urine during Pregnancy and Offspring Nonverbal IQ at Age 6 Years.

Background:Susceptibility to organophosphate (OP) pesticide neurotoxicity may be greatest during the prenatal period; however, previous studies have produced mixed findings concerning in utero OP pesticide exposure and child cognition.Objectives:Our objective was to determine whether maternal urinary concentrations of OP pesticide metabolites are inversely associated with child nonverbal IQ at 6 y of age and to examine potential effect measure modification by the PON1 gene.Methods:Data came from 708 mother–child pairs participating in the Generation R Study. Maternal urine concentrations of six dialkylphosphates (DAPs), collected at , 18–25, and of gestation, were determined. Child nonverbal IQ was measured at 6 y of age using the Mosaics and Categories subtests from the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test–Revised. PON1 was determined in cord blood for 474 infants. Multiple linear regression models were fit to estimate the DAP–IQ associations and PON1 interactions.Results:Overall, associations between child nonverbal IQ and maternal DAP concentrations were small and imprecise, and these associations were inconsistent across urine sampling periods. However, for a 10-fold difference in total DAP concentration for the of gestation samples, adjusted child nonverbal IQ was 3.9 points lower (95% CI: , ). Heterogeneity in the DAP–IQ association by PON1 gene allele status was not observed ().Conclusions:Consistent evidence of an association between higher maternal urinary DAP concentrations and lower child IQ scores at 6 y of age was not observed. There was some evidence for an inverse relation of child nonverbal IQ and late pregnancy urinary DAPs, but the estimated association was imprecise. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP3024

Atypical language characteristics and trajectories in children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Background22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a genetic condition associated with a highly variable phenotypic expression. During childhood speech and language deficits are commonly observed. Findings of cross-sectional studies suggest syndrome-specific and changing language profiles, but a longitudinal approach to identify developmental changes is still lacking to date. AimsThe present study aimed to delineate language characteristics and trajectories by comparing the performance of Dutch-speaking school-aged children with 22q11.2DS (n = 18) to those of peers with idiopathic intellectual disability (IID, n = 19) and to those of children with IID and comorbid autism spectrum disorder (IID + ASD, n = 23). The literature shows contradictory findings regarding language comprehension difficulties in children with 22q11.2DS, we focused on the receptive-expressive language discrepancy. Given their relative strength for verbal short-term memory (VSTM) tasks, a fine-grained error categorization was included to elucidate a possible influence of VSTM on the expressive language outcomes. Finally, we suggested that the inability of children with 22q11.2DS to use contextual information could interfere with morphosyntactic measures. MethodsAll groups (22q11.2DS, IID, and IID + ASD) were matched for nonverbal fluid reasoning (Gf) using the Analogies and Categories subtests of the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test or the Matrix Reasoning and Picture Concepts subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Several structural language skills were measured using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. The same instruments were re-administered after 18 to 24 months. A fine-grained error analysis of the Formulating and Recalling Sentences subtests, both measuring expressive syntax, explored factors contributing to expressive language deficits. ResultsIn children with 22q11.2DS the relative advantage of receptive over expressive language had decreased compared to children with IID. For children with 22q11.2DS, complex sentence comprehension remained very challenging over time. Expressive language skills seemed less limited compared to children with IID, and were accompanied by less VSTM difficulties. In children with 22q11.2DS and children with IID + ASD, variable patterns of strengths and weaknesses were demonstrated, resulting in subtle differences between these groups. Error analyses indicated disregard of content-contextual cues and use of vague and elliptic language as being typical for children with 22q11.2DS. ConclusionsWe recommend that in children with 22q11.2DS the impact of the receptive language impairment should be comprehensively examined and followed-up since it can have a negative effect on their social communication skills, adaptive functioning and academic achievement. Error analysis underscores that multiple measures should be used to evaluate the child’s expressive language ability. Further research should focus on developmental trajectories of social communication skills and on the use of intervention strategies to improve language comprehension and pragmatics in school-aged children with 22q11.2DS.

The Predictive Validity of Four Intelligence Tests for School Grades: A Small Sample Longitudinal Study.

Intelligence is considered the strongest single predictor of scholastic achievement. However, little is known regarding the predictive validity of well-established intelligence tests for school grades. We analyzed the predictive validity of four widely used intelligence tests in German-speaking countries: The Intelligence and Development Scales (IDS), the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS), the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON-R 6-40), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), which were individually administered to 103 children (Mage = 9.17 years) enrolled in regular school. School grades were collected longitudinally after 3 years (averaged school grades, mathematics, and language) and were available for 54 children (Mage = 11.77 years). All four tests significantly predicted averaged school grades. Furthermore, the IDS and the RIAS predicted both mathematics and language, while the SON-R 6-40 predicted mathematics. The WISC-IV showed no significant association with longitudinal scholastic achievement when mathematics and language were analyzed separately. The results revealed the predictive validity of currently used intelligence tests for longitudinal scholastic achievement in German-speaking countries and support their use in psychological practice, in particular for predicting averaged school grades. However, this conclusion has to be considered as preliminary due to the small sample of children observed.

Cognitive and outcome measures seem suboptimal in children with cochlear implants - a cross-sectional study.

This study investigates whether cognition as a single variable significantly influences the hearing and speech outcomes of children with cochlear implants (CIs). More specifically, it identifies various types of cognitive disorders among children with CI, comparing these children's cognitive abilities to the outcomes of CI in terms of hearing and speech performance. Cross-sectional cognitive testing of children with CIs. West Danish CI Centre, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Fifty-eight CI children underwent postoperative cognitive evaluation. Cognitive tests included Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Bayley-III), Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test Revised (SON-R) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV), depending on the age of the child. Outcome measures of hearing and speech capacity after CI consisted of Categories of Auditory Performance (CAP), Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-4 (PPVT-4). Only PPVT-4 correlated significantly with cognition scores. Over time, the value of CAP and SIR seems limited by a pronounced ceiling effect. The most widely used outcome tests after CI, that is CAP and SIR, may not reflect cognitive disabilities sufficiently due to pronounced ceiling effects. International guidelines suggesting a panel of robust age-matched tests are warranted to optimise rehabilitation programmes as well as the counselling of parents.

Nonverbal intelligence in young children with dysregulation: the Generation R Study.

Children meeting the Child Behavior Checklist Dysregulation Profile (CBCL-DP) suffer from high levels of co-occurring internalizing and externalizing problems. Little is known about the cognitive abilities of these children with CBCL-DP. We examined the relationship between CBCL-DP and nonverbal intelligence. Parents of 6,131 children from a population-based birth cohort, aged 5 through 7 years, reported problem behavior on the CBCL/1.5-5. The CBCL-DP was derived using latent profile analysis on the CBCL/1.5-5 syndrome scales. Nonverbal intelligence was assessed using the Snijders Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test 2.5-7-Revised. We examined the relationship between CBCL-DP and nonverbal intelligence using linear regression. Analyses were adjusted for parental intelligence, parental psychiatric symptoms, socio-economic status, and perinatal factors. In a subsample with diagnostic interview data, we tested if the results were independent of the presence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The results showed that children meeting the CBCL-DP (n = 110, 1.8%) had a 11.0 point lower nonverbal intelligence level than children without problems and 7.2-7.3 points lower nonverbal intelligence level than children meeting other profiles of problem behavior (all p values <0.001). After adjustment for covariates, children with CBCL-DP scored 8.3 points lower than children without problems (p < 0.001). The presence of ADHD or ASD did not account for the lower nonverbal intelligence in children with CBCL-DP. In conclusion, we found that children with CBCL-DP have a considerable lower nonverbal intelligence score. The CBCL-DP and nonverbal intelligence may share a common neurodevelopmental etiology.

Early risk predictors for impaired numerical skills in 5‐year‐old children born before 32 weeks of gestation

To unravel risk predictors for impaired numerical skills at 5 years of age in a population-based cohort of very preterm infants. Between January 2003 and August 2006, we prospectively enrolled all infants born in Tyrol with <32 weeks of gestation. A total of 161 of 223 preterm infants (participation rate 72.2%) had a detailed examination at 5 years of age including cognitive assessment (Hannover-Wechsler Intelligence Test for preschool children, third edition (HAWIVA-III) or Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON-R)). In 135 children, numerical abilities were assessed with the dyscalculia test TEDI-MATH. The association between pre- and postnatal factors and impaired numerical skills was analyzed by means of logistic regression analysis. Dyscalculia test showed delayed numerical skills (TEDI-MATH Sum T-score <40) in 27 of 135 children tested (20.0%). In half of the children tested, delayed numerical abilities were related to lower IQ scores. Smoking in pregnancy, intracerebral haemorrhage and chronic lung disease were predictive of delayed numerical skills at 5 years of age in the multivariate analysis. This study identified risk predictors for impaired numerical skills in preterm infants. Our data support the role of both pre- and perinatal factors in the evolution of mathematical deficits.

Zur Aussagekraft des SON-R 6-40 bei Kindern mit Hörbeeinträchtigung und Kindern mit Migrationshintergrund

Certain aspects of the use of the Snijders-Oomen Non-verbal Intelligence Test (SON-R 6-40) in clinical and educational assessment of children with hearing impairment and children from immigrant families are discussed. Test results of 35 children per group have been compared to the data from a German-speaking control group, matched by age, sex and educational achievement of both parents. Specific differences between the three groups on both subtest and IQ levels are demonstrated. This paper provides scoring results for the three groups and discusses the differences between the test profiles. The test can be accomplished with children who have special educational needs. Results also prove the usefulness of a non verbal test in the assessment of cognitive abilities in clinical-diagnostic questions.

Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome with carbohydrate-responsive symptoms but without epilepsy

Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1-DS) is caused by a defect in glucose transport across the blood-brain barrier. The main symptoms are epilepsy, developmental delay, movement disorders, and deceleration of head circumference. A ketogenic diet has been shown to be effective in controlling epilepsy in GLUT1-DS. We report a female child (3 y 4 mo) who presented with delayed psychomotor development and frequent episodes of staggering, impaired vigilance, and vomiting that resolved promptly after food intake. Electroencephalography was normal. The cerebrospinal fluid-blood glucose ratio was 0.42 (normal ≥ 0.45). GLUT1-DS was confirmed by molecular genetic testing, which showed a novel de novo heterozygous mutation in the SLC2A1 gene (c.497_499delTCG, p.VAL166del). Before starting a ketogenic diet, the child's cognitive development was tested using the Snijders-Oomen Non-Verbal Intelligence Test, which revealed a heterogeneous intelligence profile with deficits in her visuomotor skills and spatial awareness. Her motor development was delayed. Three months after introducing a ketogenic diet, she showed marked improvement in speech and motor development, as tested by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (manual dexterity 16th centile, ball skills 1st centile, static and dynamic balance 5th centile). This case demonstrates that GLUT1-DS should be investigated in individuals with unexplained developmental delay. Epilepsy is not a mandatory symptom. The ketogenic diet is also beneficial for non-epileptic symptoms in GLUT1-DS.

Exploring the Flynn effect in mentally retarded adults by using a nonverbal intelligence test for children

Increases in the scores on IQ tests across generations have been called the Flynn effect (FE). One of the unresolved questions is whether the FE affects all subsamples of the intellectual ability distribution equally. The present study was aimed at determining the size of the FE in moderately mentally retarded individuals. A nonverbal intelligence test developed for children, the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON), was administered to 32 retarded adults with a mental age of 3–6 years. Sixty-nine children with a biological age in the same range and with normal intelligence served as a comparison group. Both an older and a more recent version of the SON were presented to all participants in a counterbalanced order. The proportion of items answered correctly was taken as a measure of the dependent variable. It was found that a FE existed in both the group of children and in the group of retarded adults, but that the FE was largest in the latter group. The importance of not using obsolete test norms when diagnosing mental retardation was stressed, and possible causes of the Flynn effect were discussed.

Impact of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic on the Neurodevelopment of Preschool-Aged Children in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Pediatric HIV infection is a growing problem in most regions of the world. Data on the effects of HIV on the neurodevelopment of children in resource-poor settings are scarce but necessary to guide interventions. The purpose of this study was to compare the neurodevelopment of preschool-aged HIV-infected, HIV-affected (HIV-uninfected AIDS orphans and HIV-uninfected children whose mother had symptomatic AIDS), and healthy control children in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Thirty-five HIV-infected, 35 HIV-affected, and 90 control children aged 18 to 72 months were assessed by using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II, Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test, and Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale, as appropriate for age. Overall, 60% of HIV-infected children had severe delay in cognitive function, 29% had severe delay in motor skills, 85% had delays in language expression, and 77% had delays in language comprehension, all significantly higher rates as compared with control children. Young HIV-infected children (aged 18-29 months) performed worse, with 91% and 82% demonstrating severe mental and motor delay, respectively, compared with 46% and 4% in older HIV-infected children (aged 30-72 months). HIV-affected children had significantly more motor and language expression delay than control children. The impact of the HIV pandemic on children's neurodevelopment extends beyond the direct effect of the HIV virus on the central nervous system. AIDS orphans and HIV-negative children whose mothers had AIDS demonstrated significant delays in their neurodevelopment, although to a lesser degree and in fewer developmental domains than HIV-infected children. Young HIV-infected children were the most severely afflicted group, indicating the need for early interventions. Older children performed better as a result of a "survival effect," with only those children with less aggressive disease surviving.

Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome of 167 Children After Intrauterine Laser Treatment for Severe Twin???Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Between 10% and 15% of monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancies are complicated by severe twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a cause of perinatal morbidity and death. The syndrome results from an unbalanced transfusion of blood across placental vascular anastomoses from one twin, the donor, to the other, the recipient. This prospective study was done to ascertain long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born after intrauterine laser coagulation. The subjects were 167 infants from 127 pregnancies who survived severe TTTS in the years 1997 through 1999. At a mean age of 38 months, the children were assessed by a detailed physical and neurologic examination, Griffiths Developmental Test Scales and Snijders-Oomen NonVerbal-Intelligence Test (SON). Normal neurological findings were recorded in 87% of the children, and another 7% had minor abnormalities. Only 10 children, 6% of the total, had major neurologic abnormalities. Outcomes were comparable in former donors and recipients, and in infants born as twins and those born as singletons. The Griffiths test identified developmental delay in 25% of the 40 children tested. Seven of these 10 infants had severe neurologic abnormalities and the other 3 had minor abnormalities. Only 2 of 112 infants tested by the SON had subnormal results. All children who were neurologically normal had normal test results. Significantly more children with major or minor neurologic abnormalities were born before 32 weeks gestation compared with those who were neurologically normal. However, neither birth weight nor gestational age at the time of treatment was related to the outcome. These results, in children with severe TTTS who underwent fetoscopic laser coagulation, are more favorable than those reported from other studies. At present, this would appear to be the best available treatment for severe TTTS.

Concurrent Validity of the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test 2 1/2–7–Revised with the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Revised

This study examined the concurrent validity of the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test–Revised compared to the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence–Revised. Subjects were 25 4-yr.-olds of lower, lower-middle, and middle socioeconomic status from both urban and rural areas of Appalachia. The SON–R IQs correlated .93 and .87 with the WPPSI–R Performance IQs and Full Scale IQs, respectively. The correlation of .45 with Verbal IQs was not significant.

Validation of the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test - Revised 2½-7 for Australian Children with Disabilities

One hundred and fifty-five preschool children (59 with hearing impairment, 37 with developmental delay, and 59 nondisabled children) were tested with the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test - Revised (2½-7) (SON-R 2½-7) and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence - Revised (WPPSI-R). The aim of the study was to examine the suitability of the SON-R 2½-7 for Australian children. Within each group, the two tests were counterbalanced. Children with hearing impairment or developmental delay were given only the Performance Scale of the WPPSI-R. Correlations between SON-R 2½-7 IQ and WPPSI-R Performance IQ averaged around .73 for the three groups. In the nondisabled group, the SON-R 2½-7 IQ correlated .52 with the Verbal IQ of the WPPSI-R and .75 with the Full Scale IQ. The SON-R 2 ½-7 appeared to provide a satisfactory test of general intelligence for Australian preschool children, but IQs obtained on the SON-R 2½-7 tended to underestimate those obtained on the WPPSI-R.

Cognitive Modifiability and Cognitive Performance of Deaf and Hearing Preschool Children

This study was designed to (a) assess the cognitive modifiability of preschool deaf and hearing children using dynamic and static-conventional instruments, and (b) compare the factorial pattern of the cognitive measures in both groups. The sample was composed of 26 deaf and 26 pair-matched hearing preschool children from 4·1 to 6·3 years of age. All of the children were given, individually, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), Children's Analogical Thinking Modifiability (CATM), the Picture Analogy Test (PAT), and the Analogies subtest from the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON), and were initially matched on a motor integration scale. No significant differences were found between the two groups on RCPM, Analogies (SON), or PAT. On the CATM, a dynamic assessment instrument, the deaf children scored lower than the hearing children at pretest but improved their scores more than the hearing children when taught; both groups scored similarly after teaching. Results are interpreted according to the Structural Cognitive Modifiability and Mediated Learning Experience theory (Feuerstein, Rand, &amp; Hoffman, 1979) and the unique communication barriers of deaf children.

39 SIGNIFICANCE OF PRE-, PERI- AMD POSTNATAL EVENTS FOR LANGUAGE, COGNITIVE AND NEUROLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERM AND PRETERM CHILDREN AGED 4–7 YEARS

The significance of pre-, peri- and postnatal variables for the developmental outcome of 531 preterm and 128 term children at the age of 4-7 years is reported. Intelligence testing was carried out at the ages of 4, 5 and 7 years (Snijders-Oomen nonverbal intelligence test, Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence). Language development was assessed by the Illinois test of psycholinguistic abilities at age 5 and neurological development by Touwen's examination at age 4, 5 and 6. Our results demonstrate that language, nonverbal intelligence and neurological development are differently affected by pre-, peri- and postnatal events. Language development was strongly correlated with postnatal variables (e.g. socio-economic status), while perinatal variables (e.g. Prechtl's perinatal optimality score) had only a minor influence and prenatal variables (e.g. minor malformation score) were of no significance. Nonverbal intelligence showed essentially the same correlation matrix as language development, but was more affected by perinatal variables. Neurological development was not related to postnatal variables, but was significantly correlated to pre- and perinatal variables. Prematurity, and in particular intrauterine growth retardation, increased the influence of pre- and perinatal variables on the developmental outcome.