Total Language Scores Research Articles

Parental self-efficacy and early language development in deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

This study examined the relationship between parental self-efficacy in parents of young deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and children's spoken language skills. A retrospective within-subjects study design was used that included 24 mother-child dyads with DHH children. Parental self-efficacy was assessed using the Scale of Parental Involvement and Self-Efficacy-Revised. Children's language abilities were assessed using the Preschool Language Scale-5th edition. Our data revealed no significant associations between global measures of parental self-efficacy and children's auditory comprehension, expressive communication, and total language scores. However, positive correlations were found between child language skills and specific parents' beliefs about their ability to support their child's spoken language development, their ability to use strategies to help their child communicate, and their active involvement in intervention. Findings highlight the importance of examining discrete aspects of parental self-efficacy as it specifically relates to parents supporting their DHH child's spoken language development. Future directions and implications are provided.

Correlation between language and cognitive skills in Egyptian children with reading problems

BackgroundReading problems are the most prevalent type of specific learning disability. Reading problems usually result from phonological deficits; however, it is unclear how much other linguistic abilities are impacted as well.ObjectiveTo study different language parameters and cognitive skills in a group of Egyptian children with reading problems to better understand the difficulties that need to be considered in rehabilitation programs for those children.MethodsA case–control study was conducted on 30 children with reading problems having IQs above 85 and 30 normal control children matched for age and gender (their ages ranged from 7 to 9 years and 11 months). They underwent testing for dyslexia by the Arabic dyslexia assessment test, language evaluation using the Receptive Expressive Arabic Language Scale (REAL scale), and the Stanford-Binet intelligence scale, fifth edition.ResultsThere were highly significant correlations between the severity of dyslexia and total language scores, most of REAL scale subtests. Also, highly significant correlations were detected between the severity of dyslexia and the total IQ, verbal IQ, and verbal working memory subtests. The linear regression model revealed a highly significant association between dyslexia and expressive language scaled scores, total language scaled scores, and a significant association with expressive vocabulary and understanding oral instructions subtests of REAL scale. Additionally, a highly significant association has been detected between dyslexia and the verbal working memory subtest of the Stanford-Binet test. Correlations between total language scores and intellectual abilities (total IQ, verbal IQ, and non-verbal IQ) revealed highly significant positive results.ConclusionDeficits in both receptive and expressive language were observed in children with reading problems. Expressive vocabulary, listening comprehension, and verbal working memory subtests are the most affected language and cognitive skills.

Association of earlier surgery with improved postoperative language development in children with tuberous sclerosis complex.

The authors evaluated the impact of the timing of epilepsy surgery on postoperative neurocognitive outcomes in a cohort of children followed in the multiinstitutional Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) Autism Center of Excellence Research Network (TACERN) study. Twenty-seven of 159 patients in the TACERN cohort had drug-refractory epilepsy and underwent surgery. Ages at surgery ranged from 15.86 to 154.14 weeks (median 91.93 weeks). Changes in patients' first preoperative (10-58 weeks) to last postoperative (155-188 weeks) scores on three neuropsychological tests-the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 2nd edition (VABS-2), and the Preschool Language Scales, 5th edition (PLS-5)-were calculated. Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression models were used to correlate test outcomes separately with age at surgery and duration of epilepsy prior to surgery. Analyses were separately conducted for patients whose seizure burdens decreased postoperatively (n = 21) and those whose seizure burdens did not (n = 6). Regression analysis was specifically focused on the 21 patients who achieved successful seizure control. Age at surgery was significantly negatively correlated with the change in the combined verbal subtests of the MSEL (R = -0.45, p = 0.039) and predicted this score in a multivariate linear regression model (β = -0.09, p = 0.035). Similar trends were seen in the total language score of the PLS-5 (R = -0.4, p = 0.089; β = -0.12, p = 0.014) and in analyses examining the duration of epilepsy prior to surgery as the independent variable of interest. Associations between age at surgery and duration of epilepsy prior to surgery with changes in the verbal subscores of VABS-2 were more variable (R = -0.15, p = 0.52; β = -0.05, p = 0.482). Earlier surgery and shorter epilepsy duration prior to surgery were associated with greater improvement in postoperative language in patients with TSC. Prospective or comparative effectiveness clinical trials are needed to further elucidate surgical timing impacts on neurocognitive outcomes.

183 Earlier Surgery is Associated With Improved Post-operative Language Development in Children With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)

INTRODUCTION: Early life epilepsy in TSC has been strongly associated with lifelong intellectual disability. While improved seizure control correlates with improvements in quality of life and cognition, the importance of surgery timing in young children has not been well-studied. METHODS: Changes in patients’ preoperative (0-12 months) to postoperative (36 months) scores in neuropsychologic tests—including the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II), and the Preschool Language Scales, 5th addition (PLS-5)—were calculated. Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression models were used to correlate changes in test scores with age at surgery and separately with duration of epilepsy prior to surgery. Analysis was limited to those patients who demonstrated improved seizure control post-operatively (n = 18). RESULTS: Age at surgery had a statistically significant negative correlation with changes in the combined verbal sub-tests of the MSEL (R = -0.41, p = 0.04) and predicted the change in that measure outcome in a multivariate linear regression model (β: -0.09, p = 0.03). Similar trends were seen for the change in the total language score of the PLS-5 (R = -0.38, p = 0.06; β: -0.21, p = 0.07). Results were similar when the duration of epilepsy prior to surgery was assessed as the independent variable. However there were no clear trends with the VABS-II questionnaires, even in language domains. CONCLUSIONS: Our data shows that successful earlier surgery and shorter epilepsy duration prior to surgery are both associated with improved post-operative language development in a small cohort of patients with TSC. Prospective clinical trials are necessary to further elucidate this relationship.

Evaluating the role of digital media in language development among pre-schoolers: An observational study

Background: Digital media consumption is prevalent among pre-schoolers, but its impact on language development remains unclear. Aims and Objectives: This study investigates the effects of different types of digital media on pre-school children’s language outcomes. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 pre-school-aged children (mean age 4.2±0.5 years; 51% male) were observed for 12 months. Digital media exposure was categorized into educational interactive, educational passive, and non-educational content, with average screen time being 1.5±0.45 h daily. Language development was assessed using the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Results: At the 12-month follow-up, the study participants exhibited an average Total Language Score (TLS) increase from 100±10 to 107±12. Interactive educational app users showed significant language improvements (TLS: 112±10; P<0.05), exceeding gains seen in passive educational (TLS: 104±10) and non-educational content users (TLS: 102±12). Vocabulary size, expressive language, and receptive language improvements were highest in the interactive group (20%, 15%, and 10%, respectively). Behavioral assessments indicated enhanced use of complex sentences and turn-taking skills in the interactive group. Parental co-viewing correlated with higher TLS gains across all groups, with the most pronounced benefit in the interactive group (9 points vs. 6 without co-viewing). Interactive app users also exhibited higher cognitive (40%) and emotional engagement. Conclusion: Our study emphasizes the positive influence of interactive educational apps on pre-schoolers’ language development, with notable gains and augmented outcomes through parental involvement. This highlights the value of guided media use in early childhood education.

The Development of manual for speech and language treatment for parents of children with cleft palate ages 0-3 years old

Background: Cleft palate is a congenital disability affecting the palate’s structure and function, which may lead to delayed speech and language development and communication disorders. There is a shortage of speech therapists in Thailand. Therefore, developing a manual for speech and language treatment for the parents of children with a cleft palate would be an essential early intervention that parents could perform. Objectives: This research aimed to develop a speech and language treatment manual for parents of children with cleft palate ages 0-3 years old and evaluate the manual’s effectiveness, satisfaction, and feedback. Materials and methods: This research was divided into Phase 1, which involved developing a speech and language treatment manual for parents of children with cleft palate ages 0-3 years old and assessing its validity and reliability. Phase 2 tested the manual’s effectiveness by conducting a three-month of 16 participants, who were divided into two groups: A control group without the manual and an experimental group with the manual and phase 3 data analysis. Results: The content validity of the manual and satisfaction of the questionnaires were found to have a content validity index of 0.87 and 0.92, respectively. The total language and speech development scores before and after participating between groups found a statistically significant difference. After participating, the number of the experimental group who passed the 90th percentile of language development was higher than the control group. The language between the children and parents showed that the experimental group displayed more communication skills than the control group. Conclusion: The speech and language treatment manual for parents of children with cleft palate ages 0-3 years old could stimulate the language and speech development of the experimental group more effectively than the control group that did not receive the manual.

Auditory Cortex Maturation and Language Development in Children with Hearing Loss and Additional Disabilities.

A significant portion of hearing-impaired children have additional disabilities, but data about the maturation of their auditory cortex are scarce. In these children, behavioral tests are often unreliable, and objective tests are needed for diagnostics and follow-up. This study aimed to explore auditory cortical maturation and language development, and the usability of an objective electroencephalogram-based biomarker in children with multiple disabilities. In 65 hearing aid and cochlear implant users (36 females; 36 with multiple disabilities; 44.3 ± 18.5 months of age, mean ± SD), auditory processing was examined using the P1 cortical auditory evoked response biomarker, and language development with the Preschool Language Scales 5th edition (PLS-5). During the study, all of the children received intensive extra language therapy for six months. No significant differences were found between the groups in P1 latency development, the proportion of abnormal P1 latencies, or the number of children whose P1 latencies changed from abnormal to normal during the study. The PLS-5 total language scores, auditory comprehension scores, or expressive communication scores did not differ between groups either. The P1 latencies showed meaningful negative correlations with the language scores. The results suggest that auditory cortex development is similar in hearing-impaired children with/without additional disabilities, and the P1 biomarker is a feasible tool to evaluate central auditory maturation in children with multiple disabilities.

Relations between Positive Parenting Behavior during Play and Child Language Development at Early Ages

Parental behavior in interactions with children has been related to child language development. Our study contributes to the literature about relations between the characteristics of parent-child interactions during play and a child's language development in typically developing children at early ages, with data from mothers and fathers from the same families in Spain. Our aim was to analyze the relation between positive parenting behaviors assessed with the Spanish version of the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO) and child language development assessed with the Bayley-III scales. We controlled for some sociodemographic variables. The participants were 90 children aged 15-31 months and their mothers and fathers. Bivariate analysis showed significant positive relations between mothers' responsive, encouraging and teaching behaviors and a child's language scores. Relations were found between fathers' encouraging and teaching behaviors and a child's language. Regression models indicate that maternal and paternal encouraging behaviors predicted 18% of the variability in the child's receptive language, and maternal responsive and teaching behaviors predicted 16% of the variability in the child's expressive language and total language scores. The study provides new data that support the relevance of positive parental behaviors to improve a child's linguistic development.

Examining the relationship between oral language skills and executive functions: Evidence from Greek-speaking 4–5-year-old children with and without Developmental Language Disorder

BackgroundChildren with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) have been found to demonstrate low performance in Executive Functions (EFs). However, the evidence-based data is so far scarce, especially for 4–5-year-old children. Most of the existing research involves English-speaking populations, while very few studies have been carried out with non-English-speaking populations. Nevertheless, it is documented that possible differences in the language-cognition relations may exist due to the specific characteristics of each language, and studies across different languages could contribute to the above. AimsThe present study aimed to systematically investigate the profile of oral language and EF skills (verbal and nonverbal) and the way these skills are related with each other in 4–5-year-old Greek-speaking children with and without DLD. Methods and proceduresFifty-three 4–5-year-old children (age range: 51– 57 months) with DLD, and 62 Typically Developing (TD) peers (age range: 51– 57 months) were assessed on a standardized psychometric battery for oral language skills (phonological and morphological awareness, oral language comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, narrative speech and pragmatics) and on a series of verbal (v) and nonverbal (nv) tasks tapping EFs skills (updating-accuracy, inhibition –accuracy and reaction time-, and cognitive flexibility). Outcomes and resultsChildren with DLD demonstrated statistically significant lower performance across all oral language measures in comparison to their TD peers. Additionally, they performed significantly lower in the updating (nv) task, as well as in cognitive flexibility (v & nv) in comparison to the TD group. Further regression analyses demonstrated that updating (nv), inhibition (nv) and cognitive flexibility (v) predicted oral language comprehension in children with DLD while updating (v & nv), inhibition-reaction time (nv) and cognitive flexibility (v & nv) predicted phonological and morphological awareness, oral language comprehension, narrative speech as well as total language score in TD children. Conclusions and implicationsThese results provide important information about the profile of oral language and EF skills in children with DLD compared to their TD peers as well as on the relationship of these skills in both groups. The findings also suggest that improving EFs skills may be a possible way for improving oral language skills in young children with DLD. Our findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical as well as practical implications regarding the diagnostic and intervention procedures for children with DLD.

An Economic Evaluation of Australia's Newborn Hearing Screening Program: A Within-Study Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent congenital disorders among children. Many countries have implemented universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) for the early diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss. Despite widespread implementation, the value for money of UNHS is unclear due to lack of cost and outcomes data from rigorous study designs. The objective of this research is to conduct a within-study cost-effectiveness analysis of UNHS compared with targeted screening (targeting children with risk factors of hearing loss) from the Australian healthcare system perspective. This evaluation is the first economic evaluation to assess the cost-effectiveness of UNHS compared to targeted screening using real-world data from a natural experiment. The evaluation assumed the Australian healthcare system perspective and considered a time horizon of 5 years. Utilities were estimated using responses to the Health Utilities Index Mark III. Screening costs were estimated based on the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program. Ongoing costs were estimated based on administrative data, while external data sources were used to estimate costs related to hearing services. Missing data were handled using the multiple imputation method. Outcome measures included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and four language and communication-related outcomes: Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability, Progressive Achievement Test, and comprehensive, expressive, and total language scores based on the Preschool Language Scale. On average, the UNHS cost an extra Australian dollar (A$)22,000 per diagnosed child and was associated with 0.45 more QALYs per diagnosed child compared with targeted screening to 5 years, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of A$48,000 per QALY gained. The ICERs for language outcomes lay between A$3,900 (for expressive language score) and A$83,500 per one-point improvement in language score (for Wechsler Nonverbal Scale of Ability). UNHS had a 69% probability of being more cost-effective compared to targeted screening at a willingness to pay threshold of A$60,000 per QALY gained. ICERs were most sensitive to the screening costs. The evaluation demonstrated the usefulness of a within-study economic evaluation to understand the value for money of the UNHS program in the Australian context. Findings from this evaluation suggested that screening costs were the key driver of cost-effectiveness results. Most outcomes were not significantly different between UNHS and targeted screening groups. The ICER may be overestimated due to the short follow-up period. Further research is warranted to include long-term resource use and outcome data, late diagnosis, transition and remission between severity levels, and timing of diagnosis and treatment.

Access Challenge Index: A Novel Disparity Measure Predictive of Language Outcomes in Children Who Are Deaf/Hard of Hearing.

To evaluate the effect of demographic disparities on language outcomes in a diverse group of children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Retrospective cohort study. UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital (a tertiary care center). Forty-four patients aged <18 years were identified with sensorineural hearing loss managed with a behind-the-ear hearing aid or cochlear implant. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from the medical record. The primary outcome measure was the Preschool Language Scales-5 at least 6 months after intervention. Predictors of language outcome were assessed: hearing level at the time of hearing intervention, cochlear implant status, age of identification and intervention, travel time to site of hearing care, home language, race/ethnicity, insurance type, and Access Challenge Index-a novel measure of educational environment and family support based on the Child Cochlear Implant Profile. Multivariate and univariate analysis assessed predictors for association with intervention and receptive, expressive, and total language scores. Overall 82% of patients had cochlear implants. The median age at hearing intervention was 12 months. The sample was 59% female, 52% non-White, and 61% publicly insured, and 20% had a non-English primary home language. Accounting for multiple demographic and clinical predictors, a high Access Challenge Index score was independently associated with longer time to intervention (P = .01) and poorer language outcomes (P < .001). Access Challenge Index-a novel comprehensive measure of educational and family environment-is a strong independent predictor of language outcomes in children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Specific language impairment: speech perception in relation to noise

BackgroundChildren with specific language impairment (SLI) fail to develop age-appropriate language despite being apparently normal in other respects. Those children usually have abnormal speech perception in noise. This work is designed to investigate speech perception in background noise in those children. It included two groups of children: control group (15 children with normal typical language development) and study group (25 children diagnosed with SLI). All children were submitted to intelligence scale, language assessment, full audiological evaluation, and Arabic Pediatric Speech Intelligibility in noise test (PSI).ResultsResults showed no statically significant difference in total and verbal IQ, while non-verbal IQ was significantly lower in the study group. As regard results of speech audiometry, the control group had better SRT and higher WD% than the study group. Expressive, receptive, and total language scores were lower in the study group. Arabic Pediatric Speech Intelligibility in noise test showed significantly increased PSI scores with increasing the SNR from 0 to +8dB in both groups. The comparison between both groups showed a significant higher score in the control group at different S/N recording conditions.ConclusionsChildren with SLI have difficulty in speech perception when compared to typically developed language children. This difficulty is more apparent in the presence of background noise.

Prenatal Exposure to General Anesthesia and Childhood Behavioral Deficit.

Exposure to surgery and anesthesia in early childhood has been found to be associated with an increased risk of behavioral deficits. While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned against prenatal exposure to anesthetic drugs, little clinical evidence exists to support this recommendation. This study evaluates the association between prenatal exposure to general anesthesia due to maternal procedures during pregnancy and neuropsychological and behavioral outcome scores at age 10. This is an observational cohort study of children born in Perth, Western Australia, with 2 generations of participants contributing data to the Raine Study. In the Raine Study, the first generation (Gen1) are mothers enrolled during pregnancy, and the second generation (Gen2) are the children born to these mothers from 1989 to 1992 with neuropsychological and behavioral tests at age 10 (n=2024). In the primary analysis, 6 neuropsychological and behavioral tests were evaluated at age 10: Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM), McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development (MAND), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), Symbol Digit Modality Test (SDMT) with written and oral scores, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF) with Expressive, Receptive, and Total language scores, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) with Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total behavior scores. Outcome scores of children prenatally exposed to general anesthesia were compared to children without prenatal exposure using multivariable linear regression models adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates (sex, race, income, and maternal education, alcohol or tobacco use, and clinical diagnoses: diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension, psychiatric disorders, or thyroid dysfunction). Bonferroni adjustment was used for the 6 independent tests in the primary analysis, so a corrected P value <.0083 (P = .05 divided by 6 tests, or a 99.17% confidence interval [CI]) was required for statistical significance. Among 2024 children with available outcome scores, 22 (1.1%) were prenatally exposed to general anesthesia. Prenatally exposed children had higher CBCL Externalizing behavioral scores (score difference of 6.1 [99.17% CI, 0.2-12.0]; P = .006) than unexposed children. Of 6 tests including 11 scores and subscores, only CBCL Externalizing behavioral scores remained significant after multiple comparisons adjustment with no significant differences found in any other score. Prenatal exposure to general anesthetics is associated with increased externalizing behavioral problems in childhood. However, given the limitations of this study and that avoiding necessary surgery during pregnancy can have significant detrimental effects on the mother and the child, further studies are needed before changes to clinical practice are made.

Language disorders in preschool Egyptian children with stuttering

Background /Aims: Stuttering typically emerges in the preschool years as children are experiencing substantial growth in their language and are beginning to combine words to form short sentences. Stuttering occurs during the process of planning utterances and using sounds to create words and sentences. A significant percentage of stutterers had a history of delayed language development and articulation disorders. This study's purpose was to examine differences between children who stutter (CWS) and child who do not stutter (CWNS) on standardized tests of IQ, language test, and articulatory tests.Patients and Methods: An analytic cross sectional study conducted on two groups of subjects. The study group consisted of 52 children (study group) who stutter (CWS) and control group included 52 children who do not stutter (CWNS). Each child in the study group was audio-recorded, which was subsequently assessed by (Arabic version of stuttering severity index A-SSI) to provide information pertinent to the child's frequency and type of speech dysfluencies. Each child was determined and responded to standardized tests of cognitive, language, and articulatory assessment.Results: There was a significant decrease in receptive, expressive, and total language scores of language test within cases; regards to articulation test, there was a considerable increase of SSDs. These differences in receptive/expressive language and total language scores were significantly correlated with the overall stuttering frequency of cases CWS.Conclusion: Findings were taken to suggest the imbalance among components of the speech-language systems of CWS that may contribute to the difficulties they have establishing usual speech fluency.

Developmental assessments during the first 5 years of life in infants fed breast milk, cow's milk formula, or soy formula.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of infant feeding mode on childhood cognition and language as the differential effects of infant feeding on development remain understudied.MethodsBreastfed [BF, 174], cow's milk‐based formula‐fed [MF, 169], or soy protein‐based formula‐fed [SF, 161] children were longitudinally tested from age 3 to 60 months for neurodevelopment. Data were analyzed using mixed models while adjusting for multiple covariates. Sex differences were also assessed.ResultsStandard scores were within established norms for all groups. There were no differences in mental development to age 24 months, yet BF children had significantly higher motor development scores at age 3 months than SF children (99.1 versus. 97.2). BF children had significantly higher composite intelligence scores at 48 months than MF and SF children (113.4 versus. 109.6 and 108.4, respectively) and higher verbal intelligence scores than SF children at 48 (105.6 versus. 100.7) and 60 months (109.8 versus. 105.9). Greater total language scores at ages 36 and 48 months were found in BF children compared with children fed MF or SF (p < .001), with differences between sexes for auditory comprehension. Higher total language scores at age 60 months were found between BF and SF (105.0 versus. 100.1).ConclusionBreastfeeding was associated with small, statistically significant, differences between children ages 3 and 5 years in verbal intelligence, expressive communication, and auditory comprehension with the latter having potential sexual dimorphic effects. Yet, these differences remain small and may not be of clinical relevance. Overall, MF and SF did not significantly differ.

Association between decreased HDL levels and cognitive deficits in patients with bipolar disorder: a pilot study

BackgroundCognitive deficits are common in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Abnormal high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels have been implicated in cognitive deficits associated with ageing and neurodegenerative disorders. The present study aimed to investigate serum HDL levels, cognitive deficits and their association in patients with BD.MethodsThirty-seven patients with BD and 37 gender- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited in a case–control study. Cognition was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), and serum HDL levels were measured using enzymatic colourimetry.ResultsThere was no difference in serum HDL levels between patients with BD and HCs after adjusting for gender, age, education and body mass index (BMI). Cognitive test scores in patients with BD were significantly lower than those in HCs except for the visuospatial/constructional index after adjusting for confounding variables. Serum HDL levels were positively correlated with RBANS total score and language score in patients with BD. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that serum HDL levels were significantly correlated with RBANS total score and subscale scores on immediate memory and language in patients with BD after adjusting for confounding factors.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that patients with BD had poorer cognitive performance than HCs except for the visuospatial/constructional domain, and decreased serum HDL levels were correlated with cognitive deficits, especially in immediate memory and language domains in patients with BD.

Impact of tracheostomy on language and cognitive development in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

ObjectiveThe impact of tracheostomy on language and cognitive development in infants with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is not known. We hypothesize that tracheostomy has an independent negative impact on language and cognitive development in infants with severe BPD.Study designThis is a retrospective cohort study of de-identified data of infants with severe BPD who received tracheostomy at <2 years of age, compared with infants with severe BPD without tracheostomy. The primary outcomes measured were total language and cognitive scores at 2–3 years of age as determined by Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd Edition.ResultsA total of 26 patients with tracheostomies and 28 patients without tracheostomies were analyzed. There was no significant difference in total language development or cognitive development between patients with tracheostomies and those without. Insurance status had an effect on language and cognition while controlling for trach status.ConclusionsTracheostomy does not independently impact the language and cognitive development of infants with severe BPD.

Relation between Language Development, Cognitive Skills and Play Skills

AbstractBackground: Play is very important as it helps cognitive, language, social, emotional and physical development. The value of play is increasingly recognized by researchers for children as the evidence mounts of its relationship with intellectual achievement, language development and emotional wellbeing.Aim of Study: To assess play skills in a group of children having cognitive delay (mild and moderate cognitive delay with or without Down's syndrome) and to study the correlation between play level, language skills and cognitive skills in these children.Subjects and Methods: 75 Egyptian preschool children aged between 2 and 5 years were divided into 3 groups; group of normal children, group of children with Cognitive Delay (CD) and group of Down Syndrome's (DS). They were sub-jected to the protocol of Arabic language assessment and a play observation checklist designed in this study. The checklist covered the following items; level of play, behavior of the child during play, receptive skills & language use during play, child interaction with peers & with adults as well as problem solving during play.Results: Normal children under study had higher play skills and language skills than children with CD & DS children. Cognitive level of children with CD and DS was correlated positively with some aspects of their play skills such as language use during play in CD and problem solving, receptive skills and language use during play in DS children. Total Language score was highly correlated with all play aspects in CD and most of play aspects in DS children.Conclusion: Cognitive level, development of play skills and language abilities were interrelated in groups under study (CD and DS).

Language Development in Normal Libyan Children

AbstractBackground: Language is central to social life; language development is a cornerstone for successful outcomes later in life. Language refers to the entire system of expressing and receiving information in a way that's meaningful. Language consist of four dimension, the sound system (phonology), the system of meaning (semantics), the rules of sentences formation (syntax) and function or use of language includes (pragmatics) that consists of the goals of language. The Language devel-opment is a complex, dynamic and progressive process. It involves detection of complex patterns and improvement of language competencies. Language development may affected by various factors as neurobiological factors, culture and psychosocial factors. Background history and formal testing are important in assess language development. Early interven-tion for language difficulties are very important also. The earlier language intervention is implemented, the better results will found.Aim of Work: The aim of this study is to evaluate language development in normal Arabic Speaking Libyan Children in order to identify the normal developmental language aptitudes in such population.Study Design: A descriptive research design was used to achieve the aim of this study.Patients and Methods: The subject of this study comprised a convenient sample of 120 normal Arabic Libyan children with age range between 3 months and 7 years. Modified Arabic (PLS-4) Test, Articulation test Standford Binnia test and audiological evaluation were done for all children.Results: The Standred score of Arabic PLS-4 was below normal (77.5) in of cases (56.6%) while it was high in (43.33%). Both receptive and expressive difficulties was found in 30% of children. A highly significant statistical correlation between total language age, receptive language age and expressive language age with chronological age was found. In addition, the study revealed that children more than 6 years and the children from 3-4 years have delayed in receptive language score, expressive language score and total language score regarding their chronological age.Conclusion: The normal Arabic Libyan children was found to be delayed in language development in age groups (more than 6y) and (3-4y) according to standred score in PLS-4. These result will be use to formulate a language aprofile for normal Arabic Libyan children.

Do Infants Born Very Premature and Who Have Very Low Birth Weight Catch Up With Their Full Term Peers in Their Language Abilities by Early School Age?

This study examined the extent to which children born preterm (< 37 weeks) and/or who have low birth weight (< 2,500 g) catch up with their full term peers in terms of their language abilities at early school age (≥ 5 to < 9 years). A systematic literature search identified empirical studies that fit the inclusion criteria. Data from the tests/questionnaires used for meta-analysis spanned the following language categories: total language score, expressive language, receptive language, pragmatics, phonological awareness, and grammar. The means (standard deviations) were extracted from the studies and were converted to mean difference and 95% confidence intervals to test for overall effect. Sixteen studies met the inclusionary criteria, for a total of 2,739 participants, of which 1,224 were born full term and 1,515 were born preterm. It is important to note that the preterm cohort represented very preterm infants who have a very low birth weight. The meta-analysis found that preterm infants scored significantly worse on total language (p < .001), receptive language (p < .001), expressive language (p < .001), phonological awareness (p < .001), and grammar (p = .03) than their full term peers. However, preterm infants did not score significantly worse than their peers on their pragmatics (p = .19). Children born VPT and who have VLBW perform worse than their peers on their total language, receptive language, expressive language, phonological awareness, and grammar abilities by early school age. This information is important for speech-language pathologists to consider as children born prematurely reach school age.