Typically Developing Children Research Articles

Audiovisual Integration Decreases Inhibition of Return in Children With ADHD

Objectives: Previous studies have widely demonstrated that inhibition of return (IOR) with audiovisual targets decreases due to audiovisual integration (AVI). It is currently unclear, however, whether the impaired AVI in children with ADHD has effects on IOR. The present study used the cue-target paradigm to explore differences between the IOR of audiovisual targets and the IOR of visual targets in ADHD and typically developing (TD) children. Method: A total of 81 native Chinese speakers aged 6 to 13 years were recruited, including 38 children with ADHD and 43 age- and sex-matched TD children. Results: The results showed that there was a smaller magnitude of IOR with audiovisual targets as compared with visual targets in the two groups. Importantly, the reduction of IOR in audiovisual conditions was significantly smaller in children with ADHD than in children with TD. Race model analyses further confirmed that differences in IOR between ADHD and TD are due to deficits of audiovisual integration in ADHD. Conclusion: The results indicated that children with ADHD have impaired audiovisual integration, which has a minimal impact on IOR.

Foveal crowding in children with developmental dyslexia.

Excessive crowding in the visual periphery has been demonstrated in children with developmental dyslexia (DD). However, less is known about crowding in the fovea, even though foveal crowding is at least equally important, as reading is mostly accomplished through foveal vision. Here we used a special set of digitstimuli (Pelli fonts) to measure foveal crowding in DD and DD + ADHD children, and compared it to that in TD (typically developing) and ADHD children. We also used the Chinese reading acuity charts (C-READ) to assess the maximum reading speed and reading acuity, along with tests to evaluate cognitive attributes including phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, morphological awareness, and orthographic knowledge. The results indicate significantly stronger foveal crowding in the DD and DD + ADHD groups, as well as in the ADHD group, than in the TD group. Furthermore, the DD and DD + ADHD groups exhibited poorer maximum reading speed and reading acuity compared to the ADHD and TD groups.Within the two DD groups, theslower maximum reading speed and higher reading acuitycan be predicted bystronger foveal crowding. In addition, the DD and DD + ADHD groups performed the worst in four cognitive skills, with the DD group showing negative correlations between foveal crowding and performances across all these skills. Our findings thus move beyond previously well-documented peripheral crowding in dyslexia, and the easy administration of the Pelli-font-based crowding test may be useful for early diagnosis of developmental dyslexia in young children.

The Impact of Cues on Joint Attention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study in Virtual Games.

Joint attention (JA), a core deficit in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is crucial for social interaction, emotional understanding, and cognitive development. This study aims to compare and analyze the eye-tracking data of ASD and typically developing children (TDC) during virtual games, exploring how different cue types affect JA performance in ASD children. A total of 31 TDC and 40 ASD children participated in the study. Using eye-tracking devices, we recorded the children's eye movements as they played virtual games, selecting the correct target based on cues provided by virtual characters. Our findings revealed that different cue types significantly impacted the game scores of ASD children but had no significant effect on TDC, highlighting a notable disparity between the two groups. ASD children showed a lower fixation frequency, irregular fixation paths, and increased attention to non-target objects compared to TDC. Interestingly, among the three cue types, ASD children exhibited a preference for the third type, leading to longer fixation on the region of interest and higher game scores. These results underscore the importance of cue selection in enhancing JA in ASD children. This study provides novel insights into the JA deficits in ASD children and offers a scientific basis for the development of targeted and individualized intervention programs.

Emotional regulation, self-compassion and adaptive functioning in parents: a comparative study in families of neurodevelopmental disorder and typically developing children

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the associations between emotional regulation strategies, self-compassion and adaptive functioning in families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) in comparison to families with typically developing (TD) children.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional study used a comprehensive set of validated measures to assess emotional regulation strategies, self-compassion and adaptive functioning. The study cohort consisted of 116 parents; 58 parents of children with NDD and 58 parents of TD children. The mean age of the children was 6.40 years (SD = 1.82).FindingsThe findings indicate that higher self-compassion is associated with improved adaptive functioning, evidenced by reduced levels of internalizing (depression, anxiety, withdrawal, somatic complaints) and externalizing (aggressive behaviors) problems. Parents of children with NDD reported greater levels of depression, anxiety and withdrawal compared to parents of TD children. Parents of TD children used cognitive reappraisal more frequently and exhibited higher levels of self-compassion, whereas the use of expressive suppression was more prevalent among parents of children with NDD.Practical implicationsThese findings highlight the need for family-centered and tailored interventions that promote self-compassion and adaptive emotional regulation strategies to reduce internalizing and externalizing problems among parents of children with NDD. By providing comprehensive psychological support and accessible community resources, parental ability to cope with stress may be improved, fostering adaptive functioning that benefits both parents and children with NDD.Originality/valueThis study introduces a novel perspective on the importance of self-compassion and emotional regulation strategies in protecting and improving the mental well-being of parents with neurodevelopmental disorder children. It provides valuable insights for targeted interventions in NDD families, focusing on reducing the risk of mental health deterioration while promoting emotional resilience.

Spelling abilities of Dutch children with developmental language disorder on words differing in complexity

AbstractChildren with developmental language disorder (DLD) often have spelling difficulties. Previous research has established that children with DLD, especially those with additional reading problems, perform below typically developing (TD) children on spelling, but it is unknown if they struggle with certain types of words. We compared the spelling dictation outcomes of 152 Dutch children with DLD attending special education in Grades 5/6, to that of 129 TD children in Grades 4/5, and 108 TD children in Grades 2/3. The dictation task included transparent words (spaarpot ‘piggy bank’), analogy-based words (maaien ‘to mow’), rule-based words (takken ‘branches’), and visual imprint words (cactus ‘cactus’). Within the group of children with DLD, we compared the performance of children with average-to-good reading abilities (n = 62) to that of children with poor reading abilities (n = 82). Children with DLD spelled significantly fewer words correctly than TD children in Grades 4/5, but performed similarly on mean spelling correct to TD children in Grades 2/3. When comparing word categories within groups, all three groups of children performed best on analogy-based words. A difference in spelling patterns on the complex word categories emerged between the groups: Children with DLD in Grades 5/6 and TD children in Grades 4/5 performed similarly on rule-based and visual imprint words, whereas TD children in Grades 2/3 performed better on rule-based than on visual imprint words. Finally, average-to-good readers with DLD outperformed poor readers with DLD on spelling. Children with DLD are delayed in their spelling development. Their spelling pattern on complex word categories is comparable to that of TD children slightly younger than them. A more substantial delay emerges for children with DLD with word reading difficulties compared to children with DLD-only, though their spelling patterns are similar. The results suggest that children with DLD still require continued intensive spelling instruction for all word categories at the end of elementary school.

Relationship between fundamental motor skills and physical fitness in children with global developmental delay.

Understanding the significance of motor skills in promoting physical fitness (PF) can offer valuable insights for devising comprehensive intervention and clinical rehabilitation programs for children with global developmental delay (GDD). However, it remains unclear whether fundamental motor skills (FMS) can improve the PF of children with GDD. To investigate the correlation between FMS and PF in children with GDD. A total of 180 children with GDD and 180 typically developing (TD) children aged 3-5 years were selected. All participants completed the Gesell Developmental Schedule, FMS, and PF tests at Beijing Children's Hospital between September 2022 and August 2023. Partial correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between FMS and PF. Children with GDD had significantly lower FMS and PF scores compared to TD children (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found between males and females with GDD in FMS and PF score (P > 0.05). A more severe developmental delay was associated with lower FMS and PF scores. The correlation coefficients between individual FMS items and individual PF items, as well as the total PF score, ranged from 0.20 to 0.56. Regression analysis indicated that manual dexterity (β = 0.241, P = 0.029) and body balance (β = 0.399, P = 0.001) significantly predicted the total PF score. In children with GDD, both FMS and PF are underdeveloped. Focusing on motor skills development is vital for promoting their PF.

Characteristics of Speech Auditory Brainstem Response in Preschool Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of auditory processing (AP) in preschool children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using the speech auditory brainstem response (speech-ABR), which provides insights into the AP of speech signals in the central auditory nervous system (CANS). A total of 84 preschool children diagnosed with ADHD, aged 4-6 years, were matched with 84 typically developing (TD) children based on gender and age. All children underwent speech-ABR testing, cognitive assessment using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Fourth Edition or the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition, and a continuous performance test. Children with ADHD exhibited significantly longer latencies of speech-ABR waveforms V, A, and D compared to TD children. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the latencies of speech-ABR waves V, A, and D were affected by the presence of ADHD, but not by the full-scale intelligence quotient. This study revealed that preschool children with ADHD exhibited abnormal AP of speech signals in their CANS. The findings suggest that speech-ABR can be utilized as a reliable measure to evaluate AP ability in this population, as it remains unaffected by cognitive or attentional factors. The transient response (V, A) of speech-ABR was found to be a significant predictor of ADHD in a clinical setting. Early assessment of AP abnormalities via speech-ABR is recommended in preschool-age children to develop targeted interventions for ADHD. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26376502.

Transmethylation and Oxidative Biomarkers in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross Sectional Study.

We aimed to investigate the potential role of biomarkers of transmethylation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by comparing them with that of typically developing children (TDC) controls. We also tried to correlate them with severity of autism, sensory issues, behavioural comorbidities and developmental quotients 119 with ASD and 52 age and sex matched typically developing children (TDC) controls were enrolled excluding those with chronic-illness or on any antioxidant therapy/multivitamins/anti-epileptic drugs. Median levels of biomarkers- serum homocysteine, cysteine, methionine, urine uric acid-to-creatinine ratio, arterial lactate, serum vitamin E, vitamin B12, folate, Nε-carboxymethyllysine, Nω- carboxymethylarginine (CMA), dityrosine and MTHFR C677T polymorphism were calculated. Children with ASD were further characterised using Childhood Autism Rating Scale-2, Childhood behavioural checklist, child sensory profile 2 caregiver questionnaire, Developmental Profile 3 for any correlation with the various biomarker levels. The median level of serum homocysteine in ASD group was 9 μmol/L(Range, 7- 16μmol/L), which was significantly higher than controls 7 μmol/L(Range, 4- 11μmol/L)(p=0.01). The prevalence of hyper-homocystinemia(>15μmol/L) was 13.4% in ASD as compared to 3.8% in controls with a significant difference(p=0.04). Dityrosine level was higher among ASD children when compared to TDC (9.8 vs 2.2 counts per second(cps), p<0.001). No significant correlation was found between prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia and severity of autism/DQ/behavioural issues. No significant difference was found between the median levels of other biomarkers. Results support possible role of transmethylation defects and oxidative stress in ASD pathogenesis. Further studies are warranted for a better understanding of ASD pathogenesis.

Correlation of Co-Morbidities with Symptom Severity of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

This study aims to identify potential correlations of the severity of symptoms of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with serum nutritional levels, body composition indicators, diet partiality, and sleep disturbances. The cohort of this cross-sectional study included 120 children with ASD and 110 typically developing (TD) children to assess symptoms of ASD, and to measure serum levels of vitamins and minerals and the body composition values. Diet partiality and sleep disturbances were assessed by administering questionnaires. The serum levels of folic acid, copper, and vitamin B were lower in children with ASD than in TD children, while magnesium and homocysteine were higher (p < 0.05). Children with ASD had greater chest circumference, abdominal skinfold thickness, and body mass index (BMI) than TD children (p < 0.05), and higher prevalences of diet partiality and sleep disturbances (p < 0.001). Lower vitamin A levels and higher vitamin D levels were related to social impairment in children with ASD. Moreover, there were significantly positive correlations of BMI, chest circumference, diet partiality, and sleep disturbances with severity of ASD symptoms (p < 0.05). Collectively, rational nutritional supplementation, dietary management, and behavioral interventions are essential for children with ASD.

Quantitative assessment of brain structural abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorder based on artificial intelligence automatic brain segmentation technology and machine learning methods

Rationale and objectivesTo explore the characteristics of brain structure in Chinese children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using artificial intelligence automatic brain segmentation technique, and to diagnose children with ASD using machine learning (ML) methods in combination with structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) features. MethodsA total of 60 ASD children and 48 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children were prospectively enrolled from January 2023 to April 2024. All subjects were scanned using 3D-T1 sequences. Automated brain segmentation techniques were utilized to obtain the standardized volume of each brain structure (the ratio of the absolute volume of brain structure to the whole brain volume). The standardized volumes of each brain structure in the two groups were statistically compared, and the volume data of brain areas with significant differences were combined with ML methods to diagnose and predict ASD patients. ResultsCompared with the TD group, the volumes of the right lateral orbitofrontal cortex, right medial orbitofrontal cortex, right pars opercularis, right pars triangularis, left hippocampus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, bilateral insula, bilateral inferior parietal cortex, right precuneus cortex, bilateral putamen, left pallidum, and right thalamus were significantly increased in the ASD group (P< 0.05). Among six ML algorithms, support vector machine (SVM) and adaboost (AB) had better performance in differentiating subjects with ASD from those TD children, with their average area under curve (AUC) reaching 0.91 and 0.92, respectively. ConclusionAutomatic brain segmentation technology based on artificial intelligence can rapidly and directly measure and display the volume of brain structures in children with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing children. Children with ASD show abnormalities in multiple brain structures, and when paired with sMRI features, ML algorithms perform well in the diagnosis of ASD.

What Silent Pauses Can 'Tell' Us About the Storytelling Skills of Autistic Children: Relations Between Pausing, Language Skills and Executive Functions.

Silent pauses may serve communicative purposes such as demarcating boundaries between discourse units in language production. Previous research has shown that autistic children differ in their pausing behavior from typically-developing (TD) peers, however, the factors behind this difference remain underexplored. The current study was aimed at comparing the use of silent pauses in the narrative production of autistic children and age-matched TD children, and also to identify possible relations between pausing behavior and the children's language and executive function abilities. According to the study's findings, the autistic children did not differ from their TD peers in the use of grammatical pauses, however, the former tended to produce significantly less syntactically complex narratives than the TD group, which increased the likelihood that the autistic group would pause appropriately at phrasal boundaries. Thoughwe have found low rates of ungrammatical silent pauses and omitted pauses in obligatory discourse contexts across both groups, autistic children with lower cognitive flexibility tended to use more ungrammatical pauses than their peers with higher cognitive flexibility scores. Also, the autistic group tended to omit obligatory silent pauses more often as their narration became more complex. The results demonstrate that syntactic complexity in narrative production modulated autistic children's pausing behavior, and that structurally simple narrations boosted the autistic group's appropriate use of grammatical pauses. The overall findings also demonstrate the importance of studying silent pauses in the narrative discourse of autistic children, and also highlight the links between silent pauses and the children's syntactic and cognitive skills.

Inhibitory Control Training Improves Cold but Not Warm Cognition in Typically Developing Preschoolers.

Inhibitory control, as a fundamental executive function, has been found to be associated with a range of cognitive processes. In this study, our objective was to enhance inhibitory control through a targeted training program and assess its impact on attention, executive function, delay discounting and risky decision making. Thirty-two typically-developing children (age mean 6.89 ± 0.32years) were recruited in a random clinical trial design in two equal intervention and active control groups. Go/No-Go, Flanker, continuous performance, delay discounting, and balloon analogue risk tasks were used for assessment in three baseline, post- intervention, and 3-months follow-up sessions. The intervention group received the program for attentive rehabilitation of inhibition and selective attention (PARISA) and the active control group participated in a story telling class, both in 12 sessions. The results of the study indicate significant improvements in sustained attention, interference control, and prepotent inhibition among participants in the intervention group. However, there were no significant changes observed in delay discounting and risky decision making. These findings suggest that the inhibitory control training primarily enhances aspects of cold cognition and attentional processes. However, the observed improvements did not extend to reward processing or warm cognition.

Phonological Development in 3-6-Year-Old Mandarin-Speaking Children with Autism, Developmental Delays, and Typical Development.

Research on the phonological development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has not yet reached consistent conclusions, and systematic studies from different language groups are needed. This study aimed to systematically investigate the characteristics of phonological development in 3-6year-old Mandarin-speaking children with ASD. We analyzed 10min speech samples from 21 children with ASD, 18 development level-matched children with developmental disorders (DD), and 15 chronological age-matched typically developing (TD) children during semi-structured parent-child free play based on Mandarin phonological features. The children with ASD had a significantly smaller inventory than those with TD on the initial and final inventories. The children with ASD had only a significantly smaller initial inventory than those with DD in Phases 2 and 4. Compared with TD children, children with ASD used a higher proportion of V1 and V1V2C and a smaller proportion of V1V2V3, CV1C, and CV1V2C. No significant differences existed between ASD and DD children in the proportion of any syllable structure, but V1V2V3, CV1, and CV1V2C numbers were significantly fewer than in DD children. Children with ASD were significantly greater than children with TD in the diversity of V1V2, CV1, and overall syllables. ASD children had significantly fewer different types of syllables in both V1V2C and CV1 than did DD children and significantly greater diversity in CV1 and overall syllables than did DD children. These preliminary data suggest that the gap between TD and ASD children's language abilities increased with age, and this gap was reflected in initial, final, and syllable complexity and diversity. Children with DD and ASD showed similar language abilities, and children with DD showed detailed differences from those with ASD regarding initial, syllable complexity and diversity.

An examination of sleep problems and parental well-being, comparing families with and without autistic children

BackgroundSleep problems are a common comorbidity in autistic children and adolescents. Little is known about the role of sleep problems in parental well-being in the context of autism. MethodThe current study utilised actigraphy and questionnaire-based measures in mothers of autistic children and adolescents (n = 11), and mothers of typically developing (TD) children and adolescents (n = 11). Actigraphy is an objective, non-intrusive method for examining sleep. It involves wearing a wristwatch-like microcomputer that records motion. Measures included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Autoimmune Disease in Family Members Questionnaire, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. ResultsMothers of autistic children had significantly greater difficulties with subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, than mothers of TD children. In mothers of autistic children, parental use of sleep medication on the PSQI was positively associated with objective sleep onset latency using actigraphy, with a large effect size. Families with an autistic child had significantly more family members with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis than did families of TD children. Families of autistic children had significantly more autistic family members than did families of TD children. ConclusionsMothers of autistic children had significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and lower levels of quality of life and perceived social support, than parents of TD children. Sleep problems identified via actigraphy were associated with parental stress, anxiety and depression, and quality of life.

Developmental process of the understanding of linguistic register in children: A comparison of typically developing children, autistic children, and children with Williams syndrome.

Although the developmental process of linguistic register-the appropriate manner of speech as determined by the listener and social situation-has been gradually clarified in typically developing (TD) children, research on the mechanism and developmental process of register acquisition in atypically developing children are insufficient. This study compared the developmental process of understanding linguistic register among TD children, autistic children, and those with Williams syndrome (WS), and examined the contributions of social cognition and motivation to the acquisition of linguistic register. Two experiments were designed to assess the recognition of which linguistic register to use when communicating with different listeners and of the listener's feelings according to the speakers' use of register. The results revealed that the process of understanding register-listener associations was nearly identical among all groups of children and their understanding improved with age. Conversely, their understanding of the effect of register selection on the listener's feelings varied. Importantly, as TD children mature, they become aware that adult listeners may feel negatively when spoken to in an inappropriate register, whereas autistic children and those with WS do not exhibit the same awareness. Thus, our results suggest that atypical social cognition and motivation do not disturb the understanding of register-listener associations. However, social cognition and motivation play important roles in understanding the effect of register selection on the listener's feelings. These findings provide a significant contribution to clarifying the mechanism of linguistic register acquisition.

Age-Related Development of Bilateral Coordination of the Upper Limbs in Children and Adolescents

Bilateral coordination of the upper limbs (UL) is important for activities of daily living and physical activities. Motor coordination improves from childhood through adolescence. However, age-coordination trajectories for bilateral UL movements are not well-established, and it is unclear if bimanual coordination develops slower than unilateral coordination. In this study we examined age-related changes in UL coordination from childhood to late adolescence. Typically-developing children (N = 29, aged 7–17 years) performed unilateral and bilateral, antiphase cycling tasks with their ULs. Variations in cycling velocity and interlimb phase errors were computed as measures of coordination. Linear regression was used to examine age-coordination effects. Given the sensorimotor processing for bilateral movements and gradual development of the corpus callosum, we hypothesized different relationships between age and coordination for bilateral and unilateral movements. Results showed UL coordination was significantly related to age, where coordination was better in older compared to younger children (p < 0.001); however, there were similar significant effects for unilateral movements. Differences in unilateral and bilateral coordination were not significantly explained by biological sex, although power to detect sex differences was low. We conclude that bilateral and unilateral UL coordination are age-dependent; each improves at similar rates through childhood and adolescence.

Effects of Auditory and Visual White Noise on Oculomotor Inhibition in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Protocol for a Crossover Study.

In attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), poor inhibitory control is one of the main characteristics, with oculomotor inhibition impairments being considered a potential biomarker of the disorder. While auditory white noise has demonstrated the ability to enhance working memory in this group, visual white noise is still unexplored and so are the effects of both types of white noise stimulation on oculomotor inhibition. This crossover study aims to explore the impact of auditory and visual white noise on oculomotor inhibition in children with ADHD and typically developing (TD) children. The study will investigate the impact of different noise levels (25% and 50% visual, 78 dB auditory), and performance will be evaluated both with and without noise stimulation. We hypothesize that exposure to white noise will improve performance in children with ADHD and impair the performance for TD children. Memory-guided saccades and prolonged fixations, known for their sensitivity in detecting oculomotor disinhibition in ADHD, will be used to assess performance. Children diagnosed with ADHD, withdrawing from medication for 24 hours, and TD children without psychiatric disorders were recruited for the study. Data collection was initiated in October 2023 and ended in February 2024. A total of 97 participants were enrolled, and the first results are expected between September and November 2024. This study will examine whether cross-modal sensory stimulation can enhance executive function, specifically eye movement control, in children with ADHD. In addition, the study will explore potential differences between auditory and visual noise effects in both groups. Our goal is to identify implications for understanding how noise can be used to improve cognitive performance. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06057441; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06057441. DERR1-10.2196/56388.

Quality of life of children and young adults with Down syndrome from caregivers' perspective: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Down syndrome (DS) negatively impacts the well-being of affected individuals. This study aimed to summarise the evidence on quality of life (QOL) of children and young adults with DS using quantitative measures from caregivers' perspective and identify factors that affected their QOL. Database search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL on 24 April 2024. Meta-analysis using random effects model was conducted where feasible. All studies underwent qualitative synthesis. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023413532). Seventeen studies involving 3038 children with DS using various QOL measures were included: Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) (8 studies), KIDSCREEN (4 studies), KidsLife (2 studies), The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research Academic Medical Center Children's QOL (2 studies) and Personal Outcome Scale (1 study). Meta-analysis on PedsQL studies compared scores between children with DS and typically developing (TD) children. Total scale score was lower in children with DS (mean 70.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 64.31-76.24) compared to TD children (mean 88.17, 95% CI 80.50-95.83). All subdomains of PedsQL were also lower in children with DS. Within the domain of psychosocial health, children with DS had statistically significant lower social functioning (standardised mean difference -1.40, 95% CI -2.27 to -0.53) and school functioning (standardised mean difference -1.09, 95% CI -1.55 to -0.62) scores, but similar emotional functioning scores. Qualitative synthesis revealed poorer subdomain QOL compared to TD children, especially in social functioning and cognitive functioning. QOL worsened during adolescent years. Family variables (parental education and occupation) did not affect parental perception of children's QOL. Children with DS who had higher intelligent quotient had better QOL. Children with DS have lower caregiver-reported QOL than TD children, especially in social functioning and school functioning subdomains.

Reading Comprehension and Linguistic Abilities of Children with and without Specific Learning Difficulties: Theoretical and Educational Implications

The aim of the present study has been to investigate reading comprehension (RC) of children with specific learning difficulties (SLD), considering linguistic factors, such as receptive vocabulary, morphosyntax, and pragmatics (i.e., figurative language). Participants included 90 students (9–12 years old; Μyears = 10.8, SD = 0.95), 45 with SLD and 45 typically developing (TD) controls, matched on age, gender, and non-verbal cognitive ability. Results indicated that students with SLD had significantly lower performance on RC and across all linguistic measures compared to TD peers. Scores of the figurative language comprehension task predicted RC for TD children, whereas morphosyntactic ability emerged as a unique predictor of RC for SLD children. The two groups utilize distinct linguistic resources in their effort to extract meaning from written texts. The differentiated language profile of children with SLD suggests the implementation of differentiated educational assessment and intervention practices, which are discussed.

Executive functions in children with developmental language disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of the current study was to assess the differences between children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and typically developing (TD) children in their performance of executive functions from working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. We performed a systematical search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science for case control studies (published in English between January 1, 1950, and October 11, 2023) comparing the differences in the performance of executive functions between DLD and TD children. Forty eligible studies were included in the present study (N = 3,168 participants). In comparison with TD children, DLD children exhibited significantly poorer performances in all six verbal working memory tasks (backward digit recall task, SMD -1.4321, 95% CI -2.2692 to -0.5950; listening recall task, SMD -1.4469, 95% CI -1.7737 to -1.1202; counting recall task, SMD -0.9192, 95% CI -1.4089 to -0.4295; digit recall task, SMD -1.2321, 95% CI -1.4397 to -1.0244; word list recall task, SMD -1.1375, 95% CI -1.5579 to -0.7171; non-word recall task, SMD -1.5355, 95% CI -1.8122 to -1.2589). However, regarding inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, the differences between DLD and TD children depended on specific circumstances. In subgroup analyses of all verbal working memory tasks, DLD children presented notably lower performance than TD children in both the monolingual English and monolingual non-English groups, and in both the preschooler and school-aged groups. This study proves that verbal working memory deficits can be seen as a marker for children with DLD and are not affected by age or language type. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=391070, CRD42023391070.