scholarly journals Phonetic skills and vocabulary size in late talkers: Concurrent and predictive relationships

1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Mirak ◽  
Leslie Rescorla
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Language Outcome ◽  
Nonverbal Ability ◽  
Predictive Relationships ◽  
Predictive Relationship

AbstractPhonetic skills and vocabulary size were investigated in 37 toddlers (24 to 31 months) identified with specific expressive language impairment and 20 comparison toddlers matched on age, SES, and nonverbal ability. The use of consonants was highly consistent across two contexts: 20 minutes of structured testing and 5 minutes of free play. The comparison children produced almost triple the number of consonant types and five times as many consonant tokens as the late talkers. However, the most frequently present consonants were similar across groups, indicating delayed rather than deviant phonetic development in the late talkers. The late talkers used a much higher proportion of their consonants in initial position than did the normally developing toddlers. Consonant types and tokens were significantly related to reported vocabulary size on Rescorla's (1989) Language Development Survey. No significant predictive relationship was found between either phonetic repertoire or vocabulary size at intake and age 3 language outcome. However, age 3 MLU and IPSyn scores were significantly predicted by age-normed severity of expressive delay at intake (Reynell Expressive z score), with more delayed children showing poorer outcomes.

scholarly journals Late-talking toddlers: MLU and IPSyn outcomes at 3;0 and 4;0

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 643-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
LESLIE RESCORLA ◽  
KATHERINE DAHLSGAARD ◽  
JULIE ROBERTS
Keyword(s):  
Expressive Language ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Language Outcomes ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Nonverbal Ability ◽  
Standard Deviations ◽  
Predictive Relationship

Expressive language outcomes measured by MLU and the Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) at ages 3;0 and 4;0 were investigated in 34 late talkers with normal receptive language identified between 2;0 to 2;7 and 16 typically developing comparison children matched on age, SES, and nonverbal ability. Late talkers made greater gains than comparison children between 3;0 and 4;0 in both MLU and IPSyn raw score. However, when age-standardized z-scores were analysed, the late talkers were about 2·5 standard deviations below comparison children on both measures at both ages. At 3;0, 41% of the late talkers had MLUs above the 10th percentile based on Scarborough's (1990) benchmark sample; by 4;0, 71% did so. Using the IPSyn, a more stringent measure, 34% scored above the 10th percentile at 3;0 and only 29% did so at 4;0. MLU was significantly correlated with the IPSyn at both ages for the late talkers, but only at 3;0 for the comparison children. A converging set of regression analyses indicated no group differences in the predictive relationship between MLU and IPSyn, suggesting that the late talkers were delayed on both measures but not deviant in their development.

scholarly journals Communicative intent in late-talking toddlers

1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Rescorla ◽  
Lisa Merrin
Keyword(s):  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Joint Attention ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Language Delay ◽  
Communicative Intent ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Language Outcome ◽  
Expressive Language Delay

ABSTRACTThis research investigated communicative intent in 31 toddlers who were slow to talk and 32 normally developing toddlers matched on SES, age, and nonverbal cognitive ability. Communicative intent was studied during free play, both with the mother and with an unfamiliar examiner. Late talkers had lower rates of communication, initiation, and joint attention, but when total communicativeness was controlled for, they were just as likely to initiate, respond, and maintain joint attention as were their peers. As expected, the late talkers relied more on nonword vocalization, gestures, and gesture/oral combinations than their normally developing peers. Children in both groups initiated much more with the examiner (who was instructed to be passive) than with their mothers. Finally, regression analysis suggested that intake expressive language delay severity was the best predictor of age 3 MLU and IPSyn language outcome in the late talkers. However, after expressive delay severity was accounted for, late talkers who were more interested in initiating communication and sustaining joint attention had worse outcomes than late talkers whose communicative drive was weaker, suggesting that they had a more severe underlying language dysfunction.

Late Talkers at 2

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 556-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Rescorla ◽  
Julie Roberts ◽  
Katherine Dahlsgaard
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Morphological Development ◽  
Lexical Development ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Nonverbal Ability ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
The Average Range

Age 3 follow-up data are presented for a sample of 34 toddlers diagnosed between the ages of 24 and 31 months with expressive type specific language impairment (SLI-E). At age 3, the late talkers scored significantly lower on all language measures than 21 comparison peers matched at intake on age, SES, and nonverbal ability. When seen at follow-up, the former late talkers scored in the average range on the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) and on the Reynell Expressive Language Scale, but more than 1.5 SDs below age expectations in MLU and on Scarborough's (1990a) IPSyn. The proportion of late talkers performing in the average range at follow-up varied markedly as a function of measure used (EOWPVT: 79%, Reynell: 58%, MLU: 35%, and IPSyn: 24%), indicating that the late talkers made more rapid progress in lexical development and in the use of language to define, explain, and describe than they did in the areas of syntactic and morphological development. The only significant predictor of age 3 outcome was intake expressive language level, with toddlers who had been more severely delayed in expressive language at intake relative to age level having the worst outcomes at age 3.

scholarly journals Vocabulary growth in late talkers: lexical development from 2;0 to 3;0

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
LESLIE RESCORLA ◽  
JENNIFER MIRAK ◽  
LEHER SINGH
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Lexical Development ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Vocabulary Growth ◽  
Language Outcome ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Vocabulary Spurt ◽  
Group 1

Vocabulary growth from 2;0 to 3;0 was studied in 28 late talkers using expressive vocabulary inventories reported bimonthly on the Language Development Survey (LDS). Group milestones were 18 words at 2;0, 89 words at 2;6, and 195 words at 3;0. A sub-group of 11 children (Group 1) showed a rapid vocabulary spurt between 2;2 and 2;8, reached the 150–180 word mark by 2;6, and attained the LDS ceiling of about 300 words by 2;10. In contrast, the 17 children in Group 2 still had a mean vocabulary of fewer than 30 words at 2;6, had less of a vocabulary spurt when they did start acquiring words, and attained the 150–180 vocabulary mark at 3;0. All 3;0 language outcome measures were significantly predicted by LDS vocabulary size from 2;2 to 2;4.

Early Language Delay and Risk for Language Impairment

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica M. Ellis ◽  
Donna J. Thal
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Language Delay ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Late Talker ◽  
Early Language Delay ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Normal Variability

Abstract Clinicians are often faced with the difficult task of deciding whether a late talker shows normal variability or has a clinically significant language disorder. This article provides an overview of research investigating identification, characteristics, outcomes, and predictors of late talkers. Clinical implications for speech-language pathologists in the identification and treatment of children who are late talkers are discussed.

Morpheme Learning of Children With Specific Language Impairment Under Controlled Instructional Conditions

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil J. Connell ◽  
C. Addison Stone
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Effect ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Phonological Representations ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Response To Instruction ◽  
Nonverbal Ability

Three groups of children were exposed to instances of a novel morpheme under controlled experimental conditions. The performance of 32 children with specific language impairment (SLI), aged 5:0 to 7:0 years (years:months), was compared to that of 24 normally developing children matched for age and nonverbal ability and 20 younger normally developing children matched for language development and nonverbal ability. The children were taught under two instructional conditions that differed only in whether the child was asked to imitate the new language form after each instance imitation) or just to observe its use (modeling). Consistent with past research (Connell, 1987b), the children with SLI performed significantly better under the imitation condition than under modeling, but the age-matched controls showed no difference in response to instruction. The performance of the language-matched controls was similar to that of the age-matched controls, suggesting that the instruction-specific effect for the children with SLI is not merely a function of general language immaturity. Although the superiority of the imitation condition for the children with SLI was evident for test trials requiring production of the new morpheme (as in past research), no such effect was evident for comprehension trials. This differing effect of output demands suggests that the SLI-specific response to instruction is not a matter of different mastery of the new rule but rather is specific to the need to access the newly induced rule on production trials. The accessing of phonological representations as a possible explanation for the effect is discussed.

scholarly journals A lexical advantage in four-year-old children's word repetition

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Margaret CYCHOSZ ◽  
Michelle ERSKINE ◽  
Benjamin MUNSON ◽  
Jan EDWARDS
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
Real Word ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Word Repetition ◽  
Early Speech ◽  
Repetition Task

Abstract This study examined a potential lexicality advantage in young children's early speech production: do children produce sound sequences less accurately in nonwords than real words? Children aged 3;3-4;4 completed two tasks: a real word repetition task and a corresponding nonword repetition task. Each of the 23 real words had a paired consonant-vowel sequence in the nonword in word-initial position (e.g., ‘su’ in [ˈsutkes] ‘suitcase’ and [ˈsudrɑs]). The word-initial consonant-vowel sequences were kept constant between the paired words. Previous work on this topic compared different sequences of paired sounds, making it hard to determine if those results were due to a lexical or phonetic effect. Our results show that children reliably produced consonant-vowel sequences in real words more accurately than nonwords. The effect was most pronounced in children with smaller receptive vocabularies. Together, these results reinforce theories arguing for interactions between vocabulary size and phonology in language development.

Effects of grammatical category and morphology on fast mapping in typically developing and late talking toddlers

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Rujas ◽  
Marta Casla ◽  
Sonia Mariscal ◽  
Miguel Lázaro López-Villaseñor ◽  
Eva Murillo Sanz
Keyword(s):  
Extension Phase ◽  
Lexical Acquisition ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Fast Mapping ◽  
Grammatical Category ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Spanish Speaking ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Mapping Task

The purpose of this study was to examine early fast mapping abilities in late talkers (LT) and typically developing (TD) Spanish-speaking children by considering the effect of different variables on fast mapping (age, vocabulary level, grammatical category and number morphology). Thirty-eight Spanish-speaking children were assessed at three times (21 to 24 months at the beginning of the study). A group of LT was matched in age with a TD control group. They completed a fast mapping task with a disambiguation phase and an extension phase. Results show that vocabulary level and age interact with grammatical category and number morphology. TD children’s performance was significantly higher than LT children’s, but these differences decreased with age. Results suggest that the incorporation of new labels does not work automatically; some children may need repeated exposures to word–referent pairings. Longitudinal results suggest the importance of looking at the dynamics of lexical acquisition in addition to vocabulary size.

Linking parent input and child receptivity to symbolic gestures

Gesture ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura L. Namy ◽  
Rebecca Vallas ◽  
Jennifer Knight-Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Pretend Play ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Forced Choice ◽  
Free Play ◽  
Symbolic Play ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Play Behaviors ◽  
Parental Input ◽  
Symbolic Gestures ◽  
Child Performance

This study explored the relation between parents’ production of gestures and symbolic play during free play and children’s production and comprehension of symbolic gestures. Thirty-one 16- to 22-month-olds and their parents participated in a free play session. Children also participated in a forced-choice novel gesture-learning task. Parents’ pretend play with objects in hand was predictive of children’s gesture production during play and gesture vocabulary according to parental report. No relationship was found between parent gesture and child performance on the forced-choice gesture-learning task, although children’s performance was negatively correlated with their verbal vocabulary size. These data suggest a strong link between parental input and the children’s use of gestures as symbols, although not a direct link from parent gesture to child gesture. The data also suggest that children’s overall expectations that gestures can be symbols is unaffected by parental input, and highlight the possibility that children play a role in transforming the symbolic play behaviors that they observe into communicative signals.

scholarly journals Vocabulary development in Greek children: a cross-linguistic comparison using the Language Development Survey*

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 861-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTINA F. PAPAELIOU ◽  
LESLIE A. RESCORLA
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Normative Sample ◽  
Vocabulary Size ◽  
Word Use ◽  
Closed Class ◽  
Late Talkers ◽  
Us Children

ABSTRACTThis study investigated vocabulary size and vocabulary composition in Greek children aged 1 ; 6 to 2 ; 11 using a Greek adaptation of Rescorla's Language Development Survey (LDS; Rescorla, 1989). Participants were 273 toddlers coming from monolingual Greek-speaking families. Greek LDS data were compared with US LDS data obtained from the instrument's normative sample (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000). Vocabulary size increased markedly with age, but Greek toddlers appeared to get off to a slower start in early word learning than US children. The correlation between percentage word use scores in Greek and US samples was moderate in size, indicating considerable overlap but some differences. Common nouns were the largest category among the fifty most frequent words in both samples. Numbers of adjectives and verbs were comparable across languages, but people and closed-class words were more numerous in the Greek sample. Finally, Greek late talkers showed similar patterns of vocabulary composition to those observed in typically developing Greek children.

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