The language phenotype of a small geographically isolated Russian-speaking population: Implications for genetic and clinical studies of developmental language disorder

2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 971-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
NATALIA RAKHLIN ◽  
SERGEY A. KORNILOV ◽  
DEAN PALEJEV ◽  
ROMAN A. KOPOSOV ◽  
JOSEPH T. CHANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Heterogeneous Structure ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

ABSTRACTThis article describes the results of an epidemiological study of developmental language disorder (DLD) in an isolated rural Russian population. We report an atypically high prevalence of DLD across all age groups when contrasted with a comparison population. The results are corroborated by a set of comparisons of school-aged children from the target population with their age peers and mean length of utterance matches from the comparison population. We also investigate the relationship between nonverbal cognition, verbal working memory, and expressive language performance in the population, and find statistically significant but small effect sizes. Finally, we describe the complex and heterogeneous structure of the phenotype in the population along with patterns of its vertical transmission on the basis of the exemplar pedigrees, and discuss the implications of our findings for genetic and clinical studies of DLD.

scholarly journals Identifying Developmental Language Disorder in Vietnamese Children

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1452-1467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giang T. Pham ◽  
Sonja Pruitt-Lord ◽  
Catherine E. Snow ◽  
Yen Hoang Thi Nguyen ◽  
Ben Phạm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Disorder ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Clinical Markers ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Language Sampling ◽  
Language Measures ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose Developmental language disorder (DLD), defined by low language performance despite otherwise normal development, can negatively impact children's social and academic outcomes. This study is the 1st to examine DLD in Vietnamese. To lay the foundation, we identified cases of DLD in Vietnam and explored language-specific characteristics of the disorder. Method Teacher ratings of 1,250 kindergarteners living in Hanoi, Vietnam, were used to recruit children with and without risk for DLD. One hundred four children completed direct measures of vocabulary and language sampling, and their parents completed in-depth surveys. We examined convergence and divergence across tasks to identify measures that could serve as reliable indicators of risk. Then, we compared performance on direct language measures across ability levels. Results There were positive associations between teacher and parent report and between report and direct language measures. Three groups were identified based on convergence across measures: DLD, some risk for DLD, and no risk. The DLD group performed lowest on measures of receptive and expressive vocabulary, mean length of utterance, and grammaticality. Although children with DLD exhibited a greater number of errors, the types of errors found were similar across DLD and No Risk groups. Conclusions Similar to rates found globally, 7% of the kindergarten population in Vietnam exhibited risk for DLD. Results highlight the importance of parent and teacher report and the value of multiple measures to identify DLD. We discuss potential clinical markers for DLD in the Vietnamese language and outline future directions.

scholarly journals Combining implicit and explicit intervention approaches to target grammar in young children with Developmental Language Disorder

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel D Calder ◽  
Mary Claessen ◽  
Suze Leitão
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Comparison Research ◽  
Shape Coding ◽  
Speech Pathologist ◽  
Implicit And Explicit

Children with Developmental Language Disorder are likely to experience difficulties with morphosyntax, especially regular past tense marking. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of intervention to improve morphosyntax in young school-aged children with DLD. This study investigated the efficacy of combined explicit and implicit intervention techniques delivered by a speech pathologist to improve receptive and expressive grammar, including the use of past tense morphosyntax, using a multiple baseline single case experimental design. Participants were aged six to seven years and received two 1:1 45 minute sessions per week for five weeks (total 7.5 hours) using Shape Coding intervention techniques combined with implicit approaches. Two of the three participants made statistically significant gains on standardized tests of general receptive and expressive grammar. Two of the three children made statistically significant improvement on measures of expressive morphosyntax, with one participant continuing to improve five weeks post treatment. Findings suggest that this approach was efficacious. These findings warrant further investigation using larger group comparison research studies.

scholarly journals The Effects of Frequency and Predictability on Repetition in Children With Developmental Language Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1165-1180
Author(s):  
Justin B. Kueser ◽  
Laurence B. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Language Production ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
High Predictability ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance ◽  
Repetition Task

Purpose Studies have shown that children with typical development (TD) respond to frequency and predictability when repeating nonidiomatic multiword sequences (e.g., go wash your hands ). We extended these findings by explicitly examining the interaction between frequency and predictability in a repetition task for children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and children with TD. Method We created 48 four-word phrases, manipulating two factors: the frequency of occurrence of the entire four-word phrase (e.g., look in the mirror vs. look in the basket ) and the predictability of the fourth word in the phrase given the preceding three words (e.g., corn on the ___ vs. look in the ___ ). These phrases were presented in a repetition task to 17 children with DLD ( M age = 58.89 months), 19 same-age children with TD ( M age = 59.79 months), and 17 younger children with TD matched to the DLD group on nonword repetition and mean length of utterance ( M age = 38.94 months). Children's repetitions were judged for the presence or absence of word and morphological errors. Only the first three words of the sequence were scored (e.g., look in the ). Results We found a main effect of sequence frequency, with high-frequency sequences being repeated more accurately than low-frequency sequences, modulated by a significant interaction with predictability, where the effect of sequence frequency was larger for sequences with high-predictability contexts than for sequences with low-predictability contexts. We also found a significant effect of group, with children with DLD demonstrating poorer overall performance, particularly when compared to the same-age group with TD. Conclusions Frequency and predictability are strong predictors of language production in children with TD. These factors also have effects for children with DLD, raising important clinical questions about the design of facilitative contexts for the teaching of difficult linguistic forms.

scholarly journals Including Nonlinguistic Processing Tasks in the Identification of Developmental Language Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 932-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Danahy Ebert ◽  
Giang Pham
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Likelihood Ratios ◽  
Accurate Identification ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Cut Points

Purpose Accurate identification of developmental language disorder (DLD) remains challenging, particularly for children who speak different dialects, languages, or more than 1 language. Children with DLD, on average, have shown subtle deficits on nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks, and performance on such tasks may be minimally influenced by language experience. This study explores whether nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks can contribute to the identification of DLD in children from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Method Study 1 combined data from 4 U.S.-based investigations to yield a sample of 395 children, ages 6–10 years, who spoke only English or both Spanish and English. Study 2 consisted of an international sample of 55 kindergarten children living in Vietnam. Each study included children with DLD and children with typical development. Participants completed nonlinguistic cognitive tasks of processing speed, auditory working memory, and attentional control. Data analysis compared typically developing to DLD groups by age and language background. Then, we empirically derived cut-points to report diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios). Results For all 3 tasks, adequate sensitivity or specificity (but not both in most cases) was achieved in nearly all age groups. Likelihood ratios reached moderately to very informative levels in several instances. Diagnostic results were maintained when monolingual and bilingual samples were combined into a single group. Conclusions Nonlinguistic cognitive processing tasks may contribute to accurate identification of DLD in combination with other measures. Further research is needed to refine tasks, confirm cut-points established here, and extend findings to children from additional language backgrounds.

scholarly journals Diagnostic Accuracy of the Photographic Expressive Persian Grammar Test to Identify 4-6 Years Old Children With Developmental Language Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-354
Author(s):  
Toktam Maleki ShahMahmood ◽  
◽  
Zahra Ghayoumi-Anaraki ◽  
Abbas Ebadi ◽  
Fatemeh Haresabadi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Clinical Judgment ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Accurate Diagnosis ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Objectives: Accurate diagnosis of Persian children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is regarded as a challenge for Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) in Iran because of the lack of formal linguistic tests that can reliably distinguish language-impaired children from Typically-Developing (TD) children. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the photographic expressive Persian Grammar Test (PEGT). Methods: The participants were forty 4-6 years old monolingual Persian speakers who were categorized into two groups of DLD (n=20) and TD (n=20) children based on the MLU (mean length of utterance) scores as the reference standard and clinical judgment of an experienced speech-language pathologist. PEGT was administered to all participants, and the results were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test and Rock Chart (ROC) to estimate the ability of the PEGT to differentiate between children with DLD and TD and to determine its sensitivity, specificity, and the optimal cutoff point. Results: The results revealed that children with DLD performed significantly lower than their TD peers in the PEGT (P<0.05). Both sensitivity and specificity measures of PEGT were estimated as 100% at the optimal cut-off point of 12.5. Discussion: The data provide empirical support for the use of the PEGT for accurate diagnosis of preschool children with DLD from their TD peers.

scholarly journals Comparing Tense and Agreement Productivity in Boys With Fragile X Syndrome, Children With Developmental Language Disorder, and Children With Typical Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1181-1194
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Hilvert ◽  
Jill Hoover ◽  
Audra Sterling ◽  
Susen Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Fragile X Syndrome ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Fragile X ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Third Person ◽  
Complicated Pattern ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Purpose This study compared and characterized the tense and agreement productivity of boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS), children with developmental language disorder (DLD), and children with typical development (TD) matched on mean length of utterance. Method Twenty-two boys with FXS ( M age = 12.22 years), 19 children with DLD ( M age = 4.81 years), and 20 children with TD ( M age = 3.23 years) produced language samples that were coded for their productive use of five tense markers (i.e., third-person singular, past tense –ed , copula BE , auxiliary BE , and auxiliary DO ) using the tense and agreement productivity score. Children also completed norm-referenced cognitive and linguistic assessments. Results Children with DLD generally used tense and agreement markers less productively than children with TD, particularly third-person singular and auxiliary BE . However, boys with FXS demonstrated a more complicated pattern of productivity, where they were similar to children with DLD and TD, depending on the tense marker examined. Results revealed that children with DLD and TD showed a specific developmental sequence of the individual tense markers that aligns with patterns documented by previous studies, whereas boys with FXS demonstrated a more even profile of productivity. Conclusions These findings help to further clarify areas of overlap and discrepancy in tense and agreement productivity among boys with FXS and children with DLD. Additional clinical implications of these results are discussed.

scholarly journals The Croatian adaptation of the Multilingual Assessment Instrument for Narratives*

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 37-44
Author(s):  
Gordana Hržica ◽  
Jelena Kuvač Kraljević
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Narrative Skills ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Age Range

This paper presents the Croatian version of the Multilingual Assessment tool for Narratives (MAIN), outlines its development and describes the research that has used it to assess narrative skills in monolingual and bilingual speakers. The Croatian version of MAIN has so far been used in three research projects and results have been presented in five peer-reviewed articles (published or in press) covering a total of 175 children in the age range from 5;0 to 9;0 (20 with developmental language disorder) and 60 adults, age range from 22 to 76. The accumulated results indicate that MAIN can differentiate narrative skills of speakers in distinct age groups and can distinguish children with language disorders form children with typical language development.

The Reciprocal Influences of Working Memory and Linguistic Knowledge on Language Performance: Considerations for the Assessment of Children With Developmental Language Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. D. Archibald
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Reciprocal Influences ◽  
Memory Resources ◽  
Relationship Of

Purpose This article considers how the language performance of school-age children with language impairments, such as developmental language disorder, is influenced by the reciprocal relationship of existing linguistic knowledge and working memory resources and the resultant implications for assessment. Method A viewpoint is provided by reviewing working memory theory, empirical evidence of the reciprocal relationship between working memory and existing language knowledge, and critically evaluating available standardized and nonstandardized tools designed to assess working memory or linguistic skills. Conclusions Speech-language pathologists with an excellent understanding of the reciprocal relationship between working memory and linguistic knowledge will need to examine performance across tasks and contexts varying in these demands in order to achieve an accurate clinical profile of relevant strengths and weaknesses for individual children.

An exploratory study of verbal interaction between children with different profiles of DLD and their classroom teachers in educational dialogues

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-201
Author(s):  
Barbro Bruce ◽  
Kristina Hansson
Keyword(s):  
Language Comprehension ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Classroom Teachers ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Interactive Behavior ◽  
Language Difficulties ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Mean Length Of Utterance

Children with a history of developmental language disorder (DLD) entering school are a challenge for classroom teachers. Teachers are often not very familiar with DLD, and language difficulties in school age children are often not obvious in context-supported everyday language. However, their language is still vulnerable. The teachers’ way of talking with four children with DLD, two with predominantly production difficulties and stronger language comprehension and two with language comprehension difficulties were studied in two types of context, differing in their degree of structure. Variables for a quantitative analysis were number of words per minute and mean length of utterance (MLU) in words for both teachers and children, and the number of questions asked by the teacher. A qualitative analysis focused on identifying typical characteristics depending on context and the child’s type of difficulties. In both contexts the teachers talked more than the children, but the difference was smaller in the less structured context, mainly because the children talked more. The two children with predominantly production difficulties seemed to take advantage of the opportunities to take initiatives offered in the less structured context. The children with comprehension difficulties function better in the more structured context, where their comprehension difficulties were less obvious. Studies with more rigorous design analysing more aspects of teacher’s interactive behavior in different contexts and with children with different linguistic profiles are needed to provide teachers with information to raise their awareness of how to provide support adapted to the linguistic profiles of children with DLD.

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