An Overview of Prosody and Its Role in Normal and Disordered Child Language

1998 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
LouAnn Gerken ◽  
Karla McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Acoustic Phenomenon

This tutorial presents an overview of prosody and its application to specific language impairment. First, prosody is defined as both a phonological and acoustic phenomenon. Prosody is further explored through a review of research concerning perception and production of prosody in the normally developing child and in the child with specific language impairment. The tutorial concludes with a discussion of clinical implications and directions for future research.

Bilingualism as a kind of therapy?

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aafke Hulk ◽  
Sharon Unsworth
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Language Disorders ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Bilingual Development ◽  
Challenging Question

In her very interesting Keynote Article, Johanne Paradis gives a clear overview of recent research at the interface of bilingual development and child language disorders, and highlights its theoretical and clinical implications. She raises the challenging question of “whether bilingualism can be viewed as a kind of ‘therapy’ for SLI.” At first sight, this is perhaps a surprising question, because one of the predominant views in the literature is that bilingual children with specific language impairment (SLI) will exhibit difficulties and perhaps a “double delay.” It is this challenging question that we consider in more detail here.

Acquisition of verb meaning through syntactic cues: A comparison of children with autism, children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children with typical language development (TLD)

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
CORY SHULMAN ◽  
AINAT GUBERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Word Meaning ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Primary Language ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Syntactic Cues

The ability to extract meaning through the use of syntactic cues, adapted from Naigles' (1990) paradigm, was investigated in Hebrew-speaking children with autism, those with specific language impairment (SLI) and those with typical language development (TLD), in an attempt to shed light on similarities and differences between the two diagnostic categories, both defined by primary language deficits. Thirteen children with autism and 13 with SLI were matched on chronological age, level of language functioning and gender, and 13 children with TLD were matched to the children in the two clinical groups according to language level, as measured by the CELF-P. Children with autism and children with TLD learned novel words using the syntactical cues in the sentences in which they were presented, whereas children with SLI experienced more difficulty, learning only that which would be expected from chance according to the binomial test. Only 4 of the 13 children with SLI (31%) learned the new words, whereas 11 children with autism and 10 children with TLD learned the novel verb using syntactical cues from the sentence frame. The results are analyzed in terms of possible underlying mechanisms in language acquisition. Children with autism seem to rely on relatively intact syntactic abilities, while children with SLI seem to have marked impairment in using this mechanism in acquiring word meaning. Implications for future research and intervention with preschool children with primary language disorders are discussed.

Factors Influencing the Selection of Standardized Tests for the Diagnosis of Specific Language Impairment

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy K. Betz ◽  
Jessica R. Eickhoff ◽  
Shanleigh F. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Child Language ◽  
Fourth Edition ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Test Use

Purpose Standardized tests are one of the primary assessment tools used by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to diagnose child language impairment. Numerous child language tests are commercially available; however, it is unknown what factors lead clinicians to select particular tests to use in clinical practice. This study investigated whether the quality of standardized tests, as measured by the test's psychometric properties, is related to how frequently the tests are used in clinical practice. Method A total of 364 SLPs completed a survey regarding how frequently they used specific standardized tests when diagnosing suspected specific language impairment (SLI). The test manuals for 55 tests were reviewed to determine whether test characteristics, such as test reliability, validity, and accuracy, correlated with the frequency of test use. Results The most frequently used standardized tests were omnibus measures (e.g., Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals—Fourth Edition [Semel, Wiig, & Secord, 2003], Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition [Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002]) and single-word vocabulary measures (e.g., Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fourth Edition [Dunn & Dunn, 2007]). Publication year was the only test characteristic that correlated significantly with the frequency of test use. Conclusion The quality of a standardized test, as measured by the test's psychometric properties, does not appear to influence how frequently a test is used. These results highlight the need for increased evidence-based practice when diagnosing children with language impairment.

Emotion Regulation in Children With Specific Language Impairment

2002 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Fujiki ◽  
Bonnie Brinton ◽  
Diane Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
The Other ◽  
Social Outcomes ◽  
Clinical Implications ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Typical Peers

Purpose : The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine if emotion regulation warrants investigation as a factor influencing social outcomes in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Emotion regulation was evaluated in children with SLI and their typically developing peers. Method : Teachers were asked to rate the emotion regulation behaviors of 41 children with SLI and 41 typical peers using the "Emotion Regulation Checklist" (ERC, Shields & Cicchetti, 1997; 1998). Children were sampled from two age levels (6–9 years and 10–13 years). At each age level, equal numbers of boys and girls were sampled. Results : As a group, children with SLI received significantly lower ratings than typical children. In addition, girls produced higher scores than boys. None of the other interactions was significant. Scores on the two subscales of the ERC, labeled as lability/negativity and emotion regulation, were then examined to further delineate performance. Boys with SLI had notably lower ratings than all the other groups on the emotion regulation subscale. Clinical Implications : Emotion regulation warrants further research to determine if it is associated with specific social outcomes in children with SLI.

Specific Language Impairment: Preliminary Investigation of Factors Associated With Family History and With Patterns of Language Performance

1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 643-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Lahey ◽  
Jan Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Family History ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Specific Language

To examine patterns that might suggest etiologic subgroups of specific language impairment (SLI), information, including history of speech-language-learning (SLLD) problems in family members, was obtained on 53 children with SLI aged 4 to 9½ years. The results led to the generation of a number of hypotheses for future research. In particular, the findings suggested that family history is related to pattern of language performance. In comparison with children who had both expressive and receptive language deficits, children with deficits in only expressive language had a higher proportion of affected family members (.47 vs. .22), of affected mothers (.57 vs. .17), and of affected siblings (.53 vs. .27). These and other findings are discussed in terms of their consistency with other data, hypotheses relative to explanations of SLI, and their implications for further research.

scholarly journals Targeting Complex Sentences in Older School Children With Specific Language Impairment: Results From an Early-Phase Treatment Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 713-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine H. Balthazar ◽  
Cheryl M. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
School Children ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Sentence Type ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Complex Sentence ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Complex Sentences

PurposeThis study investigated the effects of a complex sentence treatment at 2 dosage levels on language performance of 30 school-age children ages 10–14 years with specific language impairment.MethodThree types of complex sentences (adverbial, object complement, relative) were taught in sequence in once or twice weekly dosage conditions. Outcome measures included sentence probes administered at baseline, treatment, and posttreatment phases and comparisons of pre–post performance on oral and written language tests and tasks. Relationships between pretest variables and treatment outcomes were also explored.ResultsTreatment was effective at improving performance on the sentence probes for the majority of participants; however, results differed by sentence type, with the largest effect sizes for adverbial and relative clauses. Significant and clinically meaningful pre–post treatment gains were found on a comprehensive oral language test, but not on reading and writing measures. There was no treatment advantage for the higher dosage group. Several significant correlations indicated a relationship between lower pretest scores and higher outcome measures.ConclusionsResults suggest that a focused intervention can produce improvements in complex sentence productions of older school children with language impairment. Future research should explore ways to maximize gains and extend impact to natural language contexts.Supplemental Materialhttps://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5923318

scholarly journals Promoting Reading Achievement in Children With Developmental Language Disorders: What Can We Learn From Research on Specific Language Impairment and Dyslexia?

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 3277-3292
Author(s):  
Suzanne M. Adlof
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Reading Comprehension ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
School Identification ◽  
Potential Benefits

Purpose Specific language impairment (SLI; see also developmental language disorder) and dyslexia are separate, yet frequently co-occurring disorders that confer risks to reading comprehension and academic achievement. Until recently, most studies of one disorder had little consideration of the other, and each disorder was addressed by different practitioners. However, understanding how the two disorders relate to each other is important for advancing theories about each disorder and improving reading comprehension and academic achievement. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to integrate research on SLI and dyslexia as well as advocate for the consideration of comorbidities in future research and clinical practice. Method The first section reviews definitions as well as inclusionary and exclusionary criteria for SLI and dyslexia. The second section reviews research demonstrating that SLI and dyslexia are different disorders that often co-occur. Studies examining language, working memory, and academic achievement in children with separate versus co-occurring SLI and dyslexia are reviewed. The final section compares and contrasts school identification frameworks for children with SLI and dyslexia and considers the potential benefits of incorporating broad language skills into response to intervention (RTI) assessment frameworks. Conclusions Children with weak language skills are at a high risk of experiencing reading problems, but language difficulties are often hidden from view. Directly addressing language skills within school RTI frameworks can help improve the identification and treatment of children with SLI and dyslexia as well as support improved reading comprehension and academic achievement for all students. Presentation Video https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13063793

scholarly journals Information Processing and Proactive Interference in Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klara Marton ◽  
Luca Campanelli ◽  
Naomi Eichorn ◽  
Jessica Scheuer ◽  
Jungmee Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Proactive Interference ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Irrelevant Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Processing Abilities ◽  
Inhibition Control

Purpose Increasing evidence suggests that children with specific language impairment (SLI) have a deficit in inhibition control, but research isolating specific abilities is scarce. The goal of this study was to examine whether children with SLI differ from their peers in resistance to proactive interference under different conditions. Method An information processing battery with manipulations in interference was administered to 66 children (SLI, age-matched peers, and language-matched controls). In Experiment 1, previously relevant targets were used as distractors to create conflict. Experiment 2 used item repetitions to examine how practice strengthens word representations and how the strength of a response impacts performance on the following item. Results Children with SLI performed similarly to their peers in the baseline condition but were more susceptible to proactive interference than the controls in both experimental conditions. Children with SLI demonstrated difficulty suppressing irrelevant information, made significantly more interference errors than their peers, and showed a slower rate of implicit learning. Conclusion Children with SLI show weaker resistance to proactive interference than their peers, and this deficit impacts their information processing abilities. The coordination of activation and inhibition is less efficient in these children, but future research is needed to further examine the interaction between these two processes.

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