Building a norm-referenced dataset for vocabulary assessment based on Chinese vocD and word classes

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17
Author(s):  
Yibin Zhang ◽  
Jing Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Conversational Language ◽  
Word Classes ◽  
Vocabulary Assessment

Exploration of trajectories of expressive language samples is essential for understanding potential indicators for language disorder assessment. This study examined conversational language samples from 341 typically developing Mandarin-speaking children aged 3–7. Through analysis of lexical diversity and word classes, a norm-referenced dataset for vocabulary assessment was built, including indicators such as vocD and the types and tokens of nouns, verbs, measures, adverbs, conjunctions and prepositions. As norm-referenced indicators for the language development of children speaking Mandarin, these developmental data could also inform clinical therapists about the direction of intervention for children with vocabulary deficits.

Properties of Lexical Diversity in the Narratives of Children With Typical Language Development and Developmental Language Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1866-1882
Author(s):  
Monique Charest ◽  
Melissa J. Skoczylas ◽  
Phyllis Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Moving Average ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Sample Length ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Story Generation ◽  
Study Support

Purpose We examined four measures of lexical diversity in the narratives of children with typical language development (TLD) and developmental language disorder (DLD) that comprised the normative sample of the Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument (Schneider et al., 2005). The purpose was to document the properties of each measure with respect to variations in utterance and sample length, developmental trends, and group differences. Method The sample consisted of 377 picture-elicited, story generation transcripts from children with TLD ( n = 300) and DLD ( n = 77) aged 4–9 years. We extracted the moving-average type–token ratio (MATTR) and the number of different words from the full sample, from samples equated for the number of utterances, and from samples equated for the total number of words. Results MATTR was the only measure to show no relationships to utterance or sample length. All measures showed significant positive growth with age and significant groupwise differences between children with TLD and DLD. However, the magnitude of age effects and differentiation between groups varied considerably across measures. Across measures, there were significant differences in the number of children with DLD who were identified with low lexical diversity relative to their same-age peers in the TLD group. Conclusion The results of this study support the view that different measures of lexical diversity may be appropriate for different clinical purposes. It is important for clinicians to understand how measures of lexical diversity function in order to make educated choices among measures and ensure appropriate interpretation.

Narrative Production in Mandarin-Speaking Children: Effects of Language Ability and Elicitation Method

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 774-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Sheng ◽  
Huanhuan Shi ◽  
Danyang Wang ◽  
Ying Hao ◽  
Li Zheng
Keyword(s):  
Language Disorder ◽  
Assessment Instrument ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Elicitation Method ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Sentence Complexity ◽  
Task Effects ◽  
Narrative Production ◽  
Story Retell ◽  
Adult Model

Purpose We compared the narrative production in Mandarin-speaking children at risk (AR) for developmental language disorder (DLD) and typically developing (TD) controls to address two goals: (a) further our understanding of the Mandarin DLD phenotype and (b) examine the role of elicitation method in differentiating AR from TD. Method Twenty-one AR children and 21 age- and nonverbal IQ–matched peers produced two stories from the Multilingual Assessment Instrument of Narrative, first following an adult model (i.e., story-retell) and then without a model (i.e., story-tell). Group and task effects were analyzed on macrostructure and microstructure measures. Results For general macrostructure score and sentence complexity, children in the AR group performed more poorly than TD children on the more challenging story-tell task and showed decreased scores from retell to tell tasks. In addition, children in the AR group showed poorer performance on number of different words. Productivity and grammaticality measures did not show group differences. Discussion Consistent with previous findings, grammaticality and productivity were relatively preserved but story macrostructure, lexical diversity, and sentence complexity were vulnerable in Mandarin-speaking children with or AR for DLD. Having an adult model benefited both groups in sentence complexity and story macrostructure and potentially helped maintain the performance in TD children as they engaged in the more challenging story-telling task.

Validation of the Language Development Survey (LDS)

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Rescorla ◽  
Amie Alley
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Epidemiological Survey ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Expressive Vocabulary ◽  
Scale Scores

Two studies are reported demonstrating the reliability, validity, and clinical utility of the Language Development Survey (LDS; L. Rescorla, 1989) as a screening tool for the identification of expressive language delay in toddlers. In Study 1, 422 children (ages 24–26 months) were screened with the LDS in an epidemiological survey. The LDS manifested excellent concurrent validity with a brief direct screening measure of expressive vocabulary. Using the Rescorla (1989) Delay 3 cutoff of fewer than 50 words or no word combinations, 9.7% of the sample were language delayed (32 boys, 9 girls). In Study 2, 33 children identified as "at-risk" by the LDS Delay 3 cutoff and 33 typically developing children, matched on age, socioeconomic status, and gender, were seen for in-depth follow-up assessment approximately 3 weeks later. The LDS test-retest reliability was.97. The LDS correlated highly with Reynell Receptive and Expressive Language Scale scores, Bayley Mental Development Index, and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Composite. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value between the screening LDS and the follow-up Reynell Expressive Language Scale were generally impressive. Finally, the at-risk group scored significantly lower than the LDS-identified typically developing group on all follow-up measures except the Child Behavior Checklist/2–3.

Narrative Development in Late Talkers

1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1295-1303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhea Paul ◽  
Rita Hernandez ◽  
Lisa Taylor ◽  
Karen Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Language Delay ◽  
Second Grade ◽  
School Age ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Lexical Diversity ◽  
Language History ◽  
Normal Language ◽  
Expressive Language Delay

Children with slow expressive language development (SELD) as toddlers and a control group of children with normal language development (NL) were followed to early school age. Children with SELD were, at that point, subdivided into two groups: those who had moved within the normal range of expressive language (the History of Expressive Language Delay [HELD] subgroup); and those who continued to score below the normal range in expressive language at school age (the Expressive Language Delay [ELD] subgroup). During their kindergarten, first, and second grade years, they were administered a narrative generation task. Narratives were analyzed for MLU, lexical diversity, amount of information included, proportion of complete cohesive ties, and overall stage of narrative maturity. In kindergarten, children with normal language history scored significantly higher than those with HELD and ELD on lexical diversity and narrative stage; and higher than those with ELD in proportion of complete cohesive ties. In first grade, children with normal language history again scored significantly higher than those with HELD and ELD on narrative maturity, with no other significant differences. In second grade, there were no significant differences among the groups.

scholarly journals Early Language Development of a Child with Expressive Language Disorder: A Parents’ Narration

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-96
Author(s):  
Dewi Rosmala ◽  
Arini Nurul Hidayati ◽  
Fuad Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Early Language Development ◽  
Late Talker

Mainstream children generally experience typical stages throughout the milestones of their language development, from crying, cooing, babbling, until mature speech. Nevertheless, children with special condition usually have difficulties in getting through each phase of the development, such as those having expressive language disorder. These children usually encounter problems in communicating their needs and ideas verbally or non-verbally. This study attempts to present a story of the first five-year journey of Zaid’s language development, a child with expressive language disorder. Through interview, observation, and documentation, the study informs that Zaid was a late talker and experience difficulties in structuring well-ordered sentences. 

scholarly journals Word Recognition and Word Prediction in Preschoolers With (a Suspicion of) a Developmental Language Disorder: Evidence From Eye Tracking

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Petra van Alphen ◽  
Susanne Brouwer ◽  
Nina Davids ◽  
Emma Dijkstra ◽  
Paula Fikkert
Keyword(s):  
Word Recognition ◽  
Argument Structure ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Linguistic Knowledge ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Word Prediction ◽  
Verb Argument Structure

Purpose This study compares online word recognition and prediction in preschoolers with (a suspicion of) a developmental language disorder (DLD) and typically developing (TD) controls. Furthermore, it investigates correlations between these measures and the link between online and off-line language scores in the DLD group. Method Using the visual world paradigm, Dutch children ages 3;6 (years;months) with (a suspicion of) DLD ( n = 51) and TD peers ( n = 31) listened to utterances such as, “Kijk, een hoed!” ( Look, a hat! ) in a word recognition task, and sentences such as, “Hé, hij leest gewoon een boek” (literal translation: Hey, he reads just a book ) in a word prediction task, while watching a target and distractor picture. Results Both groups demonstrated a significant word recognition effect that looked similar directly after target onset. However, the DLD group looked longer at the target than the TD group and shifted slower from the distractor to target pictures. Within the DLD group, word recognition was linked to off-line expressive language scores. For word prediction, the DLD group showed a smaller effect and slower shifts from verb onset compared to the TD group. Interestingly, within the DLD group, prediction behavior varied considerably, and was linked to receptive and expressive language scores. Finally, slower shifts in word recognition were related to smaller prediction effects. Conclusions While the groups' word recognition abilities looked similar, and only differed in processing speed and dwell time, the DLD group showed atypical verb-based prediction behavior. This may be due to limitations in their processing capacity and/or their linguistic knowledge, in particular of verb argument structure.

Accuracy of Four Language Analysis Procedures Performed Automatically

2001 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven H. Long ◽  
Ron W. Channell
Keyword(s):  
Automatic Identification ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Language Impaired ◽  
Productivity Data ◽  
Language Analysis ◽  
Word Classes ◽  
Human Coder ◽  
Impaired Children ◽  
Metalinguistic Skills

Most software for language analysis has relied on an interaction between the metalinguistic skills of a human coder and the calculating ability of the machine to produce reliable results. However, probabilistic parsing algorithms are now capable of highly accurate and completely automatic identification of grammatical word classes. The program Computerized Profiling combines a probabilistic parser with modules customized to produce four clinical grammatical analyses: MLU, LARSP, IPSyn, and DSS. The accuracy of these analyses was assessed on 69 language samples from typically developing, speech-impaired, and language-impaired children, 2 years 6 months to 7 years 10 months. Values obtained with human coding and by the software alone were compared. Results for all four analyses produced automatically were comparable to published data on the manual interrater reliability of these procedures. Clinical decisions based on cutoff scores and productivity data were little affected by the use of automatic rather than human-generated analyses. These findings bode well for future clinical and research use of automatic language analysis software.

Nonword Repetition Skills in Gulf Arabic–Speaking Children With Developmental Language Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 3700-3713
Author(s):  
Saleh Shaalan
Keyword(s):  
Phonological Processing ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Nonword Repetition ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Gulf Arabic ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Phonological Complexity

Purpose This study examined the performance of Gulf Arabic–speaking children with developmental language disorder (DLD) on a Gulf Arabic nonword repetition (GA-NWR) test and compared it to their age- and language-matched groups. We also investigated the role of syllable length, wordlikeness, and phonological complexity in light of NWR theories. Method A new GA-NWR test was conducted with three groups of Gulf Arabic–speaking children: school-age children with DLD, language-matched controls (LCs), and age-matched controls (ACs). The test consisted of two- and three-syllable words that either had no clusters, medial clusters, final clusters, or medial + final clusters. Results The GA-NWR distinguished between the performance of children with DLD and the LC and AC groups. Results showed significant syllable length, wordlikeness, and phonological complexity effects. Differences between the DLD and typically developing groups were seen in two- and three-syllable nonwords; however, when compared on nonwords with no clusters, children with DLD were not significantly different from the LC group. Conclusions The GA-NWR test differentiated between children with DLD and their ACs and LCs. Findings, therefore, support its clinical utility in this variety of Arabic. Results showed that phonological processing factors, such as phonological complexity, may have stronger effects when compared to syllable length effects. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12996812

Do Children With Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Have Difficulties With Interference Control, Visuospatial Working Memory, and Selective Attention? Developmental Patterns and the Role of Severity and Persistence of DLD

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 3036-3050
Author(s):  
Elma Blom ◽  
Tessel Boerma
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Visuospatial Working Memory ◽  
Interference Control ◽  
Developmental Patterns ◽  
Search Tasks ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Many children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have weaknesses in executive functioning (EF), specifically in tasks testing interference control and working memory. It is unknown how EF develops in children with DLD, if EF abilities are related to DLD severity and persistence, and if EF weaknesses expand to selective attention. This study aimed to address these gaps. Method Data from 78 children with DLD and 39 typically developing (TD) children were collected at three times with 1-year intervals. At Time 1, the children were 5 or 6 years old. Flanker, Dot Matrix, and Sky Search tasks tested interference control, visuospatial working memory, and selective attention, respectively. DLD severity was based on children's language ability. DLD persistence was based on stability of the DLD diagnosis. Results Performance on all tasks improved in both groups. TD children outperformed children with DLD on interference control. No differences were found for visuospatial working memory and selective attention. An interference control gap between the DLD and TD groups emerged between Time 1 and Time 2. Severity and persistence of DLD were related to interference control and working memory; the impact on working memory was stronger. Selective attention was unrelated to DLD severity and persistence. Conclusions Age and DLD severity and persistence determine whether or not children with DLD show EF weaknesses. Interference control is most clearly impaired in children with DLD who are 6 years and older. Visuospatial working memory is impaired in children with severe and persistent DLD. Selective attention is spared.

Working, Declarative, and Procedural Memory in Children With Developmental Language Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 4162-4178
Author(s):  
Emily Jackson ◽  
Suze Leitão ◽  
Mary Claessen ◽  
Mark Boyes
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Declarative Memory ◽  
Memory Systems ◽  
Procedural Memory ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Visual Spatial

Purpose Previous research into the working, declarative, and procedural memory systems in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) has yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of this research was to profile these memory systems in children with DLD and their typically developing peers. Method One hundred four 5- to 8-year-old children participated in the study. Fifty had DLD, and 54 were typically developing. Aspects of the working memory system (verbal short-term memory, verbal working memory, and visual–spatial short-term memory) were assessed using a nonword repetition test and subtests from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children. Verbal and visual–spatial declarative memory were measured using the Children's Memory Scale, and an audiovisual serial reaction time task was used to evaluate procedural memory. Results The children with DLD demonstrated significant impairments in verbal short-term and working memory, visual–spatial short-term memory, verbal declarative memory, and procedural memory. However, verbal declarative memory and procedural memory were no longer impaired after controlling for working memory and nonverbal IQ. Declarative memory for visual–spatial information was unimpaired. Conclusions These findings indicate that children with DLD have deficits in the working memory system. While verbal declarative memory and procedural memory also appear to be impaired, these deficits could largely be accounted for by working memory skills. The results have implications for our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying language impairment in the DLD population; however, further investigation of the relationships between the memory systems is required using tasks that measure learning over long-term intervals. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13250180

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