scholarly journals Language deficits and motor asymmetry in children with SLI

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 285
Author(s):  
Αναστασία Γώγου ◽  
Σταυρούλα Σταυρακάκη ◽  
Γιώργιος Γρούϊος ◽  
Νικόλαος Τσιγγίλης
Keyword(s):  
Motor Development ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Hand Preference ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Motor Asymmetry ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Language Deficits ◽  
Wh Questions

The present study aims at investigating whether a link between language deficits and upper and lower limb motor asymmetry can be established. We assessed language skills, handedness, and footedness in a group of 13 children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and two control groups matched on language age (LA) and chronological age(CA) respectively. Specifically, we tested the production of object wh questions, object relative clauses and sigmatic past tense production for novel non-rhyming verbs, and administered hand and foot preferencequestionnaires. While significant between group differences were found in the language tasks, as participants with SLI performed significantly below CA controls, the same level of performance was shown for hand and foot preference. Further analysis revealed no correlation between foot and hand preference for the SLI group in contrast to typically developing children. Additional regression analysis showed that the non-right foot preference could predict participation in the SLI group. These results may be indicative of poor hand-foot coordination in the SLI group and increased chance for SLI individuals to be grouped as non-right footed. We interpret these findings as showing immature motor development in SLI and pointing to a weak correlation between motor laterality and language deficits. We discuss the implications of our findings for the characterisation of the deficit in SLI.

scholarly journals Applying an Integrative Framework of Executive Function to Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairment

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 2170-2184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah L. Kapa ◽  
Elena Plante ◽  
Kevin Doubleday
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Memory Inhibition ◽  
Nonverbal Measures

Purpose The first goal of this research was to compare verbal and nonverbal executive function abilities between preschoolers with and without specific language impairment (SLI). The second goal was to assess the group differences on 4 executive function components in order to determine if the components may be hierarchically related as suggested within a developmental integrative framework of executive function. Method This study included 26 4- and 5-year-olds diagnosed with SLI and 26 typically developing age- and sex-matched peers. Participants were tested on verbal and nonverbal measures of sustained selective attention, working memory, inhibition, and shifting. Results The SLI group performed worse compared with typically developing children on both verbal and nonverbal measures of sustained selective attention and working memory, the verbal inhibition task, and the nonverbal shifting task. Comparisons of standardized group differences between executive function measures revealed a linear increase with the following order: working memory, inhibition, shifting, and sustained selective attention. Conclusion The pattern of results suggests that preschoolers with SLI have deficits in executive functioning compared with typical peers, and deficits are not limited to verbal tasks. A significant linear relationship between group differences across executive function components supports the possibility of a hierarchical relationship between executive function skills.

scholarly journals An Initial Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Word Processing in Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairment

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 729-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen Haebig ◽  
Laurence Leonard ◽  
Evan Usler ◽  
Patricia Deevy ◽  
Christine Weber
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Positive Component ◽  
Late Positive Component ◽  
Specific Language

Purpose Previous behavioral studies have found deficits in lexical–semantic abilities in children with specific language impairment (SLI), including reduced depth and breadth of word knowledge. This study explored the neural correlates of early emerging familiar word processing in preschoolers with SLI and typical development. Method Fifteen preschoolers with typical development and 15 preschoolers with SLI were presented with pictures followed after a brief delay by an auditory label that did or did not match. Event-related brain potentials were time locked to the onset of the auditory labels. Children provided verbal judgments of whether the label matched the picture. Results There were no group differences in the accuracy of identifying when pictures and labels matched or mismatched. Event-related brain potential data revealed that mismatch trials elicited a robust N400 in both groups, with no group differences in mean amplitude or peak latency. However, the typically developing group demonstrated a more robust late positive component, elicited by mismatch trials. Conclusions These initial findings indicate that lexical–semantic access of early acquired words, indexed by the N400, does not differ between preschoolers with SLI and typical development when highly familiar words are presented in isolation. However, the typically developing group demonstrated a more mature profile of postlexical reanalysis and integration, indexed by an emerging late positive component. The findings lay the necessary groundwork for better understanding processing of newly learned words in children with SLI.

Test validity in morphosyntactic measures for typical and SLI incipient Spanish–English bilinguals

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Checa-García ◽  
Mark Guiberson
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Test Validity ◽  
High Standard ◽  
Careful Analysis ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Preschool Language

This study will demonstrate that group differences on a morphosyntactic measure used for the identification of specific language impairment (SLI) do not guarantee validity for diagnosis and tracking, and will exemplify this with a case study of the Spanish version of the Clinical Evaluation of Preschool Language–2 Estructura de Palabras subtest for SLI and typically developing (TD) Spanish–English incipient bilinguals. The use of standardized tests beyond identification, for planning intervention and monitoring progress, requires that validity evidence be provided if and when extended purposes are involved. Results show that although group differences on total subtest score were observed, some of the items exhibited a distinct pattern, that is, high standard deviations and lower rate of correct responses. A careful analysis of these items points to design problems and content-validity deficiencies as causes. Solutions for the different problems are proposed. We conclude on the importance of a careful linguistic analysis to support test validity in order for the test to serve its broader purposes.

scholarly journals Comprehension of exhaustive wh-questions of typically developing preschool children

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 368-384
Author(s):  
Jasmina Vuksanovic ◽  
Irena Avramovic-Ilic ◽  
Jovana Bjekic
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Considerable Variability ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Types Of Information

Wh-questions are among the most important and the most frequent types of utterance, which presumably reflects the role of questions in everyday life in gathering various types of information. There is a limited body of research on the exhaustivity comprehension in multiple wh-questions in children (such as, for example, Who drives what, Who gives something to whom?). However, previous results suggest that exhaustivity emerges at the age of four, although there is considerable variability depending on the language. In this paper two aims were proposed: first, to explore when typically developing Serbian speaking monolingual children comprehend exhaustivity property within multiple wh-questions, and, second, cognitive relevancy of structural complexity of multiple wh-questions. 40 typically developing Serbian speaking monolingual children subdivided in three age groups from 3,6 - 7,1 years participated in this study. The question-after-picture test, which consists of 20 tasks with pre-vocabulary check, was used. The tasks were classified according to complexity index into paired and triple wh-questions. Results indicate that children acquire comprehension of exhaustive wh-questions gradually, first in paired wh-questions and then in triple wh-questions. The research provides data on language development, and also offers guidelines for diagnostic and clinical work with children with specific language impairment.

Learning, Forgetting, and Relearning: Skill Learning in Children With Language Impairment

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Adi-Japha ◽  
Haia Abu-Asba
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Skill Learning ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Retention Testing ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The current study tested whether the difficulties of children with specific language impairment (SLI) in skill acquisition are related to learning processes that occur while practicing a new skill or to the passage of time between practice and later performance. Method The acquisition and retention of a new complex grapho-motor symbol were studied in 5-year-old children with SLI and peers matched for age and nonverbal IQ. The children practiced the production of the symbol for 4 consecutive days. Retention testing took place 10 days later. Results Children with SLI began each practice day slower than their peers but attained similar levels of performance by its end. Although they increased their performance speed within sessions more than their peers, they did not retain their learning as well between sessions. The loss in speed was largest in the 10-day retention interval. They were also less accurate, but accuracy differences decreased over time. Between-session group differences in speed could not fully be accounted for based on fine motor skills. Conclusions In spite of effective within-session learning, children with SLI did not retain the new skill well. The deficit may be attributed to task forgetting in the presence of delayed consolidation processes.

scholarly journals A Preliminary Comparison of Reading Subtypes in a Clinical Sample of Children With Specific Language Impairment

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 2680-2686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal L. Werfel ◽  
Hannah Krimm
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Clinical Sample ◽  
Language Deficits ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Reading Impairment ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Specific Reading ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Reading Impairments

Purpose The purpose of this preliminary study was to (a) compare the pattern of reading subtypes among a clinical sample of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children with typical language and (b) evaluate phonological and nonphonological language deficits within each reading impairment subtype. Method Participants were 32 children with SLI and 39 children with typical language in Grades 2 through 4. Each child was classified as demonstrating 1 of 4 reading subtypes on the basis of word-level and text-level skills: typical reading, dyslexia, specific reading comprehension impairment, or garden variety reading impairment. In addition, phonological and nonphonological language skills were evaluated. Results Children with SLI were more likely to exhibit reading impairments than children with typical language. Children with SLI were more likely to exhibit text-level deficits than children with typical language. Phonological language deficits were observed in children with word-level deficits, and nonphonological language deficits were observed in children with text-level deficits. Conclusions The results indicate that the patterns of reading subtypes differ among children with SLI and children with typical language. The findings highlight the importance of simultaneously but separately considering word-level and text-level skills in studies of reading impairment.

scholarly journals Annoying Danish relatives: Comprehension and production of relative clauses by Danish children with and without SLI

2012 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
KRISTINE JENSEN DE LÓPEZ ◽  
LONE SUNDAHL OLSEN ◽  
VASILIKI CHONDROGIANNI
Keyword(s):  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Production Task ◽  
Thematic Roles ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Avoidance Strategies ◽  
Reversal Errors ◽  
Object Relative

ABSTRACTThis study examines the comprehension and production of subject and object relative clauses (SRCs, ORCs) by children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and their typically developing (TD) peers. The purpose is to investigate whether relative clauses are problematic for Danish children with SLI and to compare errors with those produced by TD children. Eighteen children with SLI, eighteen TD age-matched (AM) and nine TD language-matched (LM) Danish-speaking children participated in a comprehension and in a production task. All children performed better on the comprehension compared with the production task, as well as on SRCs compared to ORCs and produced various avoidance strategies. In the ORC context, children with SLI produced more reversal errors than the AM children, who opted for passive ORCs. These results are discussed within current theories of SLI and indicate a deficiency with the assignment of thematic roles rather than with the structural make-up of RCs.

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