18. Speech Sound Development of Dutch Toddlers with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD): Does Group Intervention Make a Difference?

Although children with developmental language disorder demonstrate poor inferential comprehension, few studies have evaluated the effect of interventions to improve inferencing. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a small-group intervention designed to improve oral inferential comprehension of narrative discourse. Thirty-seven 5- to 6-year-old children with developmental language disorder participated. The participants were randomly allocated to the oral inferential comprehension (IC) intervention or a control phonological awareness (PA) intervention. Small-group sessions took place twice a week over 8 weeks. Participants were assessed on narrative comprehension and phonological awareness skills pre- and post-intervention, and after a maintenance period of 8 weeks. Compared to the control PA group, the participants in the IC group demonstrated a significant increase in inferential comprehension scores from pre- to post-intervention, which was maintained over time. In addition, the IC group scored significantly higher than the PA group for inferential comprehension on a post-intervention generalization measure. There was no significant difference between the two groups for literal comprehension scores at any assessment point. The results demonstrate that the small-group intervention was effective at improving inferential comprehension of narratives in 5- to 6-year-old children with developmental language disorder. Additionally, generalized improvement was shown across the narrative context, and improvements were maintained two months following the intervention.

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Vowel Accuracy and Segmental Variability Differentiate Children With Developmental Language Disorder in Nonword Repetition

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00166 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (12) ◽

pp. 3945-3960

Author(s):

Janet Vuolo ◽

Lisa Goffman

Keyword(s):

Language Disorder ◽

Speech Sound ◽

Group Classification ◽

Nonword Repetition ◽

Group Differences ◽

Diagnostic Utility ◽

Typical Development ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Speech Sound Disorder ◽

Diagnostic Categories

Purpose Poor nonword repetition accuracy is a hallmark of children with developmental language disorder (DLD). However, other diagnostic categories also show impaired nonword repetition performance relative to children with typical development (TD); therefore, this task is currently a sensitive but nonspecific index of DLD. In this study, we investigated segmental and kinematic aspects of nonword repetition performance to further specify the diagnostic utility of nonword repetition tasks (NRTs) in diagnosing DLD. Method Forty children, ages 48–86 months, participated, including children with DLD ( n = 12), speech sound disorder (SSD; n = 14), and TD ( n = 14). All children completed an assessment battery to determine group classification, a classic NRT ( Dollaghan & Campbell, 1998 ), and an experimental NRT designed to measure segmental and articulatory (specifically lip aperture) variability. We assessed nonword repetition accuracy in the classic and experimental NRTs and segmental and kinematic variability in the experimental NRT. Results In both the classic and experimental NRTs, children with SSD and DLD produced nonwords with lower phoneme and consonant accuracy compared to children with TD. Children with DLD produced more vowel errors compared to children with TD in both tasks. In the experimental NRT, children with DLD produced nonwords with high levels of segmental variability compared to children with TD. Children with SSD did not differ from children with TD or children with DLD in the vowel accuracy or the segmental variability measures. The articulatory variability measure did not reveal any group differences. Conclusions In the presence of speech sound difficulties, low nonword repetition accuracy does not aid in the diagnosis of DLD. However, vowel accuracy and segmental variability appear specific to DLD status in NRTs.

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Identification of the factors associated with the severity of the speech production problems in children with comorbid speech sound disorder and developmental language disorder

Journal of Communication Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.jcomdis.2020.106054 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 88 ◽

pp. 106054

Author(s):

Felipe Torres ◽

Eduardo Fuentes-López ◽

Adrian Fuente ◽

Fabiana Sevilla

Keyword(s):

Speech Production ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Speech Sound ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Speech Sound Disorder ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Production Problems

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

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00040 ◽

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

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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

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00012 ◽

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.

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Considering the Language Disorder Label Debate From a School Speech-Language Pathology Lens

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2019_persp-19-00077 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 47-54

Author(s):

Kimberly A. Murza ◽

Barbara J. Ehren

Keyword(s):

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Public Awareness ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Speech Language Pathologist ◽

School Based ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Education Act

Purpose The purpose of this article is to situate the recent language disorder label debate within a school's perspective. As described in two recent The ASHA Leader articles, there is international momentum to change specific language impairment to developmental language disorder . Proponents of this change cite increased public awareness and research funding as part of the rationale. However, it is unclear whether this label debate is worthwhile or even practical for the school-based speech-language pathologist (SLP). A discussion of the benefits and challenges to a shift in language disorder labels is provided. Conclusions Although there are important arguments for consistency in labeling childhood language disorder, the reality of a label change in U.S. schools is hard to imagine. School-based services are driven by eligibility through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which has its own set of labels. There are myriad reasons why advocating for the developmental language disorder label may not be the best use of SLPs' time, perhaps the most important of which is that school SLPs have other urgent priorities.

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Narrative Language Markers of Arabic Language Development and Impairment

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00082 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (10) ◽

pp. 3472-3487

Author(s):

Natalia V. Rakhlin ◽

Nan Li ◽

Abdullah Aljughaiman ◽

Elena L. Grigorenko

Keyword(s):

Language Development ◽

Standardized Test ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Arabic Language ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Standardized Measures ◽

Verb Agreement ◽

Language Groups ◽

Specificity And Sensitivity ◽

Omission Errors

Purpose We examined indices of narrative microstructure as metrics of language development and impairment in Arabic-speaking children. We examined their age sensitivity, correlations with standardized measures, and ability to differentiate children with average language and language impairment. Method We collected story narratives from 177 children (54.2% boys) between 3.08 and 10.92 years old ( M = 6.25, SD = 1.67) divided into six age bands. Each child also received standardized measures of spoken language (Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary, Sentence Imitation, and Pseudoword Repetition). Several narrative indices of microstructure were examined in each age band. Children were divided into (suspected) developmental language disorder and typical language groups using the standardized test scores and compared on the narrative indicators. Sensitivity and specificity of the narrative indicators that showed group differences were calculated. Results The measures that showed age sensitivity included subject omission error rate, number of object clitics, correct use of subject–verb agreement, and mean length of utterance in words. The developmental language disorder group scored higher on subject omission errors (Cohen's d = 0.55) and lower on correct use of subject–verb agreement (Cohen's d = 0.48) than the typical language group. The threshold for impaired performance with the highest combination of specificity and sensitivity was 35th percentile. Conclusions Several indices of narrative microstructure appear to be valid metrics for documenting language development in children acquiring Gulf Arabic. Subject omission errors and correct use of subject–verb agreement differentiate children with typical and atypical levels of language development.

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