Development of a Pitch Discrimination Screening Test for Preschool Children

Background: There is a critical need for tests of auditory discrimination for young children as this skill plays a fundamental role in the development of speaking, prereading, reading, language, and more complex auditory processes. Frequency discrimination is important with regard to basic sensory processing affecting phonological processing, dyslexia, measurements of intelligence, auditory memory, Asperger syndrome, and specific language impairment. Purpose: This study was performed to determine the clinical feasibility of the Pitch Discrimination Test (PDT) to screen the preschool child’s ability to discriminate some of the acoustic demands of speech perception, primarily pitch discrimination, without linguistic content. The PDT used brief speech frequency tones to gather normative data from preschool children aged 3 to 5 yrs. Research Design: A cross-sectional study was used to gather data regarding the pitch discrimination abilities of a sample of typically developing preschool children, between 3 and 5 yrs of age. The PDT consists of ten trials using two pure tones of 100-msec duration each, and was administered in an AA or AB forced-choice response format. Study Sample: Data from 90 typically developing preschool children between the ages of 3 and 5 yrs were used to provide normative data. Data Analysis: Nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-testing was used to examine the effects of age as a continuous variable on pitch discrimination. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to determine the significance of age on performance on the PDT. Spearman rank was used to determine the correlation of age and performance on the PDT. Results: Pitch discrimination of brief tones improved significantly from age 3 yrs to age 4 yrs, as well as from age 3 yrs to the age 4- and 5-yrs group. Results indicated that between ages 3 and 4 yrs, children’s auditory discrimination of pitch improved on the PDT. The data showed that children can be screened for auditory discrimination of pitch beginning with age 4 yrs. Conclusions: The PDT proved to be a time efficient, feasible tool for a simple form of frequency discrimination screening in the preschool population before the age where other diagnostic tests of auditory processing disorders can be used.

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Association between specific language impairment and behavioral disorders among preschool children

Paediatrica Indonesiana ◽

10.14238/pi54.1.2014.22-7 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 22

Author(s):

Yudianita Kesuma ◽

Rismarini Rismarini ◽

Theodorus Theodorus ◽

Mutiara Budi Azhar

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Behavioral Disorders ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Receptive Language ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Individual

BackgroundSpecific language impairment (SU) is the mostcommon developmental disorder in preschool children, causingserious impairmentE on behavioral development. To date, there havebeen few studies on SU and behavioral disorders in Palembang.ObjectiveTo assess for an association between SU and behavioraldisorders in preschool children in Palembang.MethodsSubjects in this cross-sectional study were childrenwho attended kindergarten. Their general characteristics,developmental history and physical examination results (includingweight and height) were recorded. We administered the SpecificLanguage Impairment checklist for language impairment and thePediatric Symptom Checklist 17 (PSC 17) for behavioral disorders.Data was analyzed by Chi-square test.ResultsWe studied 1,340 children from21 kinderg:irtens in Palembang.Prevalence of SU was 12.9%, consisting of expressive languageimpairment (10.2%), receptive impairment (0.5%) and mixed languageimpairment (2 .2%). The prevalence of behavioral disorders was15.1 %, consisting of internalization disorder (6.0%), externalizationdisorder (5.0%), attentive disorder (0.4%), and various combinationsof three disorders (3. 7%). A highly significant association was foundbetween SU and behavioral disorders (P=0.000; OR=2.082; 95%CI 1. 419-3 .053. Expressive language impairment was associated withexternalization and mixed behavioral disorders. Mixed languageimpairment was associated with internalization, attentive, and mixedbehavioral disorders. Howevei; receptive language disorder was notassociated with any behavioral disorders.ConclusionSU is significantly as sociated with behavioraldisorders. With regards to the individual SU types, expressivelanguage impairment is associated with externalization and mixedbehavioral disorders; mixed language impairment is associatedwith internalization, attentive and mixed behavioral disorders;but receptive language disorder is not associated with behavioraldisorders.

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Acquisition of German Noun Plurals in Typically Developing Children and Children with Specific Language Impairment

Child Development Research ◽

10.1155/2011/718925 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 ◽

pp. 1-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Christina Kauschke ◽

Anna Kurth ◽

Ulrike Domahs

Keyword(s):

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Error Patterns ◽

German Children ◽

Prosodic Structures

The present study investigates the acquisition of plural markers in German children with and without language impairments using an elicitation task. In the first cross-sectional study, 60 monolingual children between three and six years of age were tested. The results show significant improvements starting at the age of five. Plural forms which require a vowel change (umlaut) but no overt suffix were most challenging for all children. With regard to their error patterns, the typically developing children preferably overapplied the suffix -e to monosyllabic stems and added -s to stems ending in a trochee. Though the children made errors in plural markings, the prosodic structures of pluralized nouns were kept legitimate. In the second study, the production of plural markers in eight children with SLI was compared to age-matched and MLU-matched controls. Children with SLI performed at the level of the MLU-matched controls, showing subtle differences with regard to their error patterns, and their preferences in addition and substitution errors: In contrast to their typically developing peers, children with SLI preferred the frequent suffix -n in their overapplications, suggesting that they strongly rely on frequency-based cues. The findings are discussed from a morphophonological perspective.

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The Impact of Manipulating Attentional Shifting Demands on Preschool Children With Specific Language Impairment

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-17-0358 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (2) ◽

pp. 324-336 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yara Aljahlan ◽

Tammie J. Spaulding

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Response Speed ◽

Error Rates ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Load Shifting ◽

Specific Language ◽

The Impact ◽

Attentional Shifting

Purpose This study investigated attentional shifting in preschool children with specific language impairment (SLI) compared to their typically developing peers. Children's attentional shifting capacity was assessed by varying attentional demands. Method Twenty-five preschool children with SLI and 25 age-matched, typically developing controls participated. A behavioral task measuring attentional shifting within and across multiple dimensions (auditory, linguistic, and visual) was employed. Demands on attentional shifting were increased based on input dimension (low load: staying within dimension; medium load: shifting between 2 dimensions; and high load: shifting among 3 dimensions). Results Compared to controls, the group with SLI made more erroneous responses and exhibited longer response times. Although both groups' error rates were similarly affected by shifting compared to nonshifting trials, their response speed was not. The group with SLI exhibited a larger comparative decrement to their response speed in the high–attentional load condition. Discussion When demands on attentional shifting increase, children with SLI struggle to shift their attention as efficiently to changing stimuli as their unimpaired peers. Potential implications for the assessment and treatment of this population are discussed.

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The Relationship Between Gesture and Speech in Preschool Children with Expressive Specific Language Impairment and Typically Developing Children

Korean Journal of Child Studies ◽

10.5723/kjcs.2020.41.4.31 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 31-45

Author(s):

Sujin Choi ◽

Sang-Im Jung ◽

Young Tae Kim

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Specific Language ◽

The Relationship

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Hebrew language assessment measure for preschool children: A comparison between typically developing children and children with specific language impairment

Language Testing ◽

10.1177/0265532213491961 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 19-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Irit Katzenberger ◽

Sara Meilijson

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Language Assessment ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Typically Developing Children ◽

Specific Language ◽

Assessment Measure ◽

Hebrew Language

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Examination of Creative Abilities of Preschool Children With and Without Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

Communication Disorders Quarterly ◽

10.1177/1525740118810848 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 41 (1) ◽

pp. 22-33

Author(s):

Mark Leikin ◽

Esther Tovli

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Specific Language ◽

Degree Of Dissociation ◽

Language Deficit ◽

Younger Age ◽

The Relationship ◽

Creativity Task

The present study aims to examine the relationship between developmental language deficit and children’s creative ability. For this purpose, we compared the performance of preschool children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) on general and mathematic creativity tests with that of typically developing children. The findings demonstrated that children with SLI performed almost identically on the general creativity task, compared with older preschoolers, and did generally better than children from the younger age group. However, on the mathematic creativity task, they did significantly better statistically than the younger children and worse than children from the older control groups. Thus, the results showed that creativity as a specific cognitive ability seems to develop in children with SLI in the same way as in their typically developing peers but at a slower rate. In addition, our findings demonstrate some degree of dissociation between the cognitive and linguistic abilities of children with SLI.

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Referential Cohesion in the Narratives of Bilingual and Monolingual Children With Typically Developing Language and With Specific Language Impairment

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-18-0054 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 123-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sveta Fichman ◽

Carmit Altman

Keyword(s):

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Specific Language

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A View of the Lexical–Grammatical Link in Young Latinos With Specific Language Impairment Using Language-Specific and Conceptual Measures

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-18-0315 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 62 (6) ◽

pp. 1775-1786 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lucía I. Méndez ◽

Gabriela Simon-Cereijido

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Specific Language ◽

Vocabulary Skills ◽

In The Beginning ◽

Study Participants ◽

L1 And L2

Purpose This study investigated the nature of the association of lexical–grammatical abilities within and across languages in Latino dual language learners (DLLs) with specific language impairment (SLI) using language-specific and bilingual measures. Method Seventy-four Spanish/English–speaking preschoolers with SLI from preschools serving low-income households participated in the study. Participants had stronger skills in Spanish (first language [L1]) and were in the initial stages of learning English (second language [L2]). The children's lexical, semantic, and grammar abilities were assessed using normative and researcher-developed tools in English and Spanish. Hierarchical linear regressions of cross-sectional data were conducted using measures of sentence repetition tasks, language-specific vocabulary, and conceptual bilingual lexical and semantic abilities in Spanish and English. Results Results indicate that language-specific vocabulary abilities support the development of grammar in L1 and L2 in this population. L1 vocabulary also contributes to L2 grammar above and beyond the contribution of L2 vocabulary skills. However, the cross-linguistic association between vocabulary in L2 and grammar skills in the stronger or more proficient language (L1) is not observed. In addition, conceptual vocabulary significantly supported grammar in L2, whereas bilingual semantic skills supported L1 grammar. Conclusions Our findings reveal that the same language-specific vocabulary abilities drive grammar development in L1 and L2 in DLLs with SLI. In the early stages of L2 acquisition, vocabulary skills in L1 also seem to contribute to grammar skills in L2 in this population. Thus, it is critical to support vocabulary development in both L1 and L2 in DLLs with SLI, particularly in the beginning stages of L2 acquisition. Clinical and educational implications are discussed.

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Knowledge and Practice of Mothers Regarding the Prevention and Management of Malnutrition Among Preschool Children – A Cross Sectional Survey

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research ◽

10.25258/ijpcr.v9i5.8604 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

Author(s):

Mahfouz R. Nath ◽

C. Kanniammal

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Good Practice ◽

Strong Association ◽

Educational Status ◽

Nursing Interventions ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Economic Class ◽

Common Causes ◽

Knowledge And Practice

Malnutrition remains one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children throughout the world. Malnutrition has been responsible, directly or indirectly for 60% of the 10.9 million deaths annually among children under five. The research study was aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of mothers of preschool children regarding the prevention and management of malnutrition. The design used was descriptive cross sectional survey. The study was conducted in a coastal setting of Trivandrum district with a sample size of 115. Data collection was done by self administered structured questionnaire by conducting mothers meeting at selected Anganwadis. According to the results of the study 19.1% of mothers had good knowledge and 34.8 % of mothers had poor knowledge. Regarding practice only 24.3 % of mothers reported good practice while 36.6 % of mothers reported poor practice. There was a strong association between the knowledge and Practice of mothers and selected socio demographic variables such as educational status of mothers and socio economic class (p less than 0.01)). The study findings can be used for planning targeted nursing interventions in coastal areas for mothers of preschool children.

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