Gestational age and birth weight variations in young children with language impairment at an early communication intervention clinic

The aim of the article is to describe the communication profiles of five young children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) from 4 to 58months of age. A collective case-study design following a quantitative and descriptive approach was used to describe the communication profilesof the participants. The results are described according to the participants’ case histories and a four-level early communication assessment framework.The significant findings were that all participants were in foster care, and presented with incomplete case histories, general developmentaldelays and delays regarding all aspects of their communication abilities. An increase in the severity of the spectrum disorder across the participants’combined communication profiles was also identified. Participants presented with complex multiple neurodevelopmental needs thatshould be viewed within a developmental systems and ecological framework. The importance of early identification, diagnosis and assessmentof infants and young children prenatally exposed to alcohol, the identification of precursors to communication impairment at a very early age,and the need for individualised early communication intervention to improve developmental outcomes within a family-centred approach arediscussed. Suggestions for future research to accumulate knowledge about FASD in the field of early communication intervention are made.

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A Transdisciplinary Conceptual Framework for the Early Identification of Risks for Communication Disorders in Young Children

South African Journal of Communication Disorders ◽

10.4102/sajcd.v48i1.735 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 48 (1) ◽

pp. 33-44 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alta Kritzinger ◽

Brenda Louw ◽

Louis M. Rossettil

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Young Children ◽

Conceptual Framework ◽

Early Identification ◽

Communication Disorders ◽

Perinatal Period ◽

Communication Intervention ◽

Early Communication ◽

Opportune Time ◽

Descriptive Survey

The early identification of infants with communication disorders or at risk for communication delays is still one of the biggest challenges of early communication intervention (ECI) and threatens to compromise its efficacy. Current approaches to the early identification of young children at risk for communication disorders involve strategies aimed at the identification of general developmental delays and may not be sufficiently sensitive and specific enough to detect the early stages of communication disorders. The risks for mortality and health are often identified early in life, but the concomitant risks for communication disorders in the same young children are frequently not identified at that opportune time. The current study involved a descriptive survey, describing the identification of communication disorders in 153 subjects, whose data was stored in and retrieved from a customized ECI database system. The findings revealed that the subjects were assessed at the average age of 18 months, but that identifications of risk conditions occurred prenatally, at birth, after the perinatal period and later in life. The time of identification related to the different communication disorders identified in the subjects and caregivers played a major role in detecting the first signs of communication disorders in their children. In order to provide a guideline for clinical practice, a transdisciplinary conceptual framework towards a coordinated effort for the early identification of risks for communication disorders in young children is proposed.

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Early Communication Intervention with Young Children with Pierre Robin Sequence

South African Journal of Communication Disorders ◽

10.4102/sajcd.v45i1.718 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 51-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lisl Fair ◽

Brenda Louw

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Expressive Language ◽

Extended Period ◽

Communication Intervention ◽

Pierre Robin Sequence ◽

Language Abilities ◽

Early Communication ◽

Robin Sequence ◽

Velopharyngeal Incompetence ◽

Pierre Robin

Young children with Pierre Robin sequence are at considerable risk to develop delayed or disordered communication development. This study investigated the effectiveness of early communication intervention with four young children with Pierre Robin sequence, aged 5 to 28 months. The Proportional Change Index (Wolery, 1983) was used to determine the amount of child progress that took place during the intervention period. The results indicated that regular early communication intervention sessions over an extended period of time produced positive results, especially for expressive language abilities. The presence of a slight hearing loss due to otitis media, seemed to have influenced the effectiveness of early communication intervention. One subject displayed an associated disorder and evidenced the slowest rate of development for receptive and expressive language abilities as well as a limited phonetic repertoire for consonants. All but one subject had limited phonetic repertoires possibly due to velopharyngeal incompetence. Early communication intervention services should be delivered regularly over an extended period of time and the hearing abilities and speech production skills of young children with Pierre Robin sequence should be followed closely during early communication intervention.

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Low birth weight and its association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young children

Berita Kedokteran Masyarakat ◽

10.22146/bkm.37698 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 7

Author(s):

Bunga Astria Paramashanti ◽

Rosma Fyki Kamala ◽

Dwi Nur Rahmawati

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Low Birth Weight ◽

Young Children ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder

This study was conducted to understand the association between low birth weight and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young children aged 36 – 59 months in Sedayu Subdistrict, Bantul District, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. This study used cross-sectional design with a total of 185 children aged 36 – 59 months were selected by probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling technique. This study was located in Sedayu Subdistrict, Bantul District, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. The study was conducted January 2017. Main variables in this study were low birth weight, prematurity, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Maternal and child book was used to confirm the birth weight and gestational age data. Abbreviated Conners Rating Scale form was used to detect ADHD symptoms in young children, followed by a psychologist confirmation. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression at 0.05 level of significance. The proportion of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was 29.2% in this study. Meanwhile, the prevalence of low birth weight (<2500 g) was 8.11% and prematurity (<37 weeks gestational age) was 2.16%. Children with birth weight less than 2500 g were more likely to develop ADHD symptoms (OR: 3.2; 95%CI: 1.09-9.48) compared to children with normal birth weight. On the other hand, prematurity was not associated with ADHD (OR: 0.64; 95%CI: 0.06-6.89). This study concluded that low birth weight was associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, prematurity was not related significantly with ADHD. Efforts are needed in improving nutrition adequacy for infants and young children, also development stimulation, especially for those born with low birth weight.

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Eliciting Verbs From Children With Specific Language Impairment

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/1058-0360.0504.17 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 17-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Diane Frome Loeb ◽

Clifton Pye ◽

Sean Redmond ◽

Lori Zobel Richardson

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Specific Language Impairment ◽

Syntactic Complexity ◽

Specific Language ◽

Lexical Skills

The focus of assessment and intervention is often aimed at increasing the lexical skills of young children with language impairment. Frequently, the use of nouns is the center of the lexical assessment. As a result, the production of verbs is not fully evaluated or integrated into treatment in a way that accounts for their semantic and syntactic complexity. This paper presents a probe for eliciting verbs from children, describes its effectiveness, and discusses the utility of and problems associated with developing such a probe.

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Productivity of Emerging Word Combinations in Toddlers With Specific Expressive Language Impairment

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/1058-0360.0604.34 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 34-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Steven H. Long ◽

Lesley B. Olswang ◽

Julianne Brian ◽

Philip S. Dale

Keyword(s):

Data Collection ◽

Young Children ◽

Language Impairment ◽

Treatment Approach ◽

Expressive Language ◽

Semantic Consistency ◽

Session Analysis

This study investigated whether young children with specific expressive language impairment (SELI) learn to combine words according to general positional rules or specific, grammatic relation rules. The language of 20 children with SELI (4 females, 16 males, mean age of 33 months, mean MLU of 1.34) was sampled weekly for 9 weeks. Sixteen of these children also received treatment for two-word combinations (agent+action or possessor+possession). Two different metrics were used to determine the productivity of combinatorial utterances. One metric assessed productivity based on positional consistency alone; another assessed productivity based on positional and semantic consistency. Data were analyzed session-by-session as well as cumulatively. The results suggest that these children learned to combine words according to grammatic relation rules. Results of the session-by-session analysis were less informative than those of the cumulative analysis. For children with SELI ready to make the transition to multiword utterances, these findings support a cumulative method of data collection and a treatment approach that targets specific grammatic relation rules rather than general word combinations.

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