Emily Mason-Apps1, Vesna Stojanovik2, Carmel Houston-Price3, Sue Buckley4. 1. School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, G6 6AL, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP, United Kingdom. 2. School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, G6 6AL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: v.stojanovik@reading.ac.uk. 3. School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, G6 6AL, United Kingdom. 4. Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2UP, United Kingdom; Down Syndrome Education International, 6 Underley Business Centre, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, LA6 2DY, United Kingdom.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Children with Down syndrome (DS) typically have marked delays in language development relative to their general cognitive development, with particular difficulties in expressive compared to receptive language. Although early social communication skills, including gestures and joint attention, have been shown to be related to later language outcomes in DS, knowledge is limited as to whether these factors exclusively predict outcomes, or whether other factors (e.g. perceptual and non-verbal skills) are involved. This study addressed this question. METHOD: Longitudinal data for a group of infants with DS (n = 14) and a group of typically-developing (TD) infants (n = 35) were collected on measures that have been shown to predict language in TD infants and/or those with developmental delays. These included: non-verbal mental ability, speech segmentation skills, and early social communication skills (initiating and responding to joint attention, initiating behavioural requests). RESULTS: Linear regression analyses showed that speech segmentation and initiating joint attention were the strongest predictors of later language in the TD group, whereas non-verbal mental ability and responding to joint attention were the strongest predictors of later language for infants with DS. CONCLUSIONS: Speech segmentation ability may not determine language outcomes in DS, and language acquisition may be more constrained by social communication and general cognitive skills.
PURPOSE:Children with Down syndrome (DS) typically have marked delays in language development relative to their general cognitive development, with particular difficulties in expressive compared to receptive language. Although early social communication skills, including gestures and joint attention, have been shown to be related to later language outcomes in DS, knowledge is limited as to whether these factors exclusively predict outcomes, or whether other factors (e.g. perceptual and non-verbal skills) are involved. This study addressed this question. METHOD: Longitudinal data for a group of infants with DS (n = 14) and a group of typically-developing (TD) infants (n = 35) were collected on measures that have been shown to predict language in TD infants and/or those with developmental delays. These included: non-verbal mental ability, speech segmentation skills, and early social communication skills (initiating and responding to joint attention, initiating behavioural requests). RESULTS: Linear regression analyses showed that speech segmentation and initiating joint attention were the strongest predictors of later language in the TD group, whereas non-verbal mental ability and responding to joint attention were the strongest predictors of later language for infants with DS. CONCLUSIONS: Speech segmentation ability may not determine language outcomes in DS, and language acquisition may be more constrained by social communication and general cognitive skills.
Authors: Esther Moraleda-Sepúlveda; Patricia López-Resa; Noelia Pulido-García; Soraya Delgado-Matute; Natalia Simón-Medina Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-16 Impact factor: 4.614
Authors: Vesna Stojanovik; Emma Pagnamenta; Emily Seager; Maria Breen; Susie Jennings; Victoria Joffe; Kate Harvey; Elena Pizzo; Hayley Perry Journal: Pilot Feasibility Stud Date: 2022-01-17