This research examined the relative contributions of two aspects of executive function--inhibitory control and planning ability--to theory of mind in 49 3- and 4-year-olds. Children were given two standard theory of mind measures (Appearance-Reality and False Belief), three inhibitory control tasks (Bear/Dragon, Whisper, and Gift Delay), three…

An essential part of the human capacity for language is the ability to link conceptual or semantic representations with syntactic representations. On the basis of data from spontaneous production, Tomasello (2000) suggested that young children acquire such links on a verb-by-verb basis, with little in the way of a general understanding of…

The effects of adult questioning on children's novel word acquisition during storybook reading were investigated. Three-year-olds were assigned to one of three conditions: vocabulary eliciting questions, noneliciting questions, and no questions (control). General vocabulary comprehension and novel word knowledge were equivalent across the groups…

Cognitive and language skills of 39 siblings of children with autism (SIBS-A) and 39 siblings of typically developing children (SIBS-TD) at ages 4, 14, 24, 36, and 54 months were compared. Twelve of the 39 SIBS-A revealed a delay in cognition and/or language (including one child diagnosed with autism) compared to only two SIBS-TD. Developmental…

Purpose: To examine the relationship between phonological processing skills prior to kindergarten entry and reading skills at the end of 1st grade, in children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Method: The participants were 17 children with SSD and poor phonological processing skills (SSD-low PP), 16 children with SSD and good phonological…

Existing studies of child care have not been able to determine whether higher quality child care protects children from the effects of poverty, whether poverty and lower quality child care operate as dual risk factors, or whether both are true. The objective of the current study was to test two pathways through which child care may serve as a…

Purpose: This study tests the hypothesis that toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) will show differences from contrast groups in preferences for attending to speech. Method: This study examined auditory preferences in toddlers with ASD and matched groups of (a) typical age-mates, (b) age-mates with nonautistic developmental disabilities,…

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common known inherited cause of intellectual disability, yet very few studies have explored the language comprehension skills of children with FXS. We examined the receptive vocabulary, grammatical morphology and syntax skills of boys with FXS (who were additionally classified as having autism,…

To determine whether deficits warranting intervention are present in the later functioning of high-risk infants, 22 premature infants who experienced asphyxia or chronic lung disease (CLD) but who had no gross developmental abnormalities were evaluated. Assessments of auditory perception and receptive language ability were made during later…

Designed to measure children's receptive and expressive language competence, this 57-item instrument inventories children's performance in the following eight language subareas: motor functions, memory functions, visual functions, tactile-kinesthetic functions, vocal functions, auditory functions, following directions, and language concepts. (This…

The first of three booklets in a series designed to help parents of handicapped children birth to 5 years old focuses on the communication process. A chart lists developmental milestones for both expressive and receptive language. Learning processes for communication (such as imitation, sensory knowledge, and memory) are reviewed. The bulk of the…

To evaluate the effects of Cued Speech (visual symbols) as a supplement to speechreading, cued and non-cued sentences and phrases were presented in a live situation at normal and at slow rates to 12 hearing-impaired subjects (7-to 11-years-old). (Author/LS)

In order to determine how well persons can learn to recognize vibratory speech patterns, six normally-hearing adults felt speech presented to their fingertips through vibrators. (Author)

Listening has been shown to be critical to educational, social, and professional success and teaching is a profession requiring mastery level skill. This can be aided by teacher educational curriculum which includes communication studies in general and listening in particular, and by using communication specialists as consultants and inservice…