This longitudinal investigation charted the course of cognitive and language development from the prelinguistic period to multiword productions in 19 typically developing toddlers and 4 toddlers who were subsequently identified as having a late onset of expressive language. Three different developmental profiles were identified, and predictors of…

Explores the development in children of dual-level phonological processing. The study suggests that even language-delayed six year olds form underlying representations composed of morphophonemic segments. Differences in performance between the groups studied (first graders, young adults, language-delayed first graders) are discussed. (55…

Two experiments with 11 children (ages 3 to 7) exhibiting functional phonological delays evaluated the Sonority Sequencing Principle (a principle governing the permissible sequences of consonants within syllables) as applied to the acquisition of onset clusters and adjuncts. Findings are integrated in discussion of the representation of onset…

With early diagnosis and intervention, students with language delays can succeed. This paper presents warning signs and recommends seeking expert help, explaining that supporting such children involves such things as reading to them, using simple but grammatically correct sentences, and following their lead. A sidebar notes areas that may be…

Language and reading outcomes at 6 to 9 years of age were examined in 34 children who were late talkers as toddlers. Late talkers performed in the average range on most language and reading tasks by age 5 and 6 but were somewhat less skilled than comparison children at ages 8 and 9. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

This study used structured analogue situations to examine factors that might influence teachers? preferences and opinions about language interventions. These factors included respondent groups (preschool vs. elementary school teachers), type of treatment approach (naturalistic vs. therapeutic), person delivering the intervention (classroom teacher…

A number of authors have presented data on the word length (measured in syllables) in the spontaneous speech of children across the developmental period. These data suggest a developmental trend of increasing length with age. The current study sought to examine this possibility in more detail. Conversational speech data from 320 children with…

Although most children seem to love music, our understanding of the role it plays in facilitating speech and language learning is limited, as is research validating its efficacy in the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to examine how singing affects children's quick incidental learning (QUIL) of novel vocabulary terms. Sixteen…

Problem behaviour hampers learning and the normal development of skills and competencies. The children in focus in this article from Norway are six-year-olds with persistent problem behaviour. Early identification of these children is imperative for the implementation of structured educational interventions. Knowledge about their behaviour and…

Despite strenuous attempts made by the New Labour government in the UK to progress towards its goal of eradicating child poverty by 2020, educational outcomes for disadvantaged children remain depressed compared to those of more advantaged children. The fact that children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds are at much greater risk of language…

We review a significant body of evidence from independent prospective studies that if a mother is stressed while pregnant, her child is substantially more likely to have emotional or cognitive problems, including an increased risk of attentional deficit/hyperactivity, anxiety, and language delay. These findings are independent of effects due to…

Purpose: The association between language delay and behavior problems in toddlers was examined in 2 studies, 1 conducted in a developmental clinic in New Jersey (Study 1; N = 83) and the other conducted in a developmental clinic in New York (Study 2; N = 103). Method: In both clinics, parents of 18- to 35-month-olds completed the Language…

The Structured Observation System (SOS) is a data collection method developed to document changes in the communication behaviours of children identified with speech and language delays. The system employs a rating scale which reflects the occurrence of communication behaviours as well as the amount of assistance needed for behaviours to occur.…

Purpose: To provide the first detailed information about native language abilities of children who are or had been institutionalized. Method: The language of ten 30-month-old children raised in Romanian orphanages was compared with that of 30 chronological-age-matched peers: 10 children who had moved recently from orphanages to foster care, 10…

The training study was designed to use the developmentally appropriate communicative intention of protest as a vehicle for teaching request for object to one 3-year-old language delayed preverbal child. Results revealed that with a specific intervention model the S learned to gesturally, vocally, and verbally express the communication intention…