Previous research has indicated the benefits of language sample analysis (LSA) as well as significant limitations to wide-scale, standardized implementation. The purpose of this project was to advance this line of inquiry by documenting how school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perception and use of one computerized LSA program was…

The normative, developmental changes in affect-biased attention during the preschool years are largely unknown. To investigate the attention bias for emotional versus neutral faces, an eye-tracking measurement and free viewing of paired pictures of facial expressions (i.e., happy, fearful, sad, or angry faces) and nonface pictures with neutral…

Children's exposure to talk about conceptual categories plays a powerful role in shaping their conceptual development. However, it remains unclear when parents begin to talk about categories with young children and whether such talk relates to children's language skills. This study examines relations between parents' talk about conceptual…

The present study aimed at investigating the contextual stability, the contextual continuity and the concurrent associations between maternal measures (general language, communicative functions and mind-mindedness) and child measures (total number of word types and tokens) in two different contexts, free-play and mealtime. To this purpose, the…

This study investigated receptive and expressive language outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with and without a history of language/communication regression, employing three progressively less stringent definitions of regression. Data were derived from a large, longitudinal sample of children with ASD in which regression was…

Objective: The current study tested an expressive writing intervention aimed at reducing alcohol use and sexual risk behavior among college women that consume alcohol. Methods: A 2 X 2 mixed between- within-subjects experimental design was utilized to test the effect of expressive writing on alcohol use and sexual risk behavior over time among…

This study explored the connection between children's language skills, creativity, and play. The participants were 151 (76 boys and 75 girls) primarily middle-income, European American children. Ages ranged from 4 to 6 years. This project employed mixed methods approaches. Children engaged in several tasks. These included: creating a story about…

The present study examines the effectiveness of play therapy (based on the cognitive-behavioural approach) and puppet play therapy in expressive\ receptive language disorders of the studied population. Here, we imported 45 female bilingual preschool children to our research. Their expressive\ receptive language disorders have been approved…

A growing body of research suggests that fine motor skills (FMS) are associated with language development. In this study, we examined 76 children aged 3-6 years assessing the link between language and FMS. Specific measures included receptive and expressive vocabulary, oral narrative skills, and various fine motor tasks. Hierarchical linear…

Sometime before their second birthday, many children have a period of rapid expressive vocabulary growth called the vocabulary spurt. Theories of the underlying mechanisms differ: Accumulator models emphasize the accumulation of experience with words over time to yield a spurtlike pattern, while cognitive models attribute the spurt to cognitive…

The phenomenon of verb complementation has been a challenging research topic in the domain of first and second language acquisition in recent decades. This study aimed to determine the achievement levels of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) in terms of their recognition and production of factive cognitive verb complementation…

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to explore the use of a hybrid telehealth approach following a Teach-Model-Coach-Review intervention format as a means to increase caregivers' ability to use language facilitation techniques with their children diagnosed with expressive language delay (ELD) in need of early intervention (EI) services.…

While the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2) is considered a "reference standard" measure to observe symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little is known about the utility of its Other Abnormal Behaviors or "E codes." This study investigated the unique influence of each E code (overactivity,…

A basic question about bilingual development is how the acquisition of one language affects the acquisition of the other. Previous findings are few and mixed. The present study addressed this question with longitudinal data on the dual-language vocabulary growth of 149 US-born children from Spanish-speaking immigrant families, who were followed…

Individuals with unidentified Reading Disorders are at greater risk of poor learning and social-emotional outcomes. Early identification of Reading Disorders ameliorates the risk of school failure. Researchers link early identification of specific Reading Disorders, such as Dyslexia, to communication deficits. Specifically, toddler expressive…