Socioeconomic (SES) differences in language are evident in female infants at 7months of age

A Study on the Relationship between Pragmatic Language Development and Socioeconomic Status in Arab Preschoolers with and without Pragmatic Language Impairment

The scope of this study is threefold. First, it examines socioeconomic status (SES) and pragmatic language development (PLD), hypothesizing that parental education and employment levels are mediators, where SES affects PLD mainly through its influence on parental education and employment levels. Second, we used quantitative (age) and qualitative (gender) variables as moderators, hypothesizing that gender and age moderate the relationship between classroom interaction (CI), social interaction (SI), and personal interaction (PI) skills and level of PLD. Third, characteristics of PLD in preschoolers with and without pragmatic language impairment (PLI) are compared. The Arabic Pragmatic Language Skills Inventory (A-PLSI) was administered by preschool teachers and speech-language pathologists in Saudi Arabia to 264 preschoolers with and without neurodevelopmental disorders to assess their PLD. Additionally, the SES of the parents of the same number of participants was surveyed. Results show that the more CI, SI, and PI a preschool child has, the greater the likelihood of typical PLD, regardless of the parents’ employment or education. Further, we obtained evidence that CI, SI, and PI all grow together with age. However, these three elements (namely, CI, SI, and PI) do not seem to be moderated or altered by gender. Typical PLD may be attainable when preschool children demonstrate typical mental and physical development, in contrast to children with psychiatric histories who display atypical PLD. These findings suggest that preschool children with more CI, SI, and PI will exhibit more typical PLD. The achievement of this goal results in a sustainable society for children.

Language input to infants of different socioeconomic statuses: A quantitative meta-analysis

For the past 25 years, researchers have investigated language input to children from high- and low-socioeconomic status (SES) families. Hart and Risley first reported a "30 Million Word Gap" between high-SES and low-SES children. More recent studies have challenged the size or even existence of this gap. The present study is a quantitative meta-analysis on socioeconomic differences in language input to young children, which aims to systematically integrate decades of research on this topic. We analyzed 19 studies and found a significant effect of SES on language input quantity. However, this effect was moderated by the type of language included in language quantity measures: studies that include only child-directed speech in their language measures find a large SES difference, while studies that include all speech in a child's environment find no effect of SES. These results support recent work suggesting that methodological decisions can affect researchers' estimates of the "word gap." Overall, we find that young children from low-SES homes heard less child-directed speech than children from mid- to high-SES homes, though this difference was much smaller than Hart & Risley's "30 Million Word Gap." Finally, we underscore the need for more cross-cultural work on language development and the forces that may contribute to it, highlighting the opportunity for better integration of observational, experimental, and intervention-based approaches.

Socioeconomic Factors Account for Variability in Language Skills in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

OBJECTIVE

Although no longer required for a diagnosis, language delays are extremely common in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Factors associated with socioeconomic status (SES) have broad-reaching impact on language development in early childhood. Despite recent advances in characterizing autism in early childhood, the relationship between SES and language development in ASD has not received much attention.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS

to examine whether toddlers and preschoolers with ASD from low-resource families are more likely to experience language delays above and beyond those associated with autism itself.

METHODS

Developmental and diagnostic assessments including the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales were obtained from 62 young children with ASD and 45 typically developing children aged 15 to 64 months. Sociodemographic information including household income, maternal education, and racial/ethnic identity was obtained from caregivers. Multiple regression models were used to test for associations between socioeconomic indices and language scores.

RESULTS

Maternal education accounted for variability in expressive language (EL) and receptive language (RL), with lower SES indices associated with lower language skills, and more so in children with ASD.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that variability in EL and RL skills in young children with autism can be accounted for by socioeconomic variables. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted intervention and effective implementation strategies for children with ASD from low-resource households and communities and for policies designed to improve learning opportunities and access to services for these young children and their families.

Natural Language Input: Maternal Education, Socioeconomic Deprivation, and Language Outcomes in Typically Developing Children

Purpose The current study was designed to investigate the differences in language input related to family factors (maternal level of education [MLE] and socioeconomic level of deprivation [SLD]) and their association with language outcomes in preschoolers. Method This study used New Zealand SLD and MLE classification systems to examine differences in language input related to these factors among 20 typically developing preschool children aged 2-5 years. The quantity of children's language input (adult words [AWs], conversational turns [CTs]) was calculated using the Language ENvironment Analysis audiotaping technology for two typical weekend days. Four 5-min Language ENvironment Analysis recording segments were transcribed and coded, and parental language strategies were classified as optimal language strategy, moderate language strategy, or sub-optimal language strategy (S-OLS) for child language outcomes. The receptive and expressive language of each child was assessed using the Preschool Language Scales-Fifth Edition. Results Mann-Whitney U tests showed significant differences between the quantity of language input (AWs/hr, CTs/hr) for high and low MLE and high and low SLD groups. Consistent with the literature, the use of S-OLSs was significantly lower for families with high MLE (Mdn = .25, IQR = .14) and low SLD (Mdn = .22, IQR = .13) than for families with low MLE (Mdn = .41, IQR = .24) and high SLD (Mdn = .41, IQR = .26). Spearman correlation coefficients indicated significant associations between language input (AWs/hr, CTs/hr, S-OLSs) and language outcomes. Conclusions Reduced language input and the frequent use of S-OLSs associated with low maternal education and high deprivation and low language outcomes for these children highlight the importance for all parents/families to learn optimal language strategies to support the development of strong language skills in their children in young age.

Promoting language and social communication development in babies through an early storybook reading intervention

PURPOSE

This study examined the effectiveness of low- and high-intensity early storybook reading (ESR) intervention workshops delivered to parents for promoting their babies language and social communication development. These workshops educated parents on how to provide a stimulating home reading environment and engage in parent-child interactions during ESR.

METHOD

Parent-child dyads (n = 32); child age: 3-12 months, were assigned into two intervention conditions: low and high intensity (LI versus HI) groups. Both groups received the same ESR strategies; however, the HI group received additional intervention time, demonstrations and support. Outcome measures were assessed pre-intervention, one and three months post-intervention and when the child turned 2 years of age.

RESULT

A significant time-group interaction with increased performance in the HI group was observed for language scores immediately post-intervention (p = 0.007) and at 2-years-of-age (p = 0.022). Significantly higher broader social communication scores were associated with the HI group at each of the time points (p = 0.018, p = 0.001 and p = 0.021, respectively). Simple main effect revealed that both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in language, broader social communication and home reading practices scores.

CONCLUSIONS

ESR intervention workshops may promote language and broader social communication skills. The HI ESR intervention workshop was associated with significantly higher language and broader social communication scores.

Turning 1 Year of Age in a Low Socioeconomic Environment: A Portrait of Disadvantage

In the United States today, 16 million children are growing up poor. Few studies report multiple environmental factors associated with poverty during the first year of life and effects on infant development.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate maternal, home, and neighborhood environment of low and higher socioeconomic status (SES) infants from birth to 1 year and to evaluate the impact of SES and environment on infant developmental outcome at 1 year.

METHODS

Low (n = 30) and higher SES (n = 30) African-American mothers and their healthy term gestation female infants were prospectively compared for environmental characteristics and infant developmental outcome. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV); Beck Depression Inventory; Perceived Stress Scale; Parenting Stress Index-Fourth Edition (PSI-4); Social Support Scale; Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME); Household Food Insecurity (HFI); Concentrated Neighborhood Disadvantage (CND). Bayley Scales of Infant Development Third Edition (BSID-III); Preschool Language Scale (PLS-5).

RESULTS

Environmental risk was greater for low compared with higher SES: lower WAIS-IV (p < .001); higher PSI-4 total (p = .003); lower HOME total and 3 subscales (p < .002); higher HFI (p = .012); and higher CND (p = .027). Low SES infant outcomes differed from higher SES: lower BSID-III Cognitive Composite (p = .005), PLS-5 Total Language (p ≤ .017), and Auditory Comprehension (p ≤ .008). In regressions, after controlling for SES, effects of environmental factors were not found.

CONCLUSION

By age 1, low SES infants had been exposed to greater environmental disadvantage and already exhibited poorer developmental functioning than higher SES infants. These findings suggest that support for families and children from impoverished circumstances cannot begin too early.

The role of cognitive processes, foundational math skill, and calculation accuracy and fluency in word-problem solving versus prealgebraic knowledge

The purpose of this study was to examine child-level pathways in development of prealgebraic knowledge versus word-problem solving, while evaluating the contribution of calculation accuracy and fluency as mediators of foundational skills/processes. Children (n = 962; mean 7.60 years) were assessed on general cognitive processes and early calculation, word-problem, and number knowledge at start of Grade 2; calculation accuracy and calculation fluency at end of Grade 2; and prealgebraic knowledge and word-problem solving at end of Grade 4. Important similarities in pathways were identified, but path analysis also indicated that language comprehension is more critical for later word-problem solving than prealgebraic knowledge. We conclude that pathways in development of these forms of 4th-grade mathematics performance are more alike than different, but demonstrate the need to fine-tune instruction for strands of the mathematics curriculum in ways that address individual students' foundational mathematics skills or cognitive processes. (PsycINFO Database Record