Unsociability and social adjustment in Chinese preschool migrant children: the moderating role of receptive vocabulary

Peer relationships play an indispensable role in the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children. However, children exhibiting social withdrawal, such as unsociability, may face challenges in social adjustment. In collectivistic cultures like China, unsociability may be perceived negatively, aligning poorly with collective norms. The objective of the present investigation was to examine the associations between unsociability, receptive vocabulary, and indicators of social adjustment in a cohort of young migrant children residing in urban regions of mainland China. The study mainly aimed to investigate the potential moderating influence of receptive language on these associations. The study involved 148 young children (82 boys, 66 girls, Mage = 62.32 months, SD = 6.76) enrolled in preschools or kindergartens in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Multiple sources of assessment were utilized, encompassing evaluations from mothers (about child unsociability), teacher (assessing social adjustment), and standardized tests (measuring receptive vocabulary). The results indicated that the relations between unsociability and peer exclusion were more positive among children with lower levels of receptive vocabulary but not significant for children with higher levels of receptive vocabulary. Similarly, the relations between unsociability and peer exclusion were more negative among children with lower levels of receptive vocabulary but not significant for children with higher levels of receptive vocabulary. Thus, this study informs us about how receptive vocabulary is jointly associated with unsociable children's development. As well, the findings highlight the importance of considering the meaning and implication of unsociability in Chinese culture.

In-depth characterisation of a cohort of individuals with missense and loss-of-function variants disruptingFOXP2

Background

Heterozygous disruptions ofFOXP2were the first identified molecular cause for severe speech disorder: childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), and yet few cases have been reported, limiting knowledge of the condition.

Methods

Here we phenotyped 28 individuals from 17 families with pathogenicFOXP2-only variants (12 loss-of-function, five missense variants; 14 males; aged 2 to 62 years). Health and development (cognitive, motor, social domains) were examined, including speech and language outcomes with the first cross-linguistic analysis of English and German.

Results

Speech disorders were prevalent (23/25, 92%) and CAS was most common (22/25, 88%), with similar speech presentations across English and German. Speech was still impaired in adulthood, and some speech sounds (eg, ‘th’, ‘r’, ‘ch’, ‘j’) were never acquired. Language impairments (21/25, 84%) ranged from mild to severe. Comorbidities included feeding difficulties in infancy (10/27, 37%), fine (13/26, 50%) and gross (13/26, 50%) motor impairment, anxiety (5/27, 19%), depression (6/27, 22%) and sleep disturbance (11/15, 44%). Physical features were common (22/27, 81%) but with no consistent pattern. Cognition ranged from average to mildly impaired and was incongruent with language ability; for example, seven participants with severe language disorder had average non-verbal cognition.

Conclusions

Although we identify an increased prevalence of conditions like anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance, we confirm that the consequences ofFOXP2dysfunction remain relatively specific to speech disorder, as compared with other recently identified monogenic conditions associated with CAS. Thus, our findings reinforce thatFOXP2provides a valuable entry point for examining the neurobiological bases of speech disorder.

Fit für die Schule? Der Sprachstand 5-jähriger Kinder in Hessen und seine soziodemografischen Korrelate

Hintergrund

Der Sprachstand 5‑jähriger Kinder wird in Hessen nicht systematisch erfasst. Daher liegen keine Angaben zum Anteil sprachauffälliger Kinder in dieser wichtigen Altersgruppe kurz vor der Einschulung vor.

Fragestellung

Die Studie hatte zum Ziel, den Sprachstand 5‑jähriger Kinder zu beschreiben und soziodemografische Faktoren zu untersuchen, die mit sprachpädagogischem Förder- bzw. klinischem Abklärungsbedarf zusammenhängen.

Matherial und Methoden

Es wurden 263 monolingual deutschsprachige (MON) und 645 multilinguale Kitakinder (MULT) im Alter von 5;0–5;11 Jahren bezüglich ihrer Deutschkenntnisse mit dem Kurztest „Kindersprachscreening“ (KiSS.2) untersucht. KiSS.2-Normwerte für Fünfjährige wurden durch das Studienteam entwickelt. Soziodemografische Merkmale der Kinder und ihrer Familien wurden mit KiSS.2-basierten erweiterten Fragebogen für Eltern und KitaerzieherInnen erfasst.

Ergebnisse

Ein Fünftel der MON und über zwei Drittel der MULT zeigten sich in KiSS.2 als sprachlich auffällig, d. h., ihre Ergebnisse lagen unterhalb der Normwerte. Die große Mehrheit der MULT erwies sich als sprachpädagogisch förderbedürftig. Die Anteile klinisch Abklärungsbedürftiger waren bei MON und MULT vergleichbar. Sprachpädagogischer Förderbedarf war mit eingeschränktem Deutsch-Input außerhalb der Kita assoziiert. Unter den Sprachkontaktvariablen waren es ausbleibende sprachliche Äußerungen beim Spielen, an denen sich klinischer Abklärungsbedarf am besten erkennen ließ. Die meisten Sprachauffälligen, v. a. MULT, wurden weder sprachpädagogisch noch -therapeutisch versorgt.

Diskussion

Da MULT mehr als die Hälfte aller hessischen Vorschulkinder ausmachen, kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass kurz vor der Einschulung die meisten hessischen Kinder sprachauffällig bleiben (in der aktuellen Studie 57 %). Es liegen Hinweise auf eine sprachpädagogische und -therapeutische Unterversorgung von 5‑jährigen Kindern, in erster Linie MULT, vor.

Speech and language deficits are central to SETBP1 haploinsufficiency disorder

Expressive communication impairment is associated with haploinsufficiency of SETBP1, as reported in small case series. Heterozygous pathogenic loss-of-function (LoF) variants in SETBP1 have also been identified in independent cohorts ascertained for childhood apraxia of speech (CAS), warranting further investigation of the roles of this gene in speech development. Thirty-one participants (12 males, aged 0; 8-23; 2 years, 28 with pathogenic SETBP1 LoF variants, 3 with 18q12.3 deletions) were assessed for speech, language and literacy abilities. Broader development was examined with standardised motor, social and daily life skills assessments. Gross and fine motor deficits (94%) and intellectual impairments (68%) were common. Protracted and aberrant speech development was consistently seen, regardless of motor or intellectual ability. We expand the linguistic phenotype associated with SETBP1 LoF syndrome (SETBP1 haploinsufficiency disorder), revealing a striking speech presentation that implicates both motor (CAS, dysarthria) and language (phonological errors) systems, with CAS (80%) being the most common diagnosis. In contrast to past reports, the understanding of language was rarely better preserved than language expression (29%). Language was typically low, to moderately impaired, with commensurate expression and comprehension ability. Children were sociable with a strong desire to communicate. Minimally verbal children (32%) augmented speech with sign language, gestures or digital devices. Overall, relative to general development, spoken language and literacy were poorer than social, daily living, motor and adaptive behaviour skills. Our findings show that poor communication is a central feature of SETBP1 haploinsufficiency disorder, confirming this gene as a strong candidate for speech and language disorders.

Diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder in Research Studies

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which researchers in the field of developmental language disorder are utilizing validated methods to diagnose their research participants. Method We examined 90 research articles published from 2015 to 2019 that included English-speaking participants from the United States who were identified as having a developmental language disorder or specific language impairment. From these articles, we identified the tests and measures used to identify participants and classify them as healthy or impaired. We then consulted the test manuals and the literature to find information on sensitivity and specificity of the test and the evidence-based cut score that maximized identification accuracy. Results Of the 90 articles examined, 38 (42%) were found to reflect validated diagnostic methods, and 51 (58%) did not. Conclusion Our results illustrate that validated methods are used less than half of the time even by those who should have a high level of expertise and despite calls for increasing scientific rigor in research practices.