Transcription Decisions of Conjoined Independent Clauses Are Equitable Across Dialects but Impact Measurement Outcomes

PURPOSE

Transcription of conjoined independent clauses within language samples varies across professionals. Some transcribe these clauses as two separate utterances, whereas others conjoin them within a single utterance. As an inquiry into equitable practice, we examined rates of conjoined independent clauses produced by children and the impact of separating these clauses within utterances on measures of mean length of utterance (MLU) by a child's English dialect, clinical status, and age.

METHOD

The data were archival and included 246 language samples from children classified by their dialect (African American English or Southern White English) and clinical status (developmental language disorder [DLD] or typically developing [TD]), with those in the TD group further classified by their age (4 years [TD4] or 6 years [TD6]).

RESULTS

Rates of conjoined independent clauses and the impact of these clauses on MLU varied by clinical status (DLD < TD) and age (TD4 < TD6), but not by dialect. Correlations between the rate of conjoined clauses, MLU, and language test scores were also similar across the two dialects.

CONCLUSIONS

Transcription decisions regarding conjoined independent clauses within language samples lead to equitable measurement outcomes across dialects of English. Nevertheless, transcribing conjoined independent clauses as two separate utterances reduces one's ability to detect syntactic differences between children with and without DLD and document syntactic growth as children age.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25822675.

Knowledge and Perspectives of Developmental Language Disorders: The Pilot Development of a Survey of Professionals Working in Law Enforcement

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to pilot test a survey of professionals within the justice system about their knowledge and perceptions of developmental language disorders (DLDs) and to gather initial data supporting their knowledge and perceptions.

METHOD

One hundred thirty-six adults in Texas with law enforcement jobs, primarily police officers, participated in this study. Participants completed a survey consisting of 78 questions about their background, experiences with DLD, and beliefs about communication. Additionally, 42 adults who did not work in law enforcement completed the survey twice to establish the initial measures of survey reliability.

RESULTS

This survey demonstrated sufficient test-retest reliability with adults not in law enforcement, and results indicated the emergence of two subscales within the survey. Law enforcement professionals appeared to have limited knowledge of DLD, and many linked language-related behaviors with credibility. A majority did agree with giving accommodations to individuals who struggle with language and reported interest in receiving training to recognize and accommodate DLD.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study demonstrates a need for collaboration between speech-language pathologists and law enforcement professionals and provides data for a survey that could be used across professional groups in the justice system to measure knowledge and perspectives of DLDs. This work represents an initial step in an iterative process of survey development for law enforcement professionals.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25033718.

Grammaticality Judgments of Tense and Agreement by Child Speakers of African American English: Effects of Clinical Status, Surface Form, and Grammatical Structure

PURPOSE

We examined the grammaticality judgments of tense and agreement (T/A) structures by children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) within African American English (AAE). The children's judgments of T/A forms were also compared to their judgments of two control forms and, for some analyses, examined by surface form (i.e., overt, zero) and type of structure (i.e., BE, past tense, verbal -s).

METHOD

The judgments were from 91 AAE-speaking kindergartners (DLD = 34; typically developing = 57), elicited using items from the Rice/Wexler Test of Early Grammatical Impairment. The data were analyzed twice, once using General American English as the reference and A' scores and once using AAE as the reference and percentages of acceptability.

RESULTS

Although the groups differed using both metrics, the percentages of acceptability tied the DLD T/A deficit to judgments of the overt forms, while also revealing a general DLD weakness judging sentences that are ungrammatical in AAE. Judgments of the overt T/A forms by both groups correlated with their productions of these forms and their language test scores, and both groups showed structure-specific form preferences ("is": overt > zero vs. verbal -s: overt = zero).

CONCLUSION

The findings demonstrate the utility of grammaticality judgment tasks for revealing weaknesses in T/A within AAE-speaking children with DLD, while also calling for more studies using AAE as the dialect reference when designing stimuli and coding systems.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.22534588.

Adversity Exposure, Syntax, and Specific Language Impairment: An Exploratory Study

PURPOSE

Children exposed to adversity (e.g., chronic poverty, traumatic events, and maltreatment) are at increased risk for performing below age expectations on norm-referenced language assessments, but it is unknown whether the risk is higher for specific language impairment (SLI). This exploratory study investigated whether adversity exposure is associated with reduced grammar knowledge and SLI.

METHOD

The syntax subtest of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation-Norm-Referenced (DELV-NR) assessment was administered to 30 school-age children with known histories of adversity exposure. Their primary caregiver also completed a comprehensive adversity exposure measure, which captured adverse event type, frequency, chronicity, and severity. Analyses included t tests, correlations, Mann-Whitney U tests, and chi-square.

RESULTS

Overall, the sample performed below age expectations on the DELV-NR Syntax subtest, and a higher percentage of participants (20%) met diagnostic criteria for SLI than expected. The SLI and typical language (TL) groups did not significantly differ in adversity dosage, frequency, chronicity, or severity; however, participants in the SLI group were 1.46 times more likely to have experienced physical trauma than the participants in the TL group.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with known histories of adversity exposure presented with grammatical deficits and SLI more often than expected based on the DELV-NR normative sample; however, features of the adverse event did not associate with SLI status except for exposure to physical trauma (e.g., physical abuse and victimization). Future research is needed to investigate the prevalence and potential causal pathways of SLI in this population.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.20483706.

Work Setting Effects on Speech-Language Pathology Practice: Implications for Identification of Children With Specific Language Impairment

PURPOSE

Most research on language acquisition and impairments is neutral to work setting; however, work settings (e.g., schools, health care) are expected to differ in alignment with overlaid workplace models (e.g., education, medical). These differences may affect clinical service provision for individuals with specific language impairment (SLI). This article evaluates potential effects of work setting on top-down advocacy initiatives and clinical service provision for children with symptoms of SLI.

METHOD

Speech-language pathologists serving pediatric populations in health care-based (n = 140) and school-based (n = 423) work settings completed a three-part survey: (a) participant demographics, (b) report of case/workload and practice patterns, and (c) clinical vignettes and eligibility belief. Data analysis included descriptives and chi-square tests.

RESULTS

The work setting groups reported differences in eligibility terminology, eligibility criteria, and practice patterns from the point of referral through discharge. The reported differences aligned with overlaid workplace models. As compared to the school-based group, health care-based participants reported fewer eligibility restrictions in the workplace, agreed more often with a belief in less restrictive eligibility criteria, and reported more sensitive clinical decisions when operating under neutral workplace circumstances. Despite these findings, health care-based participants reported a smaller proportion of individuals with language impairment only on their caseload.

DISCUSSION

Work setting variations influence the underidentification of individuals with SLI for speech-language pathology services. Differences in responses by workplace indicate the need for unique and targeted advocacy efforts. Shifting diagnostic terminology and criteria will be insufficient in closing the gap unless advocacy efforts also address speech-language pathologists' workplace realities.

Awareness of developmental language disorder amongst workplace managers

BACKGROUND

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is one of the most prevalent developmental disorders and affects expressive and receptive language with no clear cause (Bishop et al., 2017). Awareness of DLD is currently much lower than other (sometimes less prevalent) disorders such as Autism or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Bishop, 2010). Despite this, it has now been established that the implications of DLD reach well into adulthood (Botting, 2020; Botting et al., 2016; Clegg et al., 2005; Johnson et al., 2010). Thus, DLD may affect not only school progress but also employment. Whilst recent research indicates that the rate of employment in this group was similar to peers (Conti-Ramsden et al., 2018), it also reported lower levels of employment in terms of hours, contracts and employment type. However, there is virtually no research examining why this might be the case. In contrast there is already a growing evidence base surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Dyslexia in the workplace. Systematic reviews of factors affecting employment in ASD and Dyslexia (de Beer et al., 2014; Scott et al., 2019) have revealed barriers including the job application process itself.

AIMS & METHODS

In this study we aimed to explore managers' awareness of DLD and their views on training, adjustments and feasibility when considering employing an individual with DLD. Specifically, we asked: 1) What awareness do managers have of DLD and how does this compare to awareness of ASD and other developmental disorders? 2) What is the extent of training on DLD and other developmental disorders in the workplace? 3) What barriers to employment are perceived to be most significant by managers? 4) What strategies do managers report as currently in place to help support people with DLD? 5) What are perceived strengths of people with DLD according to managers?

RESULTS

In total, 77 managers completed an anonymous online survey which was accessed via a social media link. Managers came from a wide variety of backgrounds with an equal split between public and private organisations, and across gender. The number of managers who had heard of DLD was lower than for the other disorders (ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia). This pattern was partly mirrored in the proportion of managers who felt they had received adequate training on communication difficulties. However, training on developmental disorders generally was reported as very scarce. A qualitative examination of barriers identified by managers included interviewing and CV submission, reading and following instructions, lack of clear guidelines around support needed, and financial restrictions in providing support.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support existing literature and have implications for policy and practice - namely that young people with DLD may need to be proactive about disclosing their language needs, and that workplaces need increased basic training in DLD.

English foreign language teachers' awareness of childhood language impairment

The increasing number of children with Language Impairment (LI) globally, and practitioners' limited knowledge and specialized training can have a serious effect on foreign language learning and development. The present study proposes useful and meaningful practices in the area of raising awareness and alerting a wide range of stakeholders in the field of language education. More specifically, the study concentrates on foreign language secondary school pre-service teacher trainees and their knowledge regarding a) students' problems in language understanding, b) why LI occurs and, c) LI intervention. This work aims to encourage collaboration among speech therapists and teachers, to foster a better understanding of each other's expertise, and create communication-friendly classrooms that will enhance foreign language development in a supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Descripción del cambio del TEL al TDL en contexto angloparlante

El Trastorno Específico del Lenguaje (TEL) es un trastorno del neurodesarrollo que afecta aproximadamente a un 7% de la población y que compromete a la expresión y/o comprensión del lenguaje oral. Sin embargo, es un trastorno muy desconocido para la población general. Uno de los factores que lo explican es la gran dispersión terminológica que diferentes profesionales y manuales de diagnóstico han utilizado para designarlo. Ante el gran desconocimiento del trastorno y la confusión generada a nivel profesional respecto a la nomenclatura y los criterios diagnósticos Bishop et al. (2016, 2017) llevaron a cabo dos estudios a través del método Delphi en el que participaron diferentes investigadores, profesionales del TEL así como personas de asociaciones de familiares del ámbito angloparlante (consorcio CATALISE). Las principales conclusiones fueron la apuesta por el cambio terminológico hacia el Trastorno del Desarrollo del Lenguaje (TDL) así como unos criterios de diagnósticos que enfatizan en las dificultades funcionales que genera el trastorno y en su pronóstico. En el presente artículo se hace una revisión exhaustiva de todas las implicaciones que los resultados de estos estudios tienen en la conceptualización, la evaluación y la intervención del trastorno. En el ámbito hispanohablante es necesario que se lleve a cabo un trabajo de reflexión y consenso que acuerde la nomenclatura y los criterios de diagnósticos para adaptarlos/ajustarlos al contexto sociocultural y lingüístico de todos los países de habla hispana.

Tense Marking in the Kindergarten Population: Testing the Bimodal Distribution Hypothesis

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore whether evidence for a bimodal distribution of tense marking, previously documented in clinically referred samples, exists in a population-based sample of kindergarten children from a rural county in Tennessee. Method A measure of tense marking, the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI) Screening Test, was individually administered to consented kindergarten students (N = 153) across three elementary schools in a single school district. The consented children constituted 73% of kindergartners in the district. Cluster analysis was used to evaluate the number and composition of latent classes that best fit the distribution of the TEGI Screening Test scores. Results Analysis of the scores revealed a distribution that deviated significantly from normality. Cluster analyses (Ward's, k-means, single linkage) revealed a two-cluster solution as the best fitting model. The very large effect-size difference in mean TEGI Screening Test score between the two clusters (d = 4.77) provides validation of an identifiable boundary delineating typical from atypical tense marking in this sample of kindergartners. The difference in tense marking across the two clusters was not attributable to child chronological age. The percentage of the sample comprising the low-performing cluster aligns with specific language impairment and developmental language disorder prevalence estimates. Conclusion Additional demonstrations of a bimodal distribution of tense marking in future studies with carefully defined samples could strengthen the clinical marker evidence and utility of this linguistic feature.

Promoting Reading Achievement in Children With Developmental Language Disorders: What Can We Learn From Research on Specific Language Impairment and Dyslexia?

Purpose Specific language impairment (SLI; see also developmental language disorder) and dyslexia are separate, yet frequently co-occurring disorders that confer risks to reading comprehension and academic achievement. Until recently, most studies of one disorder had little consideration of the other, and each disorder was addressed by different practitioners. However, understanding how the two disorders relate to each other is important for advancing theories about each disorder and improving reading comprehension and academic achievement. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to integrate research on SLI and dyslexia as well as advocate for the consideration of comorbidities in future research and clinical practice. Method The first section reviews definitions as well as inclusionary and exclusionary criteria for SLI and dyslexia. The second section reviews research demonstrating that SLI and dyslexia are different disorders that often co-occur. Studies examining language, working memory, and academic achievement in children with separate versus co-occurring SLI and dyslexia are reviewed. The final section compares and contrasts school identification frameworks for children with SLI and dyslexia and considers the potential benefits of incorporating broad language skills into response to intervention (RTI) assessment frameworks. Conclusions Children with weak language skills are at a high risk of experiencing reading problems, but language difficulties are often hidden from view. Directly addressing language skills within school RTI frameworks can help improve the identification and treatment of children with SLI and dyslexia as well as support improved reading comprehension and academic achievement for all students. Presentation Video https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13063793.

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.

Heritability of Specific Language Impairment and Nonspecific Language Impairment at Ages 4 and 6 Years Across Phenotypes of Speech, Language, and Nonverbal Cognition

Purpose Early language and speech acquisition can be delayed in twin children, a twinning effect that diminishes between 4 and 6 years of age in a population-based sample. The purposes of this study were to examine how twinning effects influence the identification of children with language impairments at 4 and 6 years of age, comparing children with specific language impairment (SLI) and nonspecific language impairment (NLI); the likelihood that affectedness will be shared within monozygotic versus dizygotic twin pairs; and estimated levels of heritability for SLI and NLI. Twinning effects are predicted to result in elevated rates of language impairments in twins. Method The population-based twin sample included 1,354 children from 677 twin pairs, 214 monozygotic and 463 dizygotic, enrolled in a longitudinal study. Nine phenotypes from the same comprehensive direct behavioral assessment protocol were investigated at 4 and 6 years of age. Twinning effects were estimated for each phenotype at each age using structural equation models estimated via diagonally weighted least squares. Heritabilities were calculated for SLI and NLI. Results As predicted, the twinning effect increased the percentage of affected children in both groups across multiple language phenotypes, an effect that diminished with age yet was still not aligned to singleton age peers. Substantial heritability estimates replicated across language phenotypes and increased with age, even with the most lenient definition of affectedness, at -1 SD. Patterns of outcomes differed between SLI and NLI groups. Conclusions Nonverbal IQ is not on the same causal pathway as language impairments. Twinning effects on language acquisition affect classification of 4- and 6-year-old children as SLI and NLI, and heritability is most consistent in the SLI group. Clinical practice requires monitoring language acquisition of twins to avoid misdiagnosis when young or a missed diagnosis of language impairments at school entry.