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Neitzel I. Vocabulary and expressive morpho-syntax in individuals with Down syndrome: Links to narration. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2024; 151:104781. [PMID: 38908111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Narrative ability is crucial for social participation in everyday and school life but involves different language abilities such as vocabulary and morpho-syntax. This is particularly difficult for individuals who display both language and cognitive impairments. Previous research has identified productive vocabulary as a possible key factor for narrative performance in individuals with Down syndrome. Considering a close connection between lexical and morpho-syntactic performance within language acquisition and the distinct impairments that individuals with Down syndrome display concerning their morpho-syntactic skills, the nature of a relation between vocabulary and narrative skills under the influence of grammatical deficits requires further investigation. METHODS Narrations were obtained from 28 children and adolescents with Down syndrome (aged 10;0-20;1) using a non-verbal picture book. Narrative abilities were rated using the Narrative Scoring Scheme across seven narrative aspects (including macro- and microstructure). Vocabulary analyses and morpho-lexical context analyses including verb and conjunction enumerations, evaluation of verb position and MLU were conducted. Findings from the transcript analysis have been supplemented with data from standardized language measures evaluating expressive lexical and morpho-syntactic development. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify significant predictors for narrative outcome in the participants with Down syndrome. RESULTS Lexical analyses revealed a high heterogeneity in production of subordinating conjunctions as a link between lexical and morpho-syntactic abilities. Comparisons of standardized and narrative data demonstrated differences in subordinate clause production depending on the elicitation setting. A multiple regression analysis identified the number of different verbs in the narrative task as the most significant predictor for narrative performance in individuals with Down syndrome. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge regarding factors that influence narrative performance in individuals with language impairment. A differentiated verb lexicon can be identified as the key ability for reaching advanced narrative skills in participants with Down syndrome. These findings are of clinical relevance for therapeutic and educational support and contribute to an understanding of the relation between strengths in vocabulary and morpho-syntactic weaknesses in individuals with Down syndrome within communicative participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Neitzel
- Department of Language and Communication, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
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Sánchez-Gómez V, Verdugo MÁ, Calvo MI, Amor AM, Palomero-Sierra B, Zampini L. How to Assess Oral Narrative Skills of Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:308. [PMID: 38667104 PMCID: PMC11047450 DOI: 10.3390/bs14040308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) often encounter difficulties with narrative skills. Yet, there is a lack of research focusing on how to assess these skills in this population. This study offers an overview of the tools used for assessing oral narrative skills in children and adolescents with ID, addressing key questions about common assessment tools, their characteristics, and reported evidence. A systematic review was conducted of the literature published between 2010 and 2023 in the PsycINFO, ERIC, Education, and Psychology databases. An initial 1176 studies were reviewed by abstract, of which 485 were read in full text, leading to the selection and analysis of 22 studies. Most of the identified tools involve analyzing language samples obtained using wordless picture story books. Three common tools are emphasized. Studies have primarily identified inter-rater reliability and test-criterion evidence for validity. The main tools and their characteristics are discussed in depth to aid readers in discerning suitable options for research or practical applications. The importance of reporting diverse sources of evidence for validity and reliability within this population is highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Sánchez-Gómez
- Institute for Community Inclusion (INICO), University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain; (M.Á.V.); (M.I.C.); (A.M.A.); (B.P.-S.)
| | - Miguel Ángel Verdugo
- Institute for Community Inclusion (INICO), University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain; (M.Á.V.); (M.I.C.); (A.M.A.); (B.P.-S.)
- Department of Personality, Assessment, and Psychological Treatments, University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain
| | - María Isabel Calvo
- Institute for Community Inclusion (INICO), University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain; (M.Á.V.); (M.I.C.); (A.M.A.); (B.P.-S.)
- Department of Didactics, Organization, and Research Methods, University of Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Antonio M. Amor
- Institute for Community Inclusion (INICO), University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain; (M.Á.V.); (M.I.C.); (A.M.A.); (B.P.-S.)
- Department of Personality, Assessment, and Psychological Treatments, University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Blanca Palomero-Sierra
- Institute for Community Inclusion (INICO), University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain; (M.Á.V.); (M.I.C.); (A.M.A.); (B.P.-S.)
- Department of Basic Psychology, Psychobiology, and Methodology of Behavioral Science, University of Salamanca, 37005 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Laura Zampini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy;
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Maltman N, Willer R, Sterling A. An Exploratory Study of Pragmatic Language Use Across Contexts With the Pragmatic Rating Scale-School Age Among Autistic Boys and Boys With Fragile X Syndrome Plus Autism. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:4547-4557. [PMID: 37844621 PMCID: PMC10721239 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Autistic boys and boys with co-occurring fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder (FXS + ASD) demonstrate similar pragmatic language difficulties. The Pragmatic Rating Scale-School Age (PRS-SA) captures ecologically valid metrics of pragmatic language impairments in these populations. It is traditionally scored based on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), which may limit the use of the PRS-SA more broadly in research and clinical contexts. METHOD This study evaluated the feasibility of the PRS-SA based on a shorter, semistructured conversational context compared to the ADOS in school-age autistic boys (n = 16) and boys with FXS + ASD (n = 16), matched on ASD traits. Differences across ADOS and conversational contexts and associations with ASD-related social difficulties were evaluated. RESULTS Findings revealed differences in PRS-SA scores between ADOS and conversational contexts, but only for the FXS + ASD group. Limited associations were observed between PRS-SA scores and ASD traits. CONCLUSIONS Results from this study indicate the feasibility of using the PRS-SA in a shorter conversational context than the ADOS to assess pragmatic language among autistic boys. For boys with FXS + ASD, contextual differences warrant careful consideration in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca Willer
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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4
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Neitzel I. Narrative abilities in individuals with Down syndrome: single case-profiles. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1116567. [PMID: 37854146 PMCID: PMC10579590 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1116567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Narrative abilities are an important part of our everyday lives and social interaction with others. Nevertheless, narration is a complex ability influenced by language and cognition. This makes it difficult for individuals with language and cognitive impairment, such as in children and adolescents with Down syndrome. Previous studies have shown distinct narrative impairments in individuals with Down syndrome; nevertheless, this research was based on overall group means in most cases. To identify individual strengths and weaknesses and to draw conclusions for speech and language therapy, the narrative profile of every participant should be considered equally. Following this approach, the current study aims to describe single case narrative profiles in individuals with Down syndrome. Methods The narrative transcripts of 28 children and adolescents with Down syndrome (aged 10;0-20;1), based on a non-verbal picture book, were rated using the Narrative Scoring Scheme across seven macro- and microstructural categories. Point scores across the whole group are displayed - nevertheless, the paper specifically addresses the individual narrative profiles of the participants. The participants could be assigned to narrative profile groups which show different characteristics, strengths and weaknesses. Group comparisons and correlations were computed for the relation to language abilities (especially vocabulary) and nonverbal cognitive abilities. Results The results of the two profile groups with minimal and developing narrative skills differ significantly not only concerning narrative outcomes in the Narrative Scoring Scheme but also for language abilities and developmental stage of nonverbal cognition. Individuals that show floor effects in narrative abilities are characterized by an overall weakness in language and cognition. In contrast, a group of approximately equal size shows distinct strengths in their narrative profiles which are in line with their vocabulary strengths, MLU and nonverbal cognition. Discussion The current study uses a new approach to identify individual narrative profiles in a group of individuals with Down syndrome. The results of the investigation underline the existence of narrative impairments in many individuals with Down syndrome but also point to individual strengths of the participants. Furthermore, the study outcomes suggest that narrative abilities might be representative for overall language and cognition in individuals with Down syndrome. However, intervention studies addressing narration are missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Neitzel
- Research Unit of Language and Communication, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
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Martin GE, Lee M, Bicknell K, Goodkind A, Maltman N, Losh M. A longitudinal investigation of pragmatic language across contexts in autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1155691. [PMID: 37545730 PMCID: PMC10402743 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1155691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pragmatic language, or the use of language in social contexts, is a critical skill in daily life, supporting social interactions and the development of meaningful social relationships. Pragmatic language is universally impacted in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and pragmatic deficits are also common in other neurodevelopmental conditions, particularly those related to ASD, such as fragile X syndrome (FXS). This study used a multi-method, longitudinal approach to characterize potentially unique pragmatic profiles across different neurodevelopmental disabilities, and across contexts that varied in degree of social demand. The utility of computational linguistic analyses, as an efficient tool for capturing pragmatic abilities, was also explored. Methods Pragmatic skills of boys with idiopathic ASD (ASD-O, n = 43), FXS with and without ASD (FXS-ASD, n = 57; FXS-O, n = 14), Down syndrome (DS, n = 22), and typical development (TD, n = 24) were compared using variables obtained from a standardized measure, narrative, and semi-naturalistic conversation at up to three time points. Results Pragmatic language was most significantly impacted among males with ASD-O and FXS-ASD across all three contexts, with more difficulties in the least structured context (conversation), and also some differences based on FXS comorbidity. Patterns of group differences were more nuanced for boys with FXS-O and DS, with context having less of an impact. Clinical groups demonstrated minimal changes in pragmatic skills with age, with some exceptions. Computational language measurement tools showed some utility for measuring pragmatic skills, but were not as successful as traditional methods at capturing differences between clinical groups. Conclusion Overlap and differences between ASD and other forms of neurodevelopmental disability in general, and between idiopathic and syndromic ASD in particular, have important implications for developing precisely tailored assessment and intervention approaches, consistent with a personalized medicine approach to clinical study and care in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary E. Martin
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, St. John’s University, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Michelle Lee
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Child Study Center, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY, United States
| | - Klinton Bicknell
- Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Duolingo, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Adam Goodkind
- Department of Linguistics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Communication Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Nell Maltman
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Molly Losh
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
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Maltman N, Hilvert E, Friedman L, Sterling A. Comparison of Linguistic Error Production in Conversational Language Among Boys With Fragile X Syndrome + Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autistic Boys. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:296-313. [PMID: 36599155 PMCID: PMC10023176 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Expressive language impairments are common among school-age boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autistic boys. Given the high co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among individuals with FXS, cross-condition comparisons can elucidate the specificity of such impairments as they relate to ASD. Language samples can provide fruitful information regarding individuals' grammatical skills in less structured formats relative to standardized measures. This study examined grammatical errors produced during a conversational language sample among 20 boys with FXS and co-occurring ASD (FXS + ASD) and 19 autistic boys matched on ASD severity. METHOD Language samples were coded for omissions and errors at the word and utterance levels. Participants' grammatical errors were also compared to separate mental age-matched and mean length of utterance-matched boys from a reference database. RESULTS Boys with FXS + ASD and autistic boys produced similar rates of errors across all categories. Relative to their matched comparison groups, boys with FXS + ASD and autistic boys produced significantly more omissions during conversation. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that omissions may be a unique grammatical marker associated with the ASD phenotype. Further examination of omissions across diagnostic groups would aid in clarifying the specificity of omissions in the language phenotype of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Friedman
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Hoffmann A. Communication in fragile X syndrome: Patterns and implications for assessment and intervention. Front Psychol 2022; 13:929379. [PMID: 36619013 PMCID: PMC9817301 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.929379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and is associated with a high rate of autism diagnosis. Language delays have been noted in the areas of overall communication and the specific areas of receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language, as well as in development of speech sounds and literacy. It has been widely noted that those individuals with a diagnosis of both FXS and autism tend to have more significant intellectual disability and language disorder. In this study, the research exploring the FXS language phenotype is presented, and the roles of cognition, autistic symptomatology, and gender are highlighted as possible. Implications for assessment and intervention approaches based on the strengths and weaknesses of the FXS language phenotype are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Hoffmann
- Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States,*Correspondence: Anne Hoffmann,
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Diez-Itza E, Viejo A, Fernández-Urquiza M. Pragmatic Profiles of Adults with Fragile X Syndrome and Williams Syndrome. Brain Sci 2022; 12:385. [PMID: 35326341 PMCID: PMC8946534 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Linguistic phenotypes of individuals with Fragile X (FXS) and Williams (WS) syndromes exhibit various degrees of pragmatic impairment, involving difficulties in social communication and in adapting to conversational principles. The goal of the present study was to explore syndrome-specific pragmatic profiles of adults with FXS and WS based on the assessment of the observance of Gricean maxims of conversation. The participants were 12 Spanish-speaking adults (6 FXS/6 WS), without a diagnosis of ASD, whose extensive naturalistic conversations (71,859 words) were transcribed and coded with the CHILDES/TALKBANK tools and the PREP-CORP pragmatic protocol. Violations of the maxims of conversation were analyzed, and indexes of cooperation and conversational response were obtained. Both groups showed reduced verbal production and repetitive dysfluencies; prominent features in the FXS profile were higher proportion of non-contingent language, perseverations of topic and form, and impulsive conversational responses; in the WS profile, salient characteristics were higher proportion of tangential utterances, reformulations, and conversational responses reflecting overly literal interpretation. Pragmatic profiles of violation of conversational maxims reflect specific communication skills impaired in adults with FXS and WS and raise the need for assessment and intervention methods that specifically address their social communication abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliseo Diez-Itza
- LOGIN Research Group, University of Oviedo, 33003 Oviedo, Spain; (A.V.); (M.F.-U.)
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Neal CN, Brady NC, Fleming KK. Narrative Analysis in Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2022; 127:11-28. [PMID: 34979037 DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-127.1.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This study analyzed narratives of male and female adolescents with fragile X syndrome (FXS). The impact of structural language, cognition and autism symptomatology on narrative skills and the association between narratives and literacy were examined. Narratives from 32 adolescents with FXS (24 males, 8 females) were analyzed for macrostructure. Relationships between narrative macrostructure, language scores, cognitive scores, Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition scores and literacy skills were examined. Males produced more simplistic narratives, whereas the females' narratives were more complex. Language scores predicted narrative scores above and beyond nonverbal cognitive skills and autism symptomatology. Narrative scores correlated with literacy scores. Narrative skills in FXS are predicted by language skills and are correlated with literacy skills. Investigation into narrative interventions in FXS is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corinne N Neal
- Corinne N. Neal, Nancy C. Brady, and Kandace K. Fleming, The University of Kansas
| | - Nancy C Brady
- Corinne N. Neal, Nancy C. Brady, and Kandace K. Fleming, The University of Kansas
| | - Kandace K Fleming
- Corinne N. Neal, Nancy C. Brady, and Kandace K. Fleming, The University of Kansas
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Maltman N, Guilfoyle J, Nayar K, Martin GE, Winston M, Lau JCY, Bush L, Patel S, Lee M, Sideris J, Hall DA, Zhou L, Sharp K, Berry-Kravis E, Losh M. The Phenotypic Profile Associated With the FMR1 Premutation in Women: An Investigation of Clinical-Behavioral, Social-Cognitive, and Executive Abilities. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:718485. [PMID: 34421690 PMCID: PMC8377357 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The FMR1 gene in its premutation (PM) state has been linked to a range of clinical and subclinical phenotypes among FMR1 PM carriers, including some subclinical traits associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study attempted to further characterize the phenotypic profile associated with the FMR1 PM by studying a battery of assessments examining clinical-behavioral traits, social-cognitive, and executive abilities in women carrying the FMR1 PM, and associations with FMR1-related variability. Participants included 152 female FMR1 PM carriers and 75 female controls who were similar in age and IQ, and screened for neuromotor impairments or signs of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome. The phenotypic battery included assessments of ASD-related personality and language (i.e., pragmatic) traits, symptoms of anxiety and depression, four different social-cognitive tasks that tapped the ability to read internal states and emotions based on different cues (e.g., facial expressions, biological motion, and complex social scenes), and a measure of executive function. Results revealed a complex phenotypic profile among the PM carrier group, where subtle differences were observed in pragmatic language, executive function, and social-cognitive tasks that involved evaluating basic emotions and trustworthiness. The PM carrier group also showed elevated rates of ASD-related personality traits. In contrast, PM carriers performed similarly to controls on social-cognitive tasks that involved reliance on faces and biological motion. The PM group did not differ from controls on self-reported depression or anxiety symptoms. Using latent profile analysis, we observed three distinct subgroups of PM carriers who varied considerably in their performance across tasks. Among PM carriers, CGG repeat length was a significant predictor of pragmatic language violations. Results suggest a nuanced phenotypic profile characterized by subtle differences in select clinical-behavioral, social-cognitive, and executive abilities associated with the FMR1 PM in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nell Maltman
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Janna Guilfoyle
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Kritika Nayar
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Gary E. Martin
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, St. John's University, Staten Island, NY, United States
| | - Molly Winston
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Joseph C. Y. Lau
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Lauren Bush
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Shivani Patel
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Michelle Lee
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - John Sideris
- Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Deborah A. Hall
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lili Zhou
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kevin Sharp
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Molly Losh
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
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Boo C, Alpers-Leon N, McIntyre N, Mundy P, Naigles L. Conversation During a Virtual Reality Task Reveals New Structural Language Profiles of Children with ASD, ADHD, and Comorbid Symptoms of Both. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2970-2983. [PMID: 34244916 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05175-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many studies have utilized standardized measures and storybook narratives to characterize language profiles of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They report that structural language of these children is on par with mental-age-matched typically developing (TD) peers. Few studies have looked at structural language profiles in conversational contexts. This study examines conversational speech produced in a virtual reality (VR) paradigm to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of structural language abilities of these children. The VR paradigm introduced varying social and cognitive demands across phases. Our results indicate that children from these diagnostic groups produced less complex structural language than TD children. Moreover, language complexity decreased in all groups across phases, suggesting a cross-etiology sensitivity to conversational contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Boo
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA.
| | - Nora Alpers-Leon
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
| | - Nancy McIntyre
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida, 12805 Pegasus Drive, Orlando, FL, 32816, USA
| | - Peter Mundy
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, Imaging Research Center, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
| | - Letitia Naigles
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road., Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269-1020, USA
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Zanchi P, Zampini L, Panzeri F. Narrative and prosodic skills in children and adolescents with Down syndrome and typically developing children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2021; 23:286-294. [PMID: 33956550 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2020.1804618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Children with Down Syndrome (DS) show difficulties in language development, in both basic and complex abilities, as narratives. Less is known about the prosodic competence in DS, but the few available studies highlighted the presence of some deficits. Considering the importance of narratives and prosody in communication, the main aim of this study is to investigate these two competencies in participants with DS. METHOD 13 children with DS participated (Mean age: 13;04, years; months). Their narrative and prosodic abilities, collected through a storytelling task, were compared with those of two control groups of typically developing (TD) children, one matched for nonverbal mental age (MA, Mean age: 5;03) and the other matched for the mean length of utterance (MLU, Mean age: 5;05). For the narrative competence, we considered both the macrostructural (i.e. quantity of information and story structure) and the microstructural level (i.e. verbal productivity, lexical diversity, syntactic complexity). For the prosodic competence, we took into account acoustic measures linked to intonation (i.e. mean fundamental frequency (f0), pitch range, final speech profile, and speed of speech). RESULT The results of the Mann-Whitney test showed that participants with DS produced stories comparable to those of TD children in nearly all the variables considered, except for the syntactic complexity when compared with children of the same MA. Differences between participants with DS and TD children were found in the f0 and the final pitch profile used. CONCLUSION Considering the small size of the samples, these preliminary results should be taken with caution. Nonetheless, this study confirms the presence of difficulties in the prosody of speech and in the syntactic competence of children with DS. These difficulties could have consequences on the possibility to communicate efficiently and should be taken into account in rehabilitation programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Zanchi
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Zampini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Panzeri
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Hao Y, Franco JH, Sundarrajan M, Chen Y. A Pilot Study Comparing Tele-therapy and In-Person Therapy: Perspectives from Parent-Mediated Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:129-143. [PMID: 32377905 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04439-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Conclusions about the efficacy of tele-therapy for parent-mediated intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are limited, due to the shortage of direct comparisons between tele-therapy and traditional face-to-face therapy. In this study, we implemented a parent training program, which targeted on language facilitating intervention strategies. Fifteen parents of children with ASD participated in person, and 15 participated via online video conferencing. We measured parents' intervention fidelity and children's initiations, responses, lexical diversity and morphosyntactic complexity. Results indicated significant improvements in parents' fidelity and children's lexical diversity and morphosyntactic complexity. No significant differences were detected between the two therapy delivery groups on any outcome measures. Finally, children's progress on morphosyntactic complexity was significantly correlated with parents' improvement on fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Hao
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, 2301 South Lamar, NE, Suite 1200, Oxford, MS, 38655, USA.
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA.
| | - Jessica H Franco
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Madhu Sundarrajan
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of the Pacific, Stockton, USA
| | - Yao Chen
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
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14
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Portilla AY, Almanza V, Castillo AD, Restrepo G. El desarrollo de las habilidades narrativas en niños: una revisión sistemática de la literatura. REVISTA DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN LOGOPEDIA 2021. [DOI: 10.5209/rlog.67607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Este artículo pretende identificar los modelos teóricos que describen el desarrollo de la narrativa oral en niños y establecer cuáles componentes del lenguaje influyen en dicho proceso. Con este propósito, llevamos a cabo una revisión sistemática de las investigaciones más recientes sobre este tema (2000-2019). Analizamos 10 estudios longitudinales que reportan resultados de medidas del lenguaje y la narrativa oral tomados durante el seguimiento de una población de niños y niñas por un periodo de al menos 12 meses. Estas medidas son la conciencia metalingüística, el lenguaje estructural y el discurso narrativo, entre otras. Nuestros resultados indican que la habilidad de contar un relato es uno de los mejores predictores del desarrollo del lenguaje en la etapa preescolar y del aprendizaje de la lectoescritura en la edad escolar. También encontramos que los modelos para explicar este proceso son escasos y que ignoran con frecuencia el componente pragmático.
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Barokova MD, La Valle C, Hassan S, Lee C, Xu M, McKechnie R, Johnston E, Krol MA, Leano J, Tager-Flusberg H. Eliciting Language Samples for Analysis (ELSA): A New Protocol for Assessing Expressive Language and Communication in Autism. Autism Res 2020; 14:112-126. [PMID: 32909382 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Expressive language and communication are among the key targets of interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and natural language samples provide an optimal approach for their assessment. Currently, there are no protocols for collecting such samples that cover a wide range of ages or language abilities, particularly for children/adolescents who have very limited spoken language. We introduce a new protocol for collecting language samples, eliciting language samples for analysis (ELSA), and a novel approach for deriving basic measures of verbal communicative competence from it that bypasses the need for time-consuming transcription. Study 1 presents ELSA-adolescents (ELSA-A), designed for minimally and low-verbal older children/adolescents with ASD. The protocol successfully engaged and elicited speech from 46 participants across a wide range of ages (6;6-19;7) with samples averaging 20-25 min. The collected samples were segmented into speaker utterances (examiner and participant) using real-time coding as one is listening to the audio recording and two measures were derived: frequency of utterances and conversational turns per minute. These measures were shown to be reliable and valid. For Study 2, ELSA was adapted for younger children (ELSA-Toddler [ELSA-T]) with samples averaging 29 min from 19 toddlers (2;8-4;10 years) with ASD. Again, measures of frequency of utterances and conversational turns derived from ELSA-T were shown to have strong psychometric properties. In Study 3, we found that ELSA-A and ELSA-T were equivalent in eliciting language from 17 children with ASD (ages: 4;0-6;8), demonstrating their suitability for deriving robust objective assessments of expressive language that could be used to track change in ability over time. We introduce a new protocol for collecting expressive language samples, ELSA, that can be used with a wide age range, from toddlers (ELSA-T) to older adolescents (ELSA-A) with ASD who have minimal or low-verbal abilities. The measures of language and communication derived from them, frequency of utterances, and conversational turns per minute, using real-time coding methods, can be used to characterize ability and chart change in intervention research. LAY SUMMARY: We introduce a new protocol for collecting expressive language samples, ELSA, that can be used with a wide age range, from toddlers (ELSA-T) to older adolescents (ELSA-A) with autism spectrum disorder who have minimal or low-verbal abilities. The measures of language and communication derived from them, frequency of utterances and conversational turns per minute, using real-time coding methods, can be used to characterize ability and chart change in intervention research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela D Barokova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chelsea La Valle
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sommer Hassan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Easy Speech Pathology Clinic, Palm Desert, California, USA
| | - Collin Lee
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, La Mirada, California, USA
| | - Mengyuan Xu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,1500 Commerce Park Dr, Reston, VA, 20191, USA
| | - Riley McKechnie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily Johnston
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manon A Krol
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Donders Institute, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Leano
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Helen Tager-Flusberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Center for Autism Research Excellence, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Maras K, Dando C, Stephenson H, Lambrechts A, Anns S, Gaigg S. The Witness-Aimed First Account (WAFA): A new technique for interviewing autistic witnesses and victims. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:1449-1467. [PMID: 32168990 PMCID: PMC7376626 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320908986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autistic people may be more likely to be interviewed by police as a victim/witness, yet they experience social communication difficulties alongside specific memory difficulties that can impact their ability to recall information from memory. Police interviewing techniques do not take account of these differences, and so are often ineffective. We developed a new technique for interviewing autistic witnesses, referred to a Witness-Aimed First Account, which was designed to better support differences in the way that autistic witnesses process information in memory. The Witness-Aimed First Account technique encourages witnesses to first segment the witnessed event into discrete, parameter-bound event topics, which are then displayed on post-it notes while the witness goes onto freely recall as much information as they can from within each parameter-bound topic in turn. Since witnessed events are rarely cohesive stories with a logical chain of events, we also explored autistic and non-autistic witnesses' recall when the events were witnessed in a random (nonsensical) order. Thirty-three autistic and 30 typically developing participants were interviewed about their memory for two videos depicting criminal events. Clip segments of one video were 'scrambled', disrupting the event's narrative structure; the other video was watched intact. Although both autistic and non-autistic witnesses recalled fewer details with less accuracy from the scrambled video, Witness-Aimed First Account interviews resulted in more detailed and accurate recall from both autistic and non-autistic witnesses, for both scrambled and unscrambled videos. The Witness-Aimed First Account technique may be a useful tool to improve witnesses' accounts within a legally appropriate, non-leading framework.
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Del Hoyo Soriano L, Thurman AJ, Harvey D, Kover ST, Abbeduto L. Expressive language development in adolescents with Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome: change over time and the role of family-related factors. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:18. [PMID: 32593286 PMCID: PMC7321535 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09320-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is well known that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) or fragile X syndrome (FXS) demonstrate expressive language difficulties beginning early in childhood. It is less clear, however, whether expressive language skills change during the adolescent period in these individuals, and if any of these changes are syndrome specific. Studying this, as well as the role of maternal and family-related factors in expressive language development, may provide the foundation for efficacious interventions for adolescents with DS or FXS. METHODS In this study, we examined expressive language trajectories, assessed through conversation and narration, in 57 adolescent males with intellectual disability (ID) (20 DS and 37 FXS) in relation to the diagnostic group (DS vs. FXS) and family-related factors (maternal IQ, maternal psychological distress, closeness in the mother-child relationship, family income, and maternal and paternal education) after adjusting for chronological age (CA) and nonverbal cognition. RESULTS Changes over repeated annual assessments for males with DS or FXS were observed only during conversation, such as an increase in talkativeness, but a decrease in syntax complexity and lexical diversity. We found a diagnosis-related effect in the change over time in conversational talkativeness favoring those with FXS. Finally, a closer mother-child relationship predicted less decrease over time in lexical diversity during conversation, and participants of mothers who graduated college showed a greater increase in conversational talkativeness over time compared to those of mothers with a high school education. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, during the adolescent period for males with DS or FXS, there is an increase in the amount of talk produced in conversational contexts, but also a decrease in the quality of the language produced. In addition, our results indicate syndrome-specificity for aspects of expressive language development and reinforce the protective role of family-related factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Del Hoyo Soriano
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Rm 2101, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA.
| | - Angela John Thurman
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Rm 2101, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA
| | - Danielle Harvey
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sara T Kover
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- The MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Rm 2101, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA
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18
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Friedman L, Lorang E, Hilvert E, Sterling A. "Are We Done Yet?" Question-Asking in Boys With Fragile X Syndrome and Idiopathic Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:1822-1834. [PMID: 32421422 PMCID: PMC7839035 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose Question-asking serves as a tool to learn new information and is important in both academic and social settings. Boys with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and boys with fragile X syndrome and comorbid ASD (FXS + ASD) have similar social communication deficits, which may have downstream effects on their question-asking ability. This study examined question-asking in school-age boys with idiopathic ASD and FXS + ASD, including the role of ASD severity, expressive grammatical complexity (measured by mean length of utterance [MLU]), and IQ. Method Twenty-five boys with FXS + ASD and 21 boys with idiopathic ASD (ages 9-16 years) were included in this study. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule assessments were transcribed and coded for the frequency, function, and appropriateness of spontaneous questions asked. We examined group differences in these aspects of question-asking and relationships between question-asking and ASD severity, MLU, and IQ within each group. Results Boys with FXS + ASD asked more questions than boys with idiopathic ASD, although boys with idiopathic ASD asked a higher proportion of appropriate questions. Boys with idiopathic ASD also asked the examiner more personal questions than the boys with FXS + ASD. ASD severity and MLU were related to the proportion of clarification questions in FXS + ASD, and ASD severity was also related to the proportion of personal questions in this group. For the boys with idiopathic ASD, ASD severity was related to the total number of questions asked. Conclusions Our findings highlight similarities and differences between boys with FXS + ASD and idiopathic ASD in their spontaneous question production and indicate that ASD severity and grammatical language are differentially important for question-asking. This study has implications for targeted treatment in question-asking skills for boys with FXS + ASD and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Friedman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Emily Lorang
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | | | - Audra Sterling
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Channell MM. Cross-Sectional Trajectories of Mental State Language Development in Children With Down Syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2020; 29:760-775. [PMID: 32293911 PMCID: PMC7842864 DOI: 10.1044/2020_ajslp-19-00035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Purpose This article (a) examined the cross-sectional trajectories of mental state language use in children with Down syndrome (DS) and (b) identified developmental factors associated with its use. Method Forty children with DS aged 6-11 years generated stories from a wordless picture book and completed an assessment battery of other linguistic, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. Their narratives were coded for mental state language density (the proportion of utterances containing mental state references) and diversity (the number of different mental state terms used). Results The emergence of mental state language use during narrative storytelling was observed across the sample; 0%-24% of children's utterances included references to mental states, and a variety of mental state terms were produced. Cross-sectional developmental trajectory analysis revealed that expressive vocabulary and morphosyntax were significantly related to increased mental state language density and diversity. Nonverbal emotion knowledge was significantly related to greater diversity of mental state terms used. Age and nonverbal cognition were not significant factors. Conclusions This first in-depth, within-syndrome characterization of mental state language use by school-age children with DS provides an important next step for understanding mental state and narrative development in this population. By identifying skills associated with the development of mental state language, this study provides an avenue for future longitudinal research to determine causal relationships, ultimately informing intervention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Moore Channell
- Department of Speech & Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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20
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Hilvert E. Expressive language abilities of boys with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder and boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder: Cross-context comparisons. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2020; 5:2396941520912118. [PMID: 36381548 PMCID: PMC9620452 DOI: 10.1177/2396941520912118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Understanding the unique expressive language profiles of children with phenotypically similar, but distinct neurodevelopmental disorders, such as idiopathic autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome with a co-diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder), has both clinical and theoretical implications. However, comparative studies of these two clinical groups have been limited, and results have been inconsistent, partially as a result of different assessment methods being utilized. Thus, the current study compared the expressive language profiles of boys with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder and boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder and examined whether a similar linguistic profile emerged across different language sampling contexts: a semi-structured conversation and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. METHODS Eighteen boys with autism spectrum disorder (Mage = 13.25 years) and 19 boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder (Mage = 12.19 years), matched on autism spectrum disorder symptom severity and similar in terms of chronological age and mean length of utterance, participated in this study. Boys produced two language samples: one semi-structured conversation and one taken from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Language samples were coded for talkativeness, lexical diversity, mean length of utterance, intelligibility, and repetitive or perseverative language. RESULTS Analyses revealed that boys with autism spectrum disorder produced language samples that were more lexically diverse and intelligible, and that included less topic perseveration compared to boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder. With regards to sampling context, boys in both groups were more talkative and produced longer and more intelligible utterances in their conversation sample compared to their Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule sample. However, boys with autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder used a higher proportion of topic perseveration during the conversation sample. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we found similarities as well as distinctions in the expressive language profiles of boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder and boys with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule sample elicited a relatively different language profile than the conversation sample for boys in both groups. IMPLICATIONS These findings help to further elucidate the unique language phenotypes of boys with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder and boys with fragile X syndrome + autism spectrum disorder. Moreover, our findings indicate that multiple language samples may be needed to obtain a comprehensive account of a child's expressive language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hilvert
- Elizabeth Hilvert, University of Wisconsin
Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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21
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Kover ST, Abbeduto L. Syntactic Ability of Girls With Fragile X Syndrome: Phonological Memory and Discourse Demands on Complex Sentence Use. AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2019; 124:511-534. [PMID: 31756147 PMCID: PMC6876634 DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-124.6.511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to establish the extent of delay in complex sentence use by females with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and to identify sources of variability among individuals. Females with FXS (n = 16; 10;2-15;7) and younger typically developing girls (n = 17; 4;1-8;11) were group-wise matched on nonverbal cognition and receptive syntax. Language samples (conversation and narration) yielded syntactic complexity in terms of mean length of C-unit (MLCU) and Developmental Level sentence coding (DLevel; Rosenberg & Abbeduto, 1987 ). Complex syntax was not weaker than developmental expectations; however, MLCU was lower than expected for age. Phonological memory and verbal working memory correlated with measures of syntactic complexity in narration. Discourse demands may play an important role in the language produced by females with FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara T Kover
- Sara T. Kover, University of Washington; and Leonard Abbeduto, University of California, Davis
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- Sara T. Kover, University of Washington; and Leonard Abbeduto, University of California, Davis
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Del Hoyo Soriano L, Thurman AJ, Abbeduto L. Specificity: A Phenotypic Comparison of Communication-Relevant Domains Between Youth With Down Syndrome and Fragile X Syndrome. Front Genet 2018; 9:424. [PMID: 30327664 PMCID: PMC6174242 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the shared presence of an intellectual disability (ID), there is a growing literature documenting important phenotypic differences between Down syndrome (DS) and fragile X syndrome (FXS). These conclusions, however, are based on a synthesis across studies, each of which typically includes only measures of a limited number of constructs, and with differing participant characteristics. Firmer conclusions regarding specific phenotypes require a single comprehensive multi-domain assessment of participants with the syndrome groups being well matched on chronological age (CA) and cognitive functioning. The current study was designed to fill this gap by assessing several important cognitive and behavioral domains relevant to communication, such as: structural language skills, false belief understanding, as well as pragmatics and behavioral difficulties, in 30 adolescents of both sexes with DS and 39 males with FXS, matched on CA and nonverbal (NV) cognition. After statistically controlling for NV cognition, we did not find significant syndrome differences in expressive and receptive structural language or false belief understanding. In contrast, participants with DS displayed less stereotyped language and fewer behavioral difficulties compared to males with FXS. Within-syndrome associations among the targeted domains are described. Finally, females with DS were less impaired than males with DS in almost all structural language domains, whereas no significant sex-related differences were observed in NV cognition, false belief understanding, pragmatics, or behavior. Clinical and methodological implications of the findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Del Hoyo Soriano
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Angela John Thurman
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
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Barstein J, Martin GE, Lee M, Losh M. A Duck Wearing Boots?! Pragmatic Language Strategies for Repairing Communication Breakdowns Across Genetically Based Neurodevelopmental Disabilities. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2018; 61:1440-1454. [PMID: 29800075 PMCID: PMC6195092 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-17-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The ability to repair breakdowns in communication is an important pragmatic language skill that helps to maintain clear and meaningful interactions. Examining this ability in genetically based neurodevelopmental disabilities in which pragmatics are affected can provide important information about the precise pragmatic skills impacted across different populations and also help to identify core mechanisms underlying pragmatic impairment that may inform tailored interventions. METHOD Individuals with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD-O; n = 40), fragile X syndrome with comorbid autism spectrum disorder (FXS-ASD; n = 62), FXS without ASD (FXS-O; n = 38), Down syndrome (DS; n = 43), and typical development (TD; n = 42) completed a picture description task in which an examiner prompted for clarification repeatedly to elicit communication repair attempts. Participants' response strategies were compared across diagnostic groups and by sex and examined in relationship to different cognitive abilities. RESULTS Relatively few group differences were observed in responses to requests for clarification overall. Males with ASD-O responded less to clarification requests than males with FXS-ASD and FXS-O, and males with FXS-ASD responded more inappropriately than males with ASD-O and DS. All male groups became less responsive to prompts for communication repair across the series of requests. Males with TD and FXS-ASD used less effective strategies than females. CONCLUSION All groups showed some proficiency in repairing communication breakdowns, although individuals with ASD-O and FXS-ASD demonstrated some key areas of difficulty, highlighting the importance of considering ASD symptomatology in assessment and treatment of males with FXS. Findings also suggest that, across groups, multiple requests for clarification may lead to disengagement from the interaction. Finally, correlated skills observed across groups could implicate different underlying skills related to communication repair abilities across groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Barstein
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Gary E. Martin
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, St. John's University, Staten Island, NY
| | - Michelle Lee
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Molly Losh
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
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25
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Ashby SA, Channell MM, Abbeduto L. Inferential language use by youth with Down syndrome during narration. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2017; 71:98-108. [PMID: 29032290 PMCID: PMC5675781 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
We examined inferential language use by youth with Down syndrome (DS) in the context of narrative storytelling relative to younger typically developing (TD) children and same-aged peers with fragile X syndrome (FXS) matched on nonverbal cognitive ability level. Participants' narratives were coded for the use of different types of inferential language. Participants with DS used proportionately less inferential language overall relative to their counterparts with TD or FXS, although mean length of utterance accounted for group differences observed for the DS-TD group comparison only. Patterns of inferential language use varied across inferential subtypes and across participant groups, with mean length of utterance playing a significant role in group differences. These findings suggest potential syndrome specificity to the DS phenotype regarding impairments in inferential language use that can be partially explained by level of expressive syntactic ability and should be considered in future research. Clinical interventions within the DS population, therefore, should target to some extent the use of inferential language and complex sentence structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shealyn A Ashby
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 901 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.
| | - Marie Moore Channell
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 901 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA.
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Volden J, Dodd E, Engel K, Smith IM, Szatmari P, Fombonne E, Zwaigenbaum L, Mirenda P, Bryson S, Roberts W, Vaillancourt T, Waddell C, Elsabbagh M, Bennett T, Georgiades S, Duku E. Beyond Sentences: Using the Expression, Reception, and Recall of Narratives Instrument to Assess Communication in School-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:2228-2240. [PMID: 28785770 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-l-16-0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Impairments in the social use of language are universal in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but few standardized measures evaluate communication skills above the level of individual words or sentences. This study evaluated the Expression, Reception, and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI; Bishop, 2004) to determine its contribution to assessing language and communicative impairment beyond the sentence level in children with ASD. METHOD A battery of assessments, including measures of cognition, language, pragmatics, severity of autism symptoms, and adaptive functioning, was administered to 74 8- to 9-year-old intellectually able children with ASD. RESULTS Average performance on the ERRNI was significantly poorer than on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition (CELF-4). In addition, ERRNI scores reflecting the number and quality of relevant story components included in the participants' narratives were significantly positively related to scores on measures of nonverbal cognitive skill, language, and everyday adaptive communication, and significantly negatively correlated with the severity of affective autism symptoms. CONCLUSION Results suggest that the ERRNI reveals discourse impairments that may not be identified by measures that focus on individual words and sentences. Overall, the ERRNI provides a useful measure of communicative skill beyond the sentence level in school-aged children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erin Dodd
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Isabel M Smith
- Dalhousie University and Isaak Walton Killam Children's Hospital, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Pat Mirenda
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Susan Bryson
- Dalhousie University and Isaak Walton Killam Children's Hospital, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric Duku
- McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Lee M, Bush L, Martin GE, Barstein J, Maltman N, Klusek J, Losh M. A Multi-Method Investigation of Pragmatic Development in Individuals With Down Syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2017; 122:289-309. [PMID: 28654411 PMCID: PMC5800500 DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-122.4.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
This longitudinal study examined pragmatic language in boys and girls with Down syndrome (DS) at up to three time points, using parent report, standardized and direct assessments. We also explored relationships among theory of mind, executive function, nonverbal mental age, receptive and expressive vocabulary, grammatical complexity, and pragmatic competence. Controlling for cognitive and language abilities, children with DS demonstrated greater difficulty than younger typically developing controls on parent report and standardized assessments, but only girls with DS differed on direct assessments. Further, pragmatic skills of individuals with DS developed at a delayed rate relative to controls. Some sex-specific patterns of pragmatic impairments emerged. Theory of mind and executive function both correlated with pragmatic competence. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lee
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
| | - Lauren Bush
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
| | - Gary E Martin
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
| | - Jamie Barstein
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
| | - Nell Maltman
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
| | - Jessica Klusek
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
| | - Molly Losh
- Michelle Lee and Lauren Bush, Northwestern University; Gary E. Martin, St. John's University; Jamie Barstein and Nell Maltman, Northwestern University; Jessica Klusek, University of South Carolina; and Molly Losh, Northwestern University
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Lee M, Martin GE, Hogan A, Hano D, Gordon PC, Losh M. What's the story? A computational analysis of narrative competence in autism. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2017; 22:335-344. [PMID: 28095705 DOI: 10.1177/1362361316677957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder demonstrate narrative (i.e. storytelling) difficulties which can significantly impact their ability to form and maintain social relationships. However, existing research has not comprehensively documented these impairments in more open-ended, emotionally evocative situations common to daily interactions. Computational linguistic measures offer a promising complement to traditional hand-coding methods of narrative analysis and in this study were applied together with hand coding of narratives elicited with emotionally salient scenes from the Thematic Apperception Test. In total, 19 individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 14 typically developing controls were asked to tell stories about six images from the Thematic Apperception Test. Both structural and qualitative aspects of narrative were assessed using a hand-coding system and Latent Semantic Analysis, an automated computational measure of semantic similarity. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder demonstrated significant difficulties with the use of complex syntax to integrate their narratives and problems explaining characters' intentions. These and other key narrative skills were strongly related to narrative competence scores derived from Latent Semantic Analysis, which also distinguished the autism spectrum disorder group from controls. Together, results underscore key narrative impairments in autism spectrum disorder and support the promise of Latent Semantic Analysis as a valuable tool for the quantitative assessment of complex language abilities.
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Channell MM, McDuffie AS, Bullard LM, Abbeduto L. Narrative language competence in children and adolescents with Down syndrome. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:283. [PMID: 26578913 PMCID: PMC4626566 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This study was designed to examine the narrative language abilities of children and adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) in comparison to same-age peers with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and younger typically developing (TD) children matched by nonverbal cognitive ability levels. Participants produced narrative retells from a wordless picture book. Narratives were analyzed at the macrostructural (i.e., their internal episodic structure) and the microstructural (i.e., rate of use of specific word categories) levels. Mean length of utterance (MLU), a microstructural metric of syntactic complexity, was used as a control variable. Participants with DS produced fewer episodic elements in their narratives (i.e., their narratives were less fully realized) than the TD participants, although MLU differences accounted for the macrostructural differences between participant groups. At the microstructural level, participants with DS displayed a lower rate of verb use than the groups with FXS and typical development, even after accounting for MLU. These findings reflect both similarities and differences between individuals with DS or FXS and contribute to our understanding of the language phenotype of DS. Implications for interventions to promote language development and academic achievement are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Moore Channell
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis Davis, CA, USA ; Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL, USA
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Carney J, Wlodarski R, Dunbar R. Inference or enaction? The impact of genre on the narrative processing of other minds. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114172. [PMID: 25470279 PMCID: PMC4254787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Do narratives shape how humans process other minds or do they presuppose an existing theory of mind? This study experimentally investigated this problem by assessing subject responses to systematic alterations in the genre, levels of intentionality, and linguistic complexity of narratives. It showed that the interaction of genre and intentionality level are crucial in determining how narratives are cognitively processed. Specifically, genres that deployed evolutionarily familiar scenarios (relationship stories) were rated as being higher in quality when levels of intentionality were increased; conversely, stories that lacked evolutionary familiarity (espionage stories) were rated as being lower in quality with increases in intentionality level. Overall, the study showed that narrative is not solely either the origin or the product of our intuitions about other minds; instead, different genres will have different-even opposite-effects on how we understand the mind states of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Carney
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Rafael Wlodarski
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Kover ST, Davidson MM, Sindberg HA, Ellis Weismer S. Use of the ADOS for assessing spontaneous expressive language in young children with ASD: a comparison of sampling contexts. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2014; 57:2221-33. [PMID: 25093577 PMCID: PMC4270883 DOI: 10.1044/2014_jslhr-l-13-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The current study compared the spontaneous expressive language of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across multiple language sampling contexts: the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS; Lord, Rutter, DiLavore, & Risi, 1999) and play with an examiner or parent. METHOD Participants were children with ASD (n = 63; 55 boys) with a mean age of 45 months (SD = 3.94, range = 37-53). The number of utterances produced; percentage of intelligible utterances; number of different words; mean length of utterance; and the number of requests, comments, and instances of turn-taking were calculated for the ADOS, examiner-child play, and parent-child play. Children were categorized into Tager-Flusberg et al.'s (2009) developmental language phases for each context. RESULTS Effects of sampling context were identified for all variables examined. The ADOS resulted in fewer utterances and lower structural and pragmatic language performance than examiner-child play and/or parent-child play. Categorization of children into language phases differed across contexts. CONCLUSIONS Use of the ADOS as a language sampling context may lead to underestimating the abilities of young children with ASD relative to play with an examiner or parent. Researchers and clinicians should be aware of context effects, particularly for assessments designed to observe autism symptoms.
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