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Leung CYY, Suskind DL. Early Parental Knowledge and Parent-Child Conversations Promote Preschool Language Skills: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Acad Pediatr 2024; 24:1062-1067. [PMID: 38944150 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2024.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This randomized controlled trial examined the long-term impact of the 3Ts-HV intervention on preschool-aged children's language skills through promoting parental knowledge and parent-child conversational turns during toddlerhood among families from low-socioeconomic status backgrounds, controlling for parental education level, parental language skills, and child's age. METHODS Ninety two parent-toddler dyads of low socioeconomic status were randomized to receive either the 3Ts-HV intervention (n = 46) or Healthy Lifestyle control (n = 46) curriculum from 14 to 20 months. Parental language skills were assessed at 14 months; parental knowledge was assessed at 14 and 26 months; parent-child conversational turn count was assessed at 14 and 38 months; children's language skills were assessed at 50 months. RESULTS A significant serial mediation effect (β = 0.05, 95% CI [0.002; 0.13]) revealed that the 3Ts-HV intervention increased parental knowledge at 26 months, contributed to more frequent parent-child conversational turns at 38 months, and in turn promoted children's language skills at 50 months. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides empirical evidence illustrating the underlying longitudinal processes from increasing parental knowledge and enriching parent-child linguistic interactions during toddlerhood, to promoting children's language development at preschool age. These findings point to a significant path to supporting families who face socioeconomic challenges early in life to promote equity in children's early language experiences and narrow disparities in children's developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy Y Y Leung
- TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill
| | - Dana L Suskind
- TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
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Koch SBJ, Tyborowska A, Niermann HCM, Cillessen AHN, Roelofs K, Bašnáková J, Toni I, Stolk A. Integrating stereotypes and factual evidence in interpersonal communication. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:52. [PMID: 39174563 PMCID: PMC11341559 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00262-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Stereotypes can exert a powerful influence on our interactions with others, potentially leading to prejudice when factual evidence is ignored. Here, we identify neuroanatomical and developmental factors that influence the real-time integration of stereotypes and factual evidence during live social interactions. The study uses precisely quantified communicative exchanges in a longitudinal cohort of seventeen-year-olds followed since infancy, testing their ability to moderate stereotype tendencies toward children as contrary evidence accumulates. Our results indicate that the impact of stereotypes on communicative behavior is linked to individual variations in gray matter density and cortical thickness in the right anterior cingulate gyrus. In contrast, the ability to moderate stereotype tendencies is influenced by developmental exposure to social interactions during the initial years of life, beyond the effects of familial environment and later experiences. These findings pinpoint a key brain structure underlying stereotype tendencies and suggest that early-life social experiences have lasting consequences on how individuals integrate factual evidence in interpersonal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia B J Koch
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Anna Tyborowska
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah C M Niermann
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | | | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jana Bašnáková
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivan Toni
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Arjen Stolk
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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Silva AL, Stumpf IMDS, Lacroix LP, Alves DMF, Silveira ALD, Costa SSD, Rosito LPS. Language development in children from a public cochlear implant program. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 90:101458. [PMID: 39032465 PMCID: PMC11315129 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2024.101458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the rate of loss to follow-up in a cochlear implant program from the public health system in Southern Brazil as well as the characteristics of hearing loss, sociodemographic, sociocultural and the development of oral language in children with prelingual deafness. METHODS Retrospective cohort study with children who underwent CI surgery between 2010 and 2020. Data was collected through of interviews and review of medical records. The language development assessment was performed using the MUSS, MAIS and IT-MAIS scales. For the classification of language development, we used as parameters the values (mean ± SD) found in a previous national study. From those values, the Z-score for each patient at each hearing age (time of experience with the cochlear implant) was calculated. RESULTS Of the 225 children implanted between 2010-2020, 129 were included in this study. The rate of loss to follow-up in the program was 42.6%. The mean age at first surgery was 40.5 (±16.9) months, with 77.5% of patients having received a unilateral implant. Language results below the expected for hearing age ( CONCLUSIONS Most patients had an elevated mean age at cochlear implantation and there was a high rate of loss to follow-up and low attendance to speech and programming sessions. An overall poor language performance was found for this pediatric cochlear implant program from the public health system in Southern Brazil. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 3 (Non-randomized cohort study).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lang Silva
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | | | - Laura Prolla Lacroix
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Faculdade de Medicina, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Sady Selaimen da Costa
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e do Adolescente, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Letícia Petersen Schmidt Rosito
- Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Faculdade de Medicina, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Zhang VH, Elmlinger SL, Goldstein MH. Developmental cascades of vocal turn-taking connect prelinguistic vocalizing with early language. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101945. [PMID: 38579484 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Conversational turn-taking is ubiquitously found in caregiver-infant interactions, and robustly predictive of infant communicative development. Over the first year, infants take quick adult-like vocal turns with caregivers. Many studies have documented the consistency of caregiver responsiveness and its influence on infant rapid language growth. However, few have examined how caregiver responsiveness facilitates extended vocal turn-taking in real-time with infants over the first year. The influence of prelinguistic vocal turn-taking on the emergence of language has also been under-investigated. We analyzed free-play sessions of 30 caregivers and their infants at both 5 and 10 months, and obtained infant language outcomes at 18 months. We examined the developmental consistency (group-level continuity and dyad-order stability) and change of infant volubility, caregiver responses to babbling in vocal, non-vocal and multimodal modalities, and the influence of modality on caregiver-infant vocal turn-taking. Caregiver contingent responsiveness to infant babbling at 5 months predicted vocal turn-taking at 10 months. Developmental increases in prelinguistic vocalizing and vocal turn-taking from 5 to 10 months predicted infant language outcomes at 18 months. At both 5 and 10 months, caregiver vocal responses were more effective in extending turn-taking than non-vocal or multimodal responses. In summary, prelinguistic vocal turn-taking, facilitated by caregiver vocal responsiveness, is positively related to the emergence of early language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Hanwen Zhang
- Department of Psychology, 211 Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Steven L Elmlinger
- Department of Psychology, 211 Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Department of Psychology, Peretsman Scully Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
| | - Michael H Goldstein
- Department of Psychology, 211 Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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Endevelt-Shapira Y, Bosseler AN, Mizrahi JC, Meltzoff AN, Kuhl PK. Mother-infant social and language interactions at 3 months are associated with infants' productive language development in the third year of life. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101929. [PMID: 38581728 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies underscore the importance of social interactions for child language development-particularly interactions characterized by maternal sensitivity, infant-directed speech (IDS), and conversational turn-taking (CT) in one-on-one contexts. Although infants engage in such interactions from the third month after birth, the prospective link between speech input and maternal sensitivity in the first half year of life and later language development has been understudied. We hypothesized that social interactions embodying maternal sensitivity, IDS and CTs in the first 3 months of life, are significantly associated with later language development and tested this using a longitudinal design. Using a sample of 40 3-month-old infants, we assessed maternal sensitivity during a structured mother-infant one-on-one (1:1) interaction based on a well-validated scoring system (the Coding Interactive Behavior system). Language input (IDS, CT) was assessed during naturally occurring interactions at home using the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system. Language outcome measures were obtained from 18 to 30 months of age using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Three novel findings emerged. First, maternal sensitivity at 3 months was significantly associated with infants' productive language scores at 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 months of age. Second, LENA-recorded IDS during mother-infant 1:1 interaction in the home environment at 3 months of age was positively correlated with productive language scores at 24, 27, and 30 months of age. Third, mother-infant CTs during 1:1 interaction was significantly associated with infants' productive language scores at 27 and 30 months of age. We propose that infants' social attention to speech during this early period-enhanced by sensitive maternal one-on-one interactions and IDS-are potent factors in advancing language development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexis N Bosseler
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA
| | - Julia C Mizrahi
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, USA; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, USA
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Masek LR, Edgar EV, McMillan BTM, Todd JT, Golinkoff RM, Bahrick LE, Hirsh-Pasek K. Building language learning: Relations between infant attention and social contingency in the first year of life. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101933. [PMID: 38507845 PMCID: PMC11162929 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
In Western societies, social contingency, or prompt and meaningful back-and-forth exchanges between infant and caregiver, is a powerful feature of the early language environment. Research suggests that infants with better attentional skills engage in more social contingency during interactions with adults and, in turn, social contingency supports infant attention. This reciprocity is theorized to build infant language skills as the adult capitalizes on and extends the infant's attention during socially contingent interactions. Using data from 104 infants and caregivers, this paper tests reciprocal relations between infant attention and social contingency at 6- and 12-months and the implications for infant vocabulary at 18-months. Infant attentional skills to social (women speaking) and nonsocial (objects dropping) events were assessed, and social contingency was examined during an 8-minute toy play interaction with a caregiver. Child receptive and expressive vocabulary was measured by caregiver-report. Both social and nonsocial attentional skills related to engagement in social contingency during caregiver-infant interaction, though only models that included social attention and social contingency predicted vocabulary. These findings provide empirical evidence for the proposed reciprocal relations between infant attention and social contingency as well as how they relate to later language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillian R Masek
- Temple University, United States; New York University, United States.
| | - Elizabeth V Edgar
- Florida International University, United States; Yale University, United States
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Providello CF, Carrilho APN, Peixoto V, Maia MDFSC, Hage SRDV. Lexical repertoire of 24 and 30-month-old children speaking Brazilian portuguese: preliminary results. Codas 2024; 36:e20230268. [PMID: 38775528 PMCID: PMC11129851 DOI: 10.1590/2317-1782/20242023268pt] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To check the lexical repertoire of Brazilian Portuguese-speaking children at 24 and 30 months of age and the association between the number of words spoken and the following variables: socioeconomic status, parents' education, presence of siblings in the family, whether or not they attend school, and excessive use of tablets and cell phones. METHODS 30 parents of children aged 24 months living in the state of São Paulo participated in the study. Using videoconferencing platforms, they underwent a speech-language pathology anamnesis, an interview with social services, and then they completed the "MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory - First Words and Gestures" as soon as their children were 24 and 30 months old. Quantitative and qualitative inferential inductive statistics were applied. RESULTS the median number of words produced was 283 at 24 months and 401 at 30 months, indicating an increase of around 118 words after six months. The child attending a school environment had a significant relationship with increased vocabulary. CONCLUSION The study reinforces the fact that vocabulary grows with age and corroborates the fact that children aged 24 months already have a repertoire greater than 50 words. Those who attend school every day produce at least 70 more words than those who do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Felix Providello
- Departamento de Fonoaudiologia, Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru – FOB, Universidade de São Paulo – USP - Bauru (SP), Brasil.
| | | | - Vânia Peixoto
- Escola Superior de Saúde Fernando Pessoa, Universidade Fernando Pessoa - Porto, Portugal.
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Long HL, Ramsay G, Bene ER, Su PL, Yoo H, Klaiman C, Pulver SL, Richardson S, Pileggi ML, Brane N, Oller DK. Canonical babbling trajectories across the first year of life in autism and typical development. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241253908. [PMID: 38757642 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241253908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Our study examined how babies develop their ability to talk to help identify early signs of autism. We looked at babies' production of babbling with mature syllables across the first year of life. Babies usually start producing mature babbling at 7 months of age before they say their first words. Some studies have suggested that babies who are later diagnosed with autism produce this kind of babbling less frequently in their first year of life, but other studies have shown complicated outcomes. In this new study, we followed 44 autistic babies and compared them to 127 typically developing babies. We recorded the babies once every month, all day long, from the time that they were born until they were around 13 months old. Then, we studied their mature babbling from segments of these recordings. We found that the rate at which babies used mature babbling was lower in boys with autism, and higher in girls with autism, compared to babies without autism. This research helps us understand how babies with autism learn to talk. It also raises important questions about differences between boys and girls with autism. Our study can help us improve how scientists and clinicians can identify autism earlier, which could lead to better communication supports for autistic children and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gordon Ramsay
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
| | | | | | | | - Cheryl Klaiman
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
| | - Stormi L Pulver
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
| | | | | | | | - D Kimbrough Oller
- The University of Memphis, USA
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Austria
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Casillas M, Ferjan Ramírez N, Leong V, Romeo R. Becoming a conversationalist: Questions, challenges, and new directions in the study of child interactional development. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 76:101956. [PMID: 38744040 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Casillas
- Department of Comparative Human Development, University of Chicago, USA
| | | | - Victoria Leong
- Department of Pediatrics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; University of Cambridge and Department of Psychology, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Romeo
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology and Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland, USA.
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10
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Ha S. The Predictability of Naturalistic Evaluation of All-Day Recordings for Speech and Language Development. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:1370-1384. [PMID: 38619435 DOI: 10.1044/2024_jslhr-23-00571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The study aimed to investigate the predictive potential of language environment and vocal development status measures obtained through integrated analysis of Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) recordings during the prelinguistic stage for subsequent speech and language development in Korean-acquiring children. Specifically, this study explored whether measures from both LENA-automated analysis and human coding at 6-8 months and 12-14 months of age predict vocabulary and phonological development at 18-20 months. METHOD One-day home recordings from 20 children were collected using a LENA recorder at 6-8 months, 12-14 months, and 18-20 months. Both LENA-automated measures and measures from human coding were obtained from recordings at 6-8 months and 12-14 months. The number of different words, consonant inventory, and utterance structure inventory were identified from recordings of 18-20 months. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed to investigate whether measures related to early language environment and child vocalization at 6-8 months and 12-14 months were predictive of vocabulary and phonological measures at 18-20 months. RESULTS The results showed that the two main LENA-automated measures, conversational turn count (CTC) and child vocalization count, were positively correlated with all vocabulary and phonological measures at 18-20 months. Multiple regression analysis revealed that CTC during the prelinguistic stages was the most significant predictor of a number of different words, consonant inventory, and utterance structure inventory at 18-20 months. Also, adult word count in LENA-automated measures, child-directed speech ratio, and canonical babbling ratio measured by human coding significantly predicted some vocabulary and phonological measures at 18-20 months. CONCLUSION This study highlights the multifaceted nature of language acquisition and collectively emphasizes the value of considering both quantitative and qualitative aspects of language input to understand early language development in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seunghee Ha
- Division of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Research Institute of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea
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11
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Endevelt-Shapira Y, Bosseler AN, Zhao TC, Mizrahi JC, Meltzoff AN, Kuhl PK. Heart-to-heart: infant heart rate at 3 months is linked to infant-directed speech, mother-infant interaction, and later language outcomes. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1380075. [PMID: 38756844 PMCID: PMC11096508 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1380075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies underscore the importance of speech input, particularly infant-directed speech (IDS) during one-on-one (1:1) parent-infant interaction, for child language development. We hypothesize that infants' attention to speech input, specifically IDS, supports language acquisition. In infants, attention and orienting responses are associated with heart rate deceleration. We examined whether individual differences in infants' heart rate measured during 1:1 mother-infant interaction is related to speech input and later language development scores in a longitudinal study. Methods Using a sample of 31 3-month-olds, we assessed infant heart rate during mother-infant face-to-face interaction in a laboratory setting. Multiple measures of speech input were gathered at 3 months of age during naturally occurring interactions at home using the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system. Language outcome measures were assessed in the same children at 30 months of age using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI). Results Two novel findings emerged. First, we found that higher maternal IDS in a 1:1 context at home, as well as more mother-infant conversational turns at home, are associated with a lower heart rate measured during mother-infant social interaction in the laboratory. Second, we found significant associations between infant heart rate during mother-infant interaction in the laboratory at 3 months and prospective language development (CDI scores) at 30 months of age. Discussion Considering the current results in conjunction with other converging theoretical and neuroscientific data, we argue that high IDS input in the context of 1:1 social interaction increases infants' attention to speech and that infants' attention to speech in early development fosters their prospective language growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Alexis N. Bosseler
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - T. Christina Zhao
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Julia C. Mizrahi
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Andrew N. Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Patricia K. Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Holland CM, Alleyne K, Pierre-Louis A, Bansal R, Pollatou A, Barbato K, Cheng B, Hao X, Rosen TS, Peterson BS, Spann MN. Utilizing maternal prenatal cognition as a predictor of newborn brain measures of intellectual development. Child Neuropsychol 2024; 30:582-601. [PMID: 37489806 PMCID: PMC10808270 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2233155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Identifying reliable indicators of cognitive functioning prior to age five has been challenging. Prior studies have shown that maternal cognition, as indexed by intellectual quotient (IQ) and years of education, predict child intelligence at school age. We examined whether maternal full scale IQ, education, and inhibitory control (index of executive function) are associated with newborn brain measures and toddler language outcomes to assess potential indicators of early cognition. We hypothesized that maternal indices of cognition would be associated with brain areas implicated in intelligence in school-age children and adults in the newborn period. Thirty-seven pregnant women and their newborns underwent an MRI scan. T2-weighted images and surface-based morphometric analysis were used to compute local brain volumes in newborn infants. Maternal cognition indices were associated with local brain volumes for infants in the anterior and posterior cingulate, occipital lobe, and pre/postcentral gyrus - regions associated with IQ, executive function, or sensori-motor functions in children and adults. Maternal education and executive function, but not maternal intelligence, were associated with toddler language scores at 12 and 24 months. Newborn brain volumes did not predict language scores. Overall, the pre/postcentral gyrus and occipital lobe may be unique indicators of early intellectual development in the newborn period. Given that maternal executive function as measured by inhibitory control has robust associations with the newborn brain and is objective, brief, and easy to administer, it may be a useful predictor of early developmental and cognitive capacity for young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristin M. Holland
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Kiarra Alleyne
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | - Arline Pierre-Louis
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Ravi Bansal
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Angeliki Pollatou
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Kristiana Barbato
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Bin Cheng
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | - Xuejun Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Tove S Rosen
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Marisa N. Spann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY
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Lavechin M, de Seyssel M, Métais M, Metze F, Mohamed A, Bredin H, Dupoux E, Cristia A. Modeling early phonetic acquisition from child-centered audio data. Cognition 2024; 245:105734. [PMID: 38335906 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Infants learn their native language(s) at an amazing speed. Before they even talk, their perception adapts to the language(s) they hear. However, the mechanisms responsible for this perceptual attunement and the circumstances in which it takes place remain unclear. This paper presents the first attempt to study perceptual attunement using ecological child-centered audio data. We show that a simple prediction algorithm exhibits perceptual attunement when applied on unrealistic clean audio-book data, but fails to do so when applied on ecologically-valid child-centered data. In the latter scenario, perceptual attunement only emerges when the prediction mechanism is supplemented with inductive biases that force the algorithm to focus exclusively on speech segments while learning speaker-, pitch-, and room-invariant representations. We argue these biases are plausible given previous research on infants and non-human animals. More generally, we show that what our model learns and how it develops through exposure to speech depends exquisitely on the details of the input signal. By doing so, we illustrate the importance of considering ecologically valid input data when modeling language acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Lavechin
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Cognitive Machine Learning Team, INRIA, Paris, France; Meta AI Research, Paris, France.
| | - Maureen de Seyssel
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Cognitive Machine Learning Team, INRIA, Paris, France; Laboratoire de linguistique formelle, Université de Paris, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Marianne Métais
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Cognitive Machine Learning Team, INRIA, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Hervé Bredin
- Institut de Recherche en Informatique de Toulouse, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - Emmanuel Dupoux
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Cognitive Machine Learning Team, INRIA, Paris, France; Meta AI Research, Paris, France
| | - Alejandrina Cristia
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France; Cognitive Machine Learning Team, INRIA, Paris, France
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Brushe ME, Haag DG, Melhuish EC, Reilly S, Gregory T. Screen Time and Parent-Child Talk When Children Are Aged 12 to 36 Months. JAMA Pediatr 2024; 178:369-375. [PMID: 38436942 PMCID: PMC10913002 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2023.6790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Importance Growing up in a language-rich home environment is important for children's language development in the early years. The concept of "technoference" (technology-based interference) suggests that screen time may be interfering with opportunities for talk and interactions between parent and child; however, limited longitudinal evidence exists exploring this association. Objective To investigate the longitudinal association between screen time and 3 measures of parent-child talk (adult words, child vocalizations, and conversational turns) when children are 12 to 36 months of age. Design, Setting, and Participants This Australian prospective cohort study used advanced speech recognition technology to capture young children's screen time and home language environment, on an average 16-hour day. Data were collected from 220 families once every 6 months in the family home when children were 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age, from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2021. Statistical analysis took place from November 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023. Exposure Language Environment Analysis (LENA) technology provided automated counts of children's language environment and exposure to electronic noise. The exposure of interest was screen time, which was calculated based on manual coding of LENA electronic noise audio segments. Main Outcomes and Measures Three measures of parent-child talk were outcomes of focus: adult words, child vocalizations, and conversational turns. Separate models were run for each of the 3 outcomes and included adjustment for child sex, child age, maternal educational level, number of children at home, number of home activities, and primary caregiver's psychological distress. Results The study included 220 families (120 girls [54.6%]; mean [SD] gestational age of children, 39.3 [1.5] weeks; mean [SD] age of mother at childbirth, 31.3 [4.8] years). Adjusted linear mixed-effect models demonstrated that increases in screen time were associated with decreases in measures of parent-child talk. The largest decreases were seen at 36 months, when an additional minute of screen time was associated with a reduction of 6.6 (95% CI, -11.7 to -1.5) adult words, 4.9 (95% CI, -6.1 to -3.7) child vocalizations, and 1.1 (95% CI, -1.4 to -0.8) conversational turns. Conclusion and Relevance Findings of this study support the notion of technoference for Australian families, whereby young children's exposure to screen time is interfering with opportunities to talk and interact in their home environment. This finding has implications for interventions and supports aimed at promoting a language-rich home environment, with families needing support in understanding the potential association of screen time with opportunities for children and adults to talk and interact in their home environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary E. Brushe
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Dandara G. Haag
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Sheena Reilly
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tess Gregory
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- School of Public Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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15
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Coughlan S, Quigley J, Nixon E. The Synergistic Effects of Preterm Birth and Parent Gender on the Linguistic and Interactive Features of Parent-Infant Conversations. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2024; 67:886-899. [PMID: 38284883 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the language environments experienced by preterm-born infants, this study compared the linguistic and interactive features of parent-infant conversations involving 2-year-old preterm- and term-born infants. The study also explored how mother-infant and father-infant conversations may be differentially affected by preterm/term birth status. METHOD Twenty-two preterm-born (< 37 weeks' gestation) and 25 term-born (≥ 37 weeks' gestation) 2-year-old infants engaged in dyadic mother/father-infant free-play interactions that were transcribed to quantify the linguistic (parental volubility, speech rate, lexical diversity, and morphosyntactic complexity) and interactive (infant/parent responsiveness, turn-taking, and conversational balance) features of parent-infant conversations. Language, cognitive, socioemotional, and executive function skills were assessed via standardized tools. RESULTS Compared to the term group, the preterm group was characterized by lower maternal speech rate, parental lexical diversity, and parent-infant turn-taking, as well as greater mother-infant conversational balance. The preterm group presented poorer language and executive function skills when compared to the term group. CONCLUSIONS Both similarities and differences exist between the language environments of preterm and term groups. Similarities may be due to the partial developmental catch-up of preterm-born infants (cognitive and socioemotional skills) and parental scaffolding. Differences may partly reflect a parental adaptation to the language and executive function difficulties of preterm-born infants. These findings suggest that researchers/clinicians should appraise the language environment with respect to the unique developmental needs of preterm/term-born infants. Future research directions are provided to advance a more holistic characterization of the language environment and a deeper understanding of the developmental significance of preterm-term differences in such environments. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25021931.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean Quigley
- School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
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16
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Dyne H, Bergsten U, Carlsson E. "Aha, so that's how it's done!" - parents' voices on an early language and literacy intervention. LOGOP PHONIATR VOCO 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38445640 DOI: 10.1080/14015439.2024.2304139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The early intervention Språkstart Halland targets children aged 0-3 years. During home visits at 6 and 11 months, library staff deliver gift-packs containing books, toys, songs, and rhymes to promote early language stimulation. Parents are encouraged to engage in 'talk, play, sing, read' activities to support language development. The aim of the present study was to examine parents' experiences of the 6- and 11-month visits and develop an understanding of their general impressions and thoughts regarding the perceived impact of the visits. Parents (n = 15) were interviewed in four focus groups and two one-on-one interviews. Data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that the intervention changed the parents' mindset and increased their knowledge regarding early language stimulation. Tools and strategies benefitting the parent-child interaction were gained. A positive experience and personal guidance created motivation for the parents to carry out the language stimulating activities after the visit. Social gains were described. The findings imply usefulness of the intervention in supporting children's language and literacy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Dyne
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Bergsten
- Research and Development Department, Region Halland, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Emilia Carlsson
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Speech and Language Pathology Unit, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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17
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Papoutselou E, Harrison S, Mai G, Buck B, Patil N, Wiggins I, Hartley D. Investigating mother-child inter-brain synchrony in a naturalistic paradigm: A functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning study. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1386-1403. [PMID: 38155106 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Successful social interactions between mothers and children are hypothesised to play a significant role in a child's social, cognitive and language development. Earlier research has confirmed, through structured experimental paradigms, that these interactions could be underpinned by coordinated neural activity. Nevertheless, the extent of neural synchrony during real-life, ecologically valid interactions between mothers and their children remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated mother-child inter-brain synchrony using a naturalistic free-play paradigm. We also examined the relationship between neural synchrony, verbal communication patterns and personality traits to further understand the underpinnings of brain synchrony. Twelve children aged between 3 and 5 years old and their mothers participated in this study. Neural synchrony in mother-child dyads were measured bilaterally over frontal and temporal areas using functional Near Infra-red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) whilst the dyads were asked to play with child-friendly toys together (interactive condition) and separately (independent condition). Communication patterns were captured via video recordings and conversational turns were coded. Compared to the independent condition, mother-child dyads showed increased neural synchrony in the interactive condition across the prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction. There was no significant relationship found between neural synchrony and turn-taking and between neural synchrony and the personality traits of each member of the dyad. Overall, we demonstrate the feasibility of measuring inter-brain synchrony between mothers and children in a naturalistic environment. These findings can inform future study designs to assess inter-brain synchrony between parents and pre-lingual children and/or children with communication needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstratia Papoutselou
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Samantha Harrison
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Guangting Mai
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Bryony Buck
- Hearing Sciences - Scottish Section, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nikita Patil
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ian Wiggins
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Douglas Hartley
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
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18
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Ferjan Ramírez N, Weiss Y, Sheth KK, Kuhl PK. Parentese in infancy predicts 5-year language complexity and conversational turns. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:359-384. [PMID: 36748287 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Parental input is considered a key predictor of language achievement during the first years of life, yet relatively few studies have assessed its effects on longer-term outcomes. We assess the effects of parental quantity of speech, use of parentese (the acoustically exaggerated, clear, and higher-pitched speech), and turn-taking in infancy, on child language at 5 years. Using a longitudinal dataset of daylong LENA recordings collected with the same group of English-speaking infants (N=44) at 6, 10, 14, 18, 24 months and then again at 5 years, we demonstrate that parents' consistent (defined as stable and high) use of parentese in infancy was a potent predictor of lexical diversity, mean length of utterance, and frequency of conversational turn-taking between children and adults at Kindergarten entry. Together, these findings highlight the potential importance of a high-quality language learning environment in infancy for success at the start of formal schooling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kaveri K Sheth
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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19
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Ferjan Ramirez N, Hippe DS, Braverman A, Weiss Y, Kuhl PK. A comparison of automatic and manual measures of turn-taking in monolingual and bilingual contexts. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:1936-1952. [PMID: 37145293 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02127-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The Language ENvironment Analysis system (LENA) records children's language environment and provides an automatic estimate of adult-child conversational turn count (CTC) by automatically identifying adult and child speech in close temporal proximity. To assess the reliability of this measure, we examine correlation and agreement between LENA's CTC estimates and manual measurement of adult-child turn-taking in two corpora collected in the USA: a bilingual corpus of Spanish-English-speaking families with infants between 4 and 22 months (n = 37), and a corpus of monolingual families with English-speaking 5-year-olds (n = 56). In each corpus for each child, 100 30-second segments were extracted from daylong recordings in two ways, yielding a total of 9300 minutes of manually annotated audio. LENA's CTC estimate for the same segments was obtained through the LENA software. The two measures of CTC had low correlations for the segments from the monolingual 5-year-olds sampled in both ways, and somewhat higher correlations for the bilingual samples. LENA substantially overestimated CTC on average, relative to manual measurement, for three out of four analysis conditions, and limits of agreement were wide in all cases. Segment-level analyses demonstrated that accidental contiguity had the largest individual impact on LENA's average CTC error, affecting 12-17% of analyzed segments. Other factors significantly contributing to CTC error were speech from other children, presence of multiple adults, and presence of electronic media. These results indicate wide discrepancies between LENA's CTC estimates and manual CTCs, and call into question the comparability of LENA's CTC measure across participants, conditions, and developmental time points.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel S Hippe
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Clinical Research Division, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adeline Braverman
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yael Weiss
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Fields-Olivieri MA, Thinzar CE, Roben CKP, Cole PM. Toddler negative affectivity and effortful control: Relations with parent-toddler conversation engagement and indirect effects on language. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 74:101912. [PMID: 38043462 PMCID: PMC10947869 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Evidence that early parent-child conversation supports early language development suggests a need to understand factors that account for individual differences in parent-child conversation engagement. Whereas most studies focus on demographic factors, we investigated the role of toddler temperament in a longitudinal study of 120 economically strained families. Specifically, we investigated the degree to which toddlers' negative affectivity and effortful control, considered together as a composite reflecting challenging temperament, accounted for variability in parent-toddler conversation engagement, and whether the frequency of that engagement mediated associations between toddler temperament and toddler expressive language skills. Toddler challenging temperament (i.e., high negative affectivity and low effortful control) and parent-toddler conversation engagement were measured at 18 and 30 months. Toddler expressive language skills were measured at 18, 24, and 36 months. As expected, a path model indicated inverse relations between toddler challenging temperament and concurrent parent-toddler conversation engagement at both 18 and 30 months. Unexpectedly, there were no direct associations between toddler challenging temperament and toddler expressive language skills either concurrently or longitudinally. However, we found indirect effects of toddler challenging temperament on later toddler expressive language skills via parent-toddler conversation engagement. Findings highlight the importance of considering toddler temperamental characteristics in addition to family demographics as important factors that account for variability in parent-toddler conversation engagement.
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Feragne M, Tucker R, Mayne J, Vohr B. Language outcomes at 18-24 months of preterm infants from US Spanish- and English-speaking homes. Acta Paediatr 2024; 113:239-246. [PMID: 37874258 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the association of Spanish compared to English primary household language on preterm (PT) infants' language outcomes in the United States and to examine associations with socio-economic factors. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort of PT infants born <32 weeks gestation from Spanish-speaking (n = 95) and English-speaking homes (n = 1030) born 2005-2019. Language (primary outcome) and cognitive and motor skills (secondary outcomes) were measured using the BSID-III at 18-24 months corrected age. Group differences were evaluated using bivariate comparisons and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS Mothers reporting Spanish-speaking homes had higher rates of public insurance and lower educational achievement. Group newborn characteristics were similar. Preterm infants from Spanish-speaking homes had significantly lower BSID-III language composite, cognitive composite, receptive and expressive scores compared to infants from English-speaking homes. Logistic regression modelling identified independent negative effects of Spanish-speaking household OR 3.26 (CI 1.89-5.62) and public insurance OR 2.31 (CI 1.71-3.12) with a protective benefit derived from breast milk OR 0.68 (CI 0.50-0.92) when adjusting for medical morbidities, socio-economic factors and gestational age. CONCLUSION Public health policies and interventions in the United States should target language and cognitive outcomes of PT infants from Spanish-speaking homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Feragne
- Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Richard Tucker
- Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Julia Mayne
- Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Betty Vohr
- Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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Goldstein H, Peters-Sanders LA, Madsen KM, Williams JM, Drobisz J, Broome EA, Freda S, McKeever LA, Spencer TD. Efficacy of a Supplemental Small-Group Early Literacy Intervention Implemented by Early Childhood Educators. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024; 33:220-236. [PMID: 37917921 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-23-00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge are fundamental building blocks for literacy development. We identified preschoolers with persistent delays in these skills and evaluated the efficacy of a supplemental curriculum to remediate deficits in early literacy skills. METHOD Using a cluster design, 21 classrooms were randomly assigned to early literacy versus language intervention conditions. Sixty children identified through fall semester assessments of phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge were enrolled in small-group instruction. Teachers completed eLearning modules, used a digital platform to enter data and facilitate data-based decision making, received practice-based coaching, and delivered 12 weekly units of an early literacy curriculum. Comparison teachers delivered similarly administered small-group language instruction. RESULTS Large effects were evident for letter sounds, phoneme segmentation, first sound, and first sound fluency measures (d = 0.92, 4.77, 1.15, and 1.50, respectively), and nonsignificant, small effects for letter naming and blending measures (d = 0.26 and 0.27). DISCUSSION This early literacy intervention package had practical benefits, with 90% of experimental group preschoolers exceeding the phonemic awareness benchmark for beginning kindergarten compared to 45% in the comparison group, for example. Providing preschool teachers with tools and support for implementing a tiered approach to early literacy intervention holds promise for producing impressive gains in skills required for children to succeed in later schooling.
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Gámez PB, Galindo M, Jáuregui C. Child-level factors associated with Spanish-English bilingual toddlers' productive vocabulary growth. Dev Psychol 2024; 60:144-158. [PMID: 38032662 PMCID: PMC10841830 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
This longitudinal study-conducted in the Midwestern United States-examines the child-level factors that promote Spanish-English bilingual toddlers' (n = 47; Mage = 18.80 months; SDage = 0.57) productive vocabulary skills from 18 to 30 months of age. At 6-month intervals, caregivers reported on toddlers' Spanish and English words produced as well as their language exposure at home. Video recordings at child age 18 months yielded estimates of toddlers' speech output (word tokens per minute). In addition, at child age 18 months, caregivers reported on toddlers' linguistic skills (comprehension), demographic background (gender, household income), and nonverbal behaviors (gesture production). Results showed that toddlers were exposed to both English and Spanish and received more Spanish than English from primary caregivers; there were no significant primary caregiver input differences across time. Growth modeling revealed linear growth rates for Spanish and conceptual (Spanish, English combined) vocabulary and a curvilinear trajectory for English vocabulary. Furthermore, toddlers' Spanish and conceptual vocabularies were positively associated with their higher frequencies of token use, greater production of gesture, and greater comprehension skills, even after controlling for input. Moreover, Spanish and conceptual growth rates were positively associated with higher token use. In terms of English, toddlers' vocabulary at child age 18 months was positively associated with their comprehension skills. Toddlers' use of more gestures and tokens as well as gender (boys) influenced their English acceleration rates over time. Findings indicate that unique trajectories exist for each of a bilingual's languages and these trajectories are differentially influenced by child-level factors, including their speech output, not only exposure to language. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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McGowan EC, Caskey M, Tucker R, Vohr BR. A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Language Intervention for Parents of Preterm Infants and 2-Year Language Outcomes. J Pediatr 2024; 264:113740. [PMID: 37717908 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To test whether a neonatal intensive care unit-based language curriculum for families with preterm infants enhances the language environment and postdischarge Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID)-III language and cognitive scores. METHODS A randomized controlled trial was conducted with infants born at ≤32 weeks assigned to a parent-driven language intervention or health-safety lessons (controls). Recordings of adult word counts (AWC), conversational turns, and child vocalizations were captured at 32, 34, and 36 weeks. Primary outcomes included 2-year BSID-III language and cognitive scores. RESULTS We randomized 95 infants; 45 of the 48 intervention patients (94%) and 43 of the 47 controls (91%) with ≥2 recordings were analyzed. The intervention group had higher AWCs (rate ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.05-2.19; P = .03) at 36 weeks, increased their AWCs between all recordings, and had lower rates of 2-year receptive language scores <7 (10% vs 38%; P < .02). The intervention was associated with 80% decreased odds of a language composite score of <85 (aOR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05-0.78; P = .02), and 90% decreased odds of a receptive score of <7 (0.10; 95% CI, 0.02-0.46; P = .003); there was no association found with cognitive scores. Increases in AWC and conversational turns between 32 and 36 weeks were independently associated with improved 2-year BSID-III language scores for both study groups. CONCLUSIONS Short-term parent-driven language enrichment in the neonatal intensive care unit contributes to increased AWCs at 36 weeks and improved 2-year language scores. In adjusted analyses, increases in conversational turns and AWCs at 36 weeks were independently associated with improved language scores. This low-cost, easily implemented intervention can potentially help to mitigate speech delays among preterm infants. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered with www. CLINICALTRIALS gov, NCT02528227.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Richard Tucker
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infant's Hospital, Providence, RI
| | - Betty R Vohr
- Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infant's Hospital, Providence, RI
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25
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Preza T, Hadley PA. Parent Responsivity, Language Input, and the Development of Simple Sentences. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:91-117. [PMID: 36278543 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000922000459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study explored responsive and linguistic parent input features during parent-child interactions and investigated how four input categories related to children's production of diverse, simple sentences. Of primary interest was parent use of responsive, simple declarative input sentences. Responsive and linguistic features of parent input to 20 typically developing toddlers at 1;9 were coded during play in a laboratory playroom, then classified into four input categories: responsive, declarative, responsive declarative, and neither responsive nor simple declarative. The percentage of each input category was related to child sentence diversity at 2;6 using Spearman correlations. Parent use of responsive declarative and declarative utterances were both rare. Responsive input was positively correlated with child sentence diversity, and the neither category was negatively correlated with child sentence diversity. The findings provide new support for the importance of balanced conversational turns. Implications for defining both how input is delivered and its linguistic content are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy Preza
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, USA
| | - Pamela A Hadley
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, USA
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Wu SC, Tzeng OJL, Wang S. Mothers used wider vocabulary and talked to their six-month-old infants more during shared book reading than when they played with toys. Acta Paediatr 2024; 113:84-90. [PMID: 37861073 DOI: 10.1111/apa.17004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
AIM We compared mothers reading books to six-month-old infants or playing with toys and measured whether the maternal language input influenced the children's spoken vocabulary at 18 months of age. METHOD This Taiwanese study recruited 46 dyads and video recorded them while the mothers read books to their infants and played with them with toys at 6 months of age. The mothers' lexical diversity, which is the ratio of different unique words to the total number of words, was measured. We then assessed the children's spoken vocabulary at 18 months. RESULTS The mother used more diverse vocabulary and a higher number of words when they were reading books than playing with toys with their children (p = 0.001). Maternal lexical diversity at 6 months of age accounted for 14.4% of the unique variance in the number of different words used by the child at 18 months. We believe that this is a novel finding. CONCLUSION Mothers used wider vocabulary and talked to their infants more during book reading than when they played with toys. Diverse maternal vocabulary at 6 months of age positively influenced the number of different words their children used at 18 months of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Chuan Wu
- Department of Pediatrics, Lotung Poh-Ai Hospital, Yilan, Taiwan
| | - Ovid J L Tzeng
- Academia Sinica/Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shinmin Wang
- Department of Child and Family Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Kondaurova MV, VanDam M, Zheng Q, Welikson B. Fathers' unmodulated prosody in child-directed speech. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:3556-3567. [PMID: 38038615 PMCID: PMC10836962 DOI: 10.1121/10.0022571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Mothers and fathers modify prosodic characteristics of child-directed speech relative to adult-directed speech. Evidence suggests that mothers and fathers may differ in how they use child-directed speech as communicative partners. Thus, fathers create communicative challenges during father-child interaction that facilitate the child's adaptation to a wider potential range of interlocutors. In this paper, speech production differences are examined between mothers and fathers in child-directed speech to toddlers as compared to adult-directed speech. Using a longitudinal, large-scale design of audio recordings in naturalistic environments and automatic speech processing techniques, it was found that mothers, but not fathers, increased their fundamental frequency when addressing their toddlers. The results suggest that fathers do not modulate the prosody of their speech in the same way as mothers when communicating with their toddlers. Findings have implications for emotional and communicative practices of fathers compared to mothers and the differential role each plays in child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V Kondaurova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, 301 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA
| | - Mark VanDam
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington 99202, USA
| | - Qi Zheng
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Information Science, University of Louisville, 485 East Gray Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA
| | - Bianca Welikson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, 301 Life Sciences Building, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA
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Ruan Y, Byers-Heinlein K, Orena AJ, Polka L. Mixed-Language Input and Infant Volubility: Friend or Foe? BILINGUALISM (CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND) 2023; 26:1051-1066. [PMID: 38187471 PMCID: PMC10769107 DOI: 10.1017/s1366728923000287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Language mixing is a common feature of many bilingually-raised children's input. Yet how it is related to their language development remains an open question. The current study investigated mixed-language input indexed by observed (30-second segment) counts and proportions in day-long recordings as well as parent-reported scores, in relation to infant vocal activeness (i.e., volubility) when infants were 10 and 18 months old. Results suggested infants who received a higher score or proportion of mixed input in one-on-one social contexts were less voluble. However, within contexts involving language mixing, infants who heard more words were also the ones who produced more vocalizations. These divergent associations between mixed input and infant vocal development point for a need to better understand the causal factors that drive these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufang Ruan
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Krista Byers-Heinlein
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre for Research in Human Development, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Adriel John Orena
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linda Polka
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Girard D, Courchesne V, Cimon-Paquet C, Jacques C, Soulières I. Visual abilities and exploration behaviors as predictors of intelligence in autistic children from preschool to school age. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:2446-2464. [PMID: 37113016 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231166189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT At the time of diagnosis, parents of autistic children frequently wonder what the future holds for their children in terms of intellectual development. It remains however difficult to answer this question at such a young age. Indeed, while early precursors of intelligence are well known for children following a typical development, these precursors remain to be identified for autistic children. Some theoretical models of intelligence suggest that perceptual abilities or behaviors, as seen early in autistic cognitive development, could be early indicators of intelligence. However, research examining the relation between early perceptual predictors and autistic intelligence over time is needed. This article is the first to consider a variety of early perceptual abilities and behaviors as precursors/predictors of intelligence at school age in autistic children. We showed that better performance in perceptual tasks at preschool age predicted better intellectual abilities measured later in autistic children. Importantly, our sample of autistic children represented the whole spectrum, including children with few to no spoken words, who are an important proportion of autistic preschoolers. While early perceptual abilities and behaviors may not substitute for a formal intellectual assessment, our results support that these indices may help estimate later intellectual level in autistic children. Perceptual abilities have the advantage to be easy to observe at preschool age and seem to fit the cognitive style of autistic children. Assessment methods could probably gain from including and focusing more on the perceptual strengths of autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Girard
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada
| | - Valérie Courchesne
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS-NIM, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Claudine Jacques
- Department of psychoedcation and psychology, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Canada
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Taylor EK, Abdurokhmonova G, Romeo RR. Socioeconomic Status and Reading Development: Moving from "Deficit" to "Adaptation" in Neurobiological Models of Experience-Dependent Learning. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:324-333. [PMID: 38148924 PMCID: PMC10750966 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors of student reading outcomes, and these disparities have persisted for decades. Relatedly, two underlying skills that are required for successful reading-oral language and executive function (EF)-are also the two neurocognitive domains most affected by SES. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on how SES influences the neurobiology of language, EF, and their intersection, including the proximal factors that drive these relationships. We then consider the burgeoning evidence that SES systematically moderates certain brain-behavior relationships for language and EF, underscoring the importance of considering context in investigations of the neurobiological underpinnings of reading development. Finally, we discuss how disparities in reading may be conceptualized as neurobiological adaptations to adversity rather than deficit models. We conclude by suggesting that by harnessing children's stress-adapted relative strengths to support reading development, we may address opportunity gaps both ethically and efficaciously.
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Monson BB, Ambrose SE, Gaede C, Rollo D. Language Exposure for Preterm Infants is Reduced Relative to Fetuses. J Pediatr 2023; 262:113344. [PMID: 36736889 PMCID: PMC10390654 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.12.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess changes and deficits in language and auditory exposures consequent to preterm birth and neonatal intensive care unit stay compared with exposures in utero among typically developing fetuses. STUDY DESIGN We analyzed over 23 000 hours of auditory exposure data in a cohort study of 27 typically-developing fetuses and 24 preterm infants. Extrauterine exposures for fetuses were captured by having pregnant women wear 24-hour audio recording devices. For preterm infants, recording devices were placed in the infant's crib. Multilevel linear regressions were conducted to test for group differences and effects of infant sex, maternal education, and mother' occupation. A linear mixed-effects model was used to test for an effect of speaker gender. RESULTS Fetuses were exposed to an estimated 2.6 ± 1.8 hours/day of nearby, predominantly female language, nearly 5 times greater than 32 ± 12 minutes/day estimated for preterm infants (P < .001). Preterm infants had greater daily exposure to electronic sounds (5.1 ± 2.5 vs 1.3 ± 0.6 hours; P < .001) and noise (4.4 ± 2.1 vs 2.9 ± 2.8 hours; P < .05), with 4.7 ± 3.9 hours/day of silence. Language and extrauterine sound exposure for fetuses showed a marked day/night cyclical pattern, with low exposure during nighttime hours, but preterm infants' exposures showed significantly less change across the 24-hour cycle (P < .001). Maternal occupation requiring frequent communication predicted greater language exposure (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the first comparison of preterm infant auditory exposures to typically-developing fetuses. Some preterm infants may incur deficits of over 150 hours of language exposure over the preterm period. Given known effects of prenatal/preterm language exposure on neurobehavioral outcomes, this magnitude of deficit is alarming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian B. Monson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Illinois
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Elbaum B, Perry LK, Messinger DS. Investigating Children's Interactions in Preschool Classrooms: An Overview of Research Using Automated Sensing Technologies. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2023; 66:147-156. [PMID: 37954477 PMCID: PMC10634637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
New technologies that combine digital sensors with automated processing algorithms are now being deployed to study preschool classrooms. This article provides an overview of these new sensing technologies, focusing on automated speaker classification, the analysis of children's and teachers' speech, and the detection and analysis of their movements over the course of the school day. Findings from recent studies utilizing these technologies are presented to illustrate the contribution of these sensing technologies to our understanding of classroom processes that predict children's language and social development. In particular, the potential to collect extended real-time data on the speech and movement of all children and teachers in a classroom provides a broader window on the variability of individual children's interactions with peers and teachers and their integration into classroom social networks. The article describes current challenges related to the use of sensing technologies in preschool settings, as well as advances that may overcome these challenges and allow for more in-depth investigations of children's early classroom experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Batya Elbaum
- Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Miami, 1507 Levante Ave., Coral Gables, FL 33146
| | - Lynn K. Perry
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33146
| | - Daniel S. Messinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce De Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33146
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DER Nederlanden SJ, Schaeffer JC, VAN Bakel HHJA, Dirks E. Socio-economic status and other potential risk factors for language development in the first year of life. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023:1-21. [PMID: 37791474 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
A wide variety of language skills has been shown to be compromised in children from low socioeconomic status (SES). However, few studies have investigated the effect of SES on language development in infants. The aim of this study is two-fold: to investigate when the first SES-effects on language can be observed and to explore the effects of three variables often claimed to be linked to SES - gestational duration, stress and parent-child interaction - on language development. Parents/caregivers of 539 Dutch-acquiring infants aged 8-13 months from mid to high SES backgrounds completed a questionnaire including the LENA Developmental Snapshot (Gilkerson et al., 2017a) and the Brigance Parent-Child Interaction Scale (Glascoe & Brigance, 2002). No association was found between SES and language development. However, the results suggest that corrected age and parent-child interaction positively influence language development at this early age.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Evelien Dirks
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
- NSDSK, the Netherlands
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Reese E, Kokaua J, Guiney H, Bakir-Demir T, McLauchlan J, Edgeler C, Schaughency E, Taumoepeau M, Salmon K, Clifford A, Maruariki N, McNaughton S, Gluckman P, Nelson C, O'Sullivan J, Wei R, Pergher V, Amjad S, Trudgen A, Poulton R. Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start): a study protocol for a cluster randomised trial with early childhood teachers to support children's oral language and self-regulation development. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e073361. [PMID: 37770258 PMCID: PMC10546103 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Oral language skills are associated with children's later self-regulation and academic skills; in turn, self-regulation in early childhood predicts successful functioning later in life. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the separate and combined effectiveness of an oral language intervention (Enhancing Rich Conversations, ENRICH) and a self-regulation intervention (Enhancing Neurocognitive Growth with the Aid of Games and Exercise, ENGAGE) with early childhood teachers and parents for children's oral language, self-regulation and academic functioning. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Kia Tīmata Pai (Best Start) study is a cluster randomised controlled trial with teachers and children in approximately 140 early childhood centres in New Zealand. Centres are randomly assigned to receive either oral language intervention only (ENRICH), self-regulation intervention only (ENGAGE), both interventions (ENRICH+ENGAGE) or an active control condition. Teachers' and parents' practices and children's oral language and self-regulation development are assessed at baseline at age 1.5 years and approximately every 9 months to age 5, and academic performance at age 6. Teacher-child interactions will also be videotaped each year in a subset of the centres. Children's brain and behaviour development and parent-child interactions will be assessed every 6 months to age 6 years in a subgroup of volunteers. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The Kia Tīmata Pai trial and the two substudies (Video Project; Brain and Behaviour Development) have been approved by the University of Otago Human Ethics Committee (Health; H20/116), and reviewed for cultural responsiveness by: the Ngāi Tahu Research Committee (University of Otago), the Māori Advisory Group (University of Auckland, Liggins Institute) and an internal cultural advisory group. Results will be disseminated in international and national peer-reviewed academic journals and communicated to local, national and international organisations serving early childhood teachers, parents and young children. Data will be available via communication with the corresponding author. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12621000845831.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Reese
- Psychology, University of Otago - Dunedin Campus, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jesse Kokaua
- Division of Health Sciences, Pacific Islands Research and Student Support Unit, University of Otago - Dunedin Campus, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Hayley Guiney
- Psychology, University of Otago - Dunedin Campus, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Tugce Bakir-Demir
- Psychology, University of Otago - Dunedin Campus, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | - Mele Taumoepeau
- Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Karen Salmon
- Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Amanda Clifford
- Psychology, University of Otago - Dunedin Campus, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Stuart McNaughton
- Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Peter Gluckman
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Charles Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Ran Wei
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Valentina Pergher
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sophia Amjad
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Anita Trudgen
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Zhai Y, Xie H, Zhao H, Wang W, Lu C. Neural synchrony underlies the positive effect of shared reading on children's language ability. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10426-10440. [PMID: 37562850 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Although it is well recognized that parent-child shared reading produces positive effects on children's language ability, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we addressed this issue by measuring brain activities from mother-child dyads simultaneously during a shared book reading task using functional near infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning. The behavioral results showed that the long-term experience of shared reading significantly predicted children's language ability. Interestingly, the prediction was moderated by children's age: for older children over 30 months, the more the shared reading experience, the better the language performance; for younger children below 30 months, however, no significant relationship was observed. The brain results showed significant interpersonal neural synchronization between mothers and children at the superior temporal cortex, which was closely associated with older children's language ability through the mediation of long-term experience of shared reading. Finally, the results showed that the instantaneous quality of shared reading contributed to children's language ability through enhancing interpersonal neural synchronization and increasing long-term experience. Based on these findings, we tentatively proposed a theoretical model for the relationship among interpersonal neural synchronization, shared reading and children's language ability. These findings will facilitate our understanding on the role of shared reading in children's language development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Huixin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- School of Preschool Education, Beijing Institute of Education, Beijing 100009, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunming Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Finders J, Wilson E, Duncan R. Early childhood education language environments: considerations for research and practice. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1202819. [PMID: 37809298 PMCID: PMC10556667 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1202819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of developing early language and literacy skills is acknowledged by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a global human rights issue. Indeed, research suggests that language abilities are foundational for a host of cognitive, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes. Therefore, it is critical to provide experiences that foster language acquisition across early learning settings. Central to these efforts is incorporating assessments of language environments into research and practice to drive quality improvement. Yet, several barriers may be preventing language environment assessments from becoming widely integrated into early education. In this brief, we review evidence on the types of experiences that promote language development, describe characteristics of language environment assessments, and outline practical and philosophical considerations to assist with decision-making. Further, we offer recommendations for future research that may contribute knowledge regarding strategies to assess and support language development. In addressing both areas, we highlight the potential for early childhood language environments to advance equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Finders
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Ella Wilson
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Robert Duncan
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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Roberts MY, Sone BJ, Jones MK, Standley M, Conner T, Lee ED, Norton ES, Roman J, Speights M, Young R, Weisleder A. What the Evidence Does (and Does Not) Show for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Child Development Milestones: An Illustrative Example Using Expressive Vocabulary. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:3622-3632. [PMID: 37536464 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Child development milestones are a critical tool for pediatricians and caregivers to use for developmental surveillance. Following review and selection by a panel of subject matter experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a revised list of milestones across multiple domains of development. Using expressive vocabulary, a key indicator of language development, as an illustrative example, the purpose of this brief review is to evaluate the evidence used to establish the CDC developmental milestones and determine whether the samples used to establish these milestones are representative of U.S. children. METHOD Authors reviewed the methods and evidence cited to determine the CDC milestones. First, authors identified each language/communication milestone that measured expressive vocabulary as number of words, followed by review of the sources cited in support of each extracted milestone. Then, data related to both milestones and sample characteristics were extracted and compiled as well as compared with data from a validated parent report measure of expressive vocabulary, the MacArthur-Bates Communication Development Inventories. RESULTS Results indicated that evidence was conflicting, misaligned, or missing for the selected CDC expressive vocabulary milestones. This review also indicated that the samples used to determine the selected CDC expressive vocabulary milestones are not representative of U.S. children. CONCLUSION The striking paucity of evidence supporting the new CDC milestones for expressive vocabulary illustrates the critical need for future research in this area to establish more accurate milestones for U.S. children, with a focus on culturally inclusive large-scale data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Y Roberts
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Bailey J Sone
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Maranda K Jones
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Murielle Standley
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Tracy Conner
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - E Debbie Lee
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Elizabeth S Norton
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | - Judith Roman
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Marisha Speights
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Rylie Young
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
| | - Adriana Weisleder
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
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Alroqi H, Serratrice L, Cameron-Faulkner T. The association between screen media quantity, content, and context and language development. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023; 50:1155-1183. [PMID: 35758141 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000922000265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the influence of the quantity, content, and context of screen media use on the language development of 85 Saudi children aged 1 to 3 years. Surveys and weekly event-based diaries were employed to track children's screen use patterns. Language development was assessed using JISH Arabic Communicative Development Inventory (JACDI). Findings indicate that the most significant predictor of expressive and receptive vocabulary in 12- to 16-month-olds was screen media context (as measured by the frequency of interactive joint media engagements). In older children (17- to 36-month-olds), more screen time (as measured by the amount of time spent using screens, the prevalence of background TV at home, and the onset age of screen use) had the highest negative impact on expressive vocabulary and mean length of utterance. These findings support health recommendations on the negative effects of excessive screen time and the positive effects of co-viewing media with children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifa Alroqi
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, University of Manchester, UK
- Department of European Languages and Literature, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ludovica Serratrice
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
- UiT, The University of the Arctic, Norway
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Blom E, Fikkert P, Scheper A, van Witteloostuijn M, van Alphen P. The Language Environment at Home of Children With (a Suspicion of) a Developmental Language Disorder and Relations With Standardized Language Measures. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37418756 DOI: 10.1044/2023_jslhr-23-00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study compares the home language environments of children with (a suspicion of) developmental language disorder (DLD) with that of children with typical development (TD). It does so by adopting new technology that automatically provides metrics about children's language environment (Language ENvironment Analysis [LENA]). In addition, relationships between LENA metrics and standardized language tests are explored in the DLD group. METHOD Ninety-nine 2- to 4-year-old toddlers participated: 59 with (a suspicion of) DLD and 40 with TD. LENA metrics on adult word count, conversational turn count, and child vocalization count were obtained. For all children, data on parental education and multilingualism were available. In the DLD group, data were collected on receptive and expressive vocabulary and grammar, and on nonverbal intelligence, using standardized tests. RESULTS We found lower adult word count, conversational turn count, and child vocalization count in the DLD group, independent of multilingualism but not of parental education. In the DLD group, receptive vocabulary was related to conversational turn count and child vocalization count, but not to adult word count. Expressive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and expressive grammar were not related to LENA metrics. CONCLUSIONS Toddlers with (a suspicion of) DLD vocalize less at home than children with TD. They also hear fewer adult words and experience fewer conversational turns. Children with DLD's language outcomes are to a limited extent related to language environment at home. Conversational turns and child vocalizations are in this respect more important than adult words, in line with findings for TD populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elma Blom
- Utrecht University, the Netherlands
- Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø
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Levickis P, Eadie P, Mensah F, McKean C, Bavin EL, Reilly S. Associations between responsive parental behaviours in infancy and toddlerhood, and language outcomes at age 7 years in a population-based sample. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2023; 58:1098-1112. [PMID: 36726027 PMCID: PMC10946965 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A wealth of evidence supports the important role high-quality parent-child interactions play in children's early language acquisition. However, the impact on later language outcomes remains unclear. AIMS To examine the associations between responsive parental behaviours across the early years and child language outcomes at age 7 years with families from an Australian longitudinal cohort study (N = 1148, 50% female). METHODS & PROCEDURES At child ages 12, 24 and 36 months, parents completed a self-report measure of responsive parental behaviours. Child language was directly assessed at age 7 using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, 4th edition (CELF-4), Australian Standardisation. Linear regression was used to examine associations between responsive parental behaviours from 12 to 36 months (consistently high, inconsistent and consistently low responsive parental behaviours at the three time points) and language scores at age 7 years. Adjusted models were run, including the following potential confounders: child sex; birth weight; birth order; maternal education; socio-economic disadvantage; non-English-speaking background; family history of speech-language problems; mother's vocabulary score; maternal mental health score; and mother's age at birth of child. A final adjusted model was run, including the potential confounder variables as well as adjusting for children's earlier language skills. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Linear regression results showed children with parents who rated high on responsive parental behaviours at all three time points had higher mean language scores at age 7 than children whose parents reported low responsive parental behaviours across early childhood. This association attenuated after adjusting for earlier child language skills. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Findings support the consistent use of responsive parental behaviours across the very early years of childhood to support long-term language outcomes. Findings also suggest that models of surveillance and support which monitor and assist families at multiple time-points over the early years are likely to be most effective for preventing ongoing language difficulties. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on this subject There is extensive evidence consistently demonstrating the important contribution of aspects of parent-child interaction, specifically responsive parental behaviours, to children's language development. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge Understanding the cumulative benefit of responsive parent-child interactions across the very early years may help to inform preventive interventions and service delivery models for supporting young children's language development. This study demonstrates in a large, population-based cohort the contribution of consistency of responsive parental behaviours during infancy and toddlerhood to school-age language outcomes, accounting for other child, family and environmental factors. Capturing regular parent behaviours via self-report during the early years may be a more efficient and less costly method than parent-child interaction observations to monitor the home language-learning environment during routine developmental checks. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Findings support the need for surveillance of children and families in the early years, ensuring that intervention occurs when families need it most, that is, support is responsive to changing needs and that nuanced advice and support strategies are provided to activate positive developmental cascades. Capturing both parent behaviours and child language may assist clinicians to identify those families who may benefit from parent-child interaction intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penny Levickis
- Melbourne Graduate School of EducationThe University of MelbourneMelbourne, VICAustralia
- GeneticsMurdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourne, VICAustralia
| | - Patricia Eadie
- Melbourne Graduate School of EducationThe University of MelbourneMelbourne, VICAustralia
| | - Fiona Mensah
- Intergenerational HealthMurdoch Children's Research InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
- Department of PaediatricsUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVICAustralia
| | - Cristina McKean
- School of Education, Communication & Language SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Edith L. Bavin
- Intergenerational HealthMurdoch Children's Research InstituteParkvilleVICAustralia
- School of Psychology and Public HealthLa Trobe UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
| | - Sheena Reilly
- GeneticsMurdoch Children's Research InstituteMelbourne, VICAustralia
- Health GroupGriffith UniversityGold CoastQLDAustralia
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Oller DK, Gilkerson J, Richards JA, Hannon S, Griebel U, Bowman DD, Brown JA, Yoo H, Warren SF. Sex differences in infant vocalization and the origin of language. iScience 2023; 26:106884. [PMID: 37378320 PMCID: PMC10291326 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Seeking to discern the earliest sex differences in language-related activities, our focus is vocal activity in the first two years of life, following up on recent research that unexpectedly showed boys produced significantly more speech-like vocalizations (protophones) than girls during the first year of life.We now bring a much larger body of data to bear on the comparison of early sex differences in vocalization, data based on automated analysis of all-day recordings of infants in their homes. The new evidence, like that of the prior study, also suggests boys produce more protophones than girls in the first year and offers additional basis for informed speculation about biological reasons for these differences. More broadly, the work offers a basis for informed speculations about foundations of language that we propose to have evolved in our distant hominin ancestors, foundations also required in early vocal development of modern human infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Kimbrough Oller
- University of Memphis, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Ulrike Griebel
- University of Memphis, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Dale D Bowman
- University of Memphis, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Jane A Brown
- University of Memphis, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
- Institute for Intelligent Systems, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Hyunjoo Yoo
- University of Alabama, Communicative Disorders, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Steven F Warren
- University of Kansas, Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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Gipson TT, Oller DK, Messinger DS, Perry LK. Understanding speech and language in tuberous sclerosis complex. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1149071. [PMID: 37323931 PMCID: PMC10267356 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1149071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC), is a neurocutaneous disorder, associated with a high prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD; ∼50% of individuals). As TSC is a leading cause of syndromic ASD, understanding language development in this population would not only be important for individuals with TSC but may also have implications for those with other causes of syndromic and idiopathic ASD. In this mini review, we consider what is known about language development in this population and how speech and language in TSC are related to ASD. Although up to 70% of individuals with TSC report language difficulties, much of the limited research to date on language in TSC has been based on summary scores from standardized assessments. Missing is a detailed understanding of the mechanisms driving speech and language in TSC and how they relate to ASD. Here, we review recent work suggesting that canonical babbling and volubility-two precursors of language development that predict the emergence of speech and are delayed in infants with idiopathic ASD-are also delayed in infants with TSC. We then look to the broader literature on language development to identify other early precursors of language development that tend to be delayed in children with autism as a guide for future research on speech and language in TSC. We argue that vocal turn-taking, shared attention, and fast mapping are three such skills that can provide important information about how speech and language develop in TSC and where potential delays come from. The overall goal of this line of research is to not only illuminate the trajectory of language in TSC with and without ASD, but to ultimately find strategies for earlier recognition and treatment of the pervasive language difficulties in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanjala T Gipson
- Department of Pediatrics, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, The Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - D Kimbrough Oller
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Institute for Intelligent Systems, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Daniel S Messinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Music Engineering, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Lynn K Perry
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
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Kondaurova MV, Zheng Q, Donaldson CW, Betts A, Smith AF, Fagan MK. The effect of telepractice on vocal turn-taking between a provider, children with cochlear implants, and caregivers: A preliminary report. Cochlear Implants Int 2023; 24:155-166. [PMID: 36624981 DOI: 10.1080/14670100.2022.2159131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine the effect of telepractice on vocal turn-taking between one clinical provider and children with cochlear implants and their caregivers during child-centered auditory rehabilitation intervention. METHODS Seven dyads of children with cochlear implants (mean age 4:11 years) and their hearing mothers and one speech-language pathologist participated together in a telepractice session and an in-person intervention session. Dependent variables were vocalization rate, turn taking rate, rate of speech overlap per second, and between-speaker pause duration. RESULTS The speech-language pathologist and children had lower rates of vocalization in the telepractice session than the in-person session. However, maternal vocalization rate was higher in the telepractice than in-person session. The rate of turn-taking between the provider and children was lower in telepractice than in-person sessions but the rate of turn taking between mothers and children was higher in telepractice than in-person sessions. Between-speaker pause duration between children and the provider and between mothers and children was longer in telepractice than in-person sessions. Rate of speech overlap did not vary significantly by session type. DISCUSSION The quantity and temporal characteristics of vocal turn-taking were impacted by remote communication during tele-intervention suggesting a potential increase in the cognitive effort required of participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V Kondaurova
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Qi Zheng
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | | | - Abigail Betts
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head/Neck Surgery & Communicative Disorders, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Alan F Smith
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head/Neck Surgery & Communicative Disorders, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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Leland E, Fasano RM, Moffitt JM, Romero C, Cepero C, Messinger DS, Perry LK. Automated measurement: The need for a more objective view of the speech and language of autistic children. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1124273. [PMID: 37091813 PMCID: PMC10117873 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1124273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eraine Leland
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Eraine Leland
| | - Regina M. Fasano
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | | | - Celia Romero
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Catalina Cepero
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Daniel S. Messinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Electrical and Computational Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
- Department of Music Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
| | - Lynn K. Perry
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States
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Lampis V, Mascheretti S, Cantiani C, Riva V, Lorusso ML, Lecce S, Molteni M, Antonietti A, Giorgetti M. Long-Lasting Effects of Changes in Daily Routine during the Pandemic-Related Lockdown on Preschoolers’ Language and Emotional–Behavioral Development: A Moderation Analysis. CHILDREN 2023; 10:children10040656. [PMID: 37189908 DOI: 10.3390/children10040656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
The quantity and quality of environmental stimuli and contexts are crucial for children’s development. Following the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), restrictive measures have been implemented, constraining children’s social lives and changing their daily routines. To date, there is a lack of research assessing the long-lasting impacts that these changes have had on children’s language and emotional–behavioral development. In a large sample of preschoolers (N = 677), we investigated (a) the long-lasting effects of changes in family and social life and in daily activities over the first Italian nationwide COVID-19-pandemic-related lockdown upon children’s linguistic and emotional–behavioral profiles and (b) how children’s demographic variables and lifelong family characteristics moderated these associations within a multiple-moderator framework. Our findings showed a relationship between the time spent watching TV/playing video games and affective problems that was moderated by the number of siblings. Our findings showed that children who could be at high risk in more normal circumstances, such as only children, have been particularly harmed. Therefore, assessing the long-term effects of lockdown-related measures and how these could have been moderated by potential risk/protective factors added significant information to the existing literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lampis
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, PV, Italy
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Sara Mascheretti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, PV, Italy
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Chiara Cantiani
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Valentina Riva
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Lorusso
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, PV, Italy
| | - Massimo Molteni
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 23842 Bosisio Parini, LC, Italy
| | - Alessandro Antonietti
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 20123 Milan, MI, Italy
| | - Marisa Giorgetti
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, 20123 Milan, MI, Italy
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Zhang X, Ma Y, Feng T, Zhang V, Wu X, Li M, Li Q, Thani Z, Pappas L, Dill SE, Rozelle S. The home language environment and early language ability in rural Southwestern China. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1010442. [PMID: 37006716 PMCID: PMC10064000 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1010442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Using premier Language Environment Analysis technology to measure and analyze the home language environment, this observational study aims to describe the home language environment and child language ability, drawing on empirical data from 77 households with children aged 18–24 months from rural China. The results show large variation in measures of the home language environment and early language ability, similar to other rural Chinese samples. Results also demonstrate significant correlations between child age and the home language environment, maternal employment and the home language environment, father’s educational attainment and the home language environment, adult–child conversations and early language ability, and child vocalizations and early language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwu Zhang
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Yue Ma
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Tianli Feng
- School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Tianli Feng,
| | - Vincent Zhang
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Xiaoyang Wu
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Matthew Li
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Queenie Li
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Zahra Thani
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Lucy Pappas
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Sarah-Eve Dill
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Scott Rozelle
- Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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Huber E, Corrigan NM, Yarnykh VL, Ferjan Ramírez N, Kuhl PK. Language Experience during Infancy Predicts White Matter Myelination at Age 2 Years. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1590-1599. [PMID: 36746626 PMCID: PMC10008053 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1043-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Parental input is considered a key predictor of language achievement during the first years of life, yet relatively few studies have assessed the effects of parental language input and parent-infant interactions on early brain development. We examined the relationship between measures of parent and child language, obtained from naturalistic home recordings at child ages 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months, and estimates of white matter myelination, derived from quantitative MRI at age 2 years (mean = 26.30 months, SD = 1.62, N = 22). Analysis of the white matter focused on dorsal pathways associated with expressive language development and long-term language ability, namely, the left arcuate fasciculus (AF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Frequency of parent-infant conversational turns (CT) uniquely predicted myelin density estimates in both the AF and SLF. Moreover, the effect of CT remained significant while controlling for total adult speech and child speech-related utterances, suggesting a specific role for interactive language experience, rather than simply speech exposure or production. An exploratory analysis of 18 additional tracts, including the right AF and SLF, indicated a high degree of anatomic specificity. Longitudinal analyses of parent and child language variables indicated an effect of CT as early as 6 months of age, as well as an ongoing effect over infancy. Together, these results link parent-infant conversational turns to white matter myelination at age 2 years, and suggest that early, interactive experiences with language uniquely contribute to the development of white matter associated with long-term language ability.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Children's earliest experiences with language are thought to have profound and lasting developmental effects. Recent studies suggest that intervention can increase the quality of parental language input and improve children's learning outcomes. However, important questions remain about the optimal timing of intervention, and the relationship between specific aspects of language experience and brain development. We report that parent-infant turn-taking during home language interactions correlates with myelination of language related white matter pathways through age 2 years. Effects were independent of total speech exposure and infant vocalizations and evident starting at 6 months of age, suggesting that structured language interactions throughout infancy may uniquely support the ongoing development of brain systems critical to long-term language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Huber
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Neva M Corrigan
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Vasily L Yarnykh
- Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Naja Ferjan Ramírez
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
- Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195
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Deoni SCL, Burton P, Beauchemin J, Cano-Lorente R, De Both MD, Johnson M, Ryan L, Huentelman MJ. Neuroimaging and verbal memory assessment in healthy aging adults using a portable low-field MRI scanner and a web-based platform: results from a proof-of-concept population-based cross-section study. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:493-509. [PMID: 36352153 PMCID: PMC9646260 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02595-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Consumer wearables and health monitors, internet-based health and cognitive assessments, and at-home biosample (e.g., saliva and capillary blood) collection kits are increasingly used by public health researchers for large population-based studies without requiring intensive in-person visits. Alongside reduced participant time burden, remote and virtual data collection allows the participation of individuals who live long distances from hospital or university research centers, or who lack access to transportation. Unfortunately, studies that include magnetic resonance neuroimaging are challenging to perform remotely given the infrastructure requirements of MRI scanners, and, as a result, they often omit socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged individuals. Lower field strength systems (< 100 mT) offer the potential to perform neuroimaging at a participant's home, enabling more accessible and equitable research. Here we report the first use of a low-field MRI "scan van" with an online assessment of paired-associate learning (PAL) to examine associations between brain morphometry and verbal memory performance. In a sample of 67 individuals, 18-93 years of age, imaged at or near their home, we show expected white and gray matter volume trends with age and find significant (p < 0.05 FWE) associations between PAL performance and hippocampus, amygdala, caudate, and thalamic volumes. High-quality data were acquired in 93% of individuals, and at-home scanning was preferred by all individuals with prior MRI at a hospital or research setting. Results demonstrate the feasibility of remote neuroimaging and cognitive data collection, with important implications for engaging traditionally under-represented communities in neuroimaging research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean C L Deoni
- Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Discovery & Tools, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 500 5th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
| | - Phoebe Burton
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jennifer Beauchemin
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Rosa Cano-Lorente
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | | | - Lee Ryan
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Variations in early life home environment quality and children's achievement. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Ma Y, Jonsson L, Yao Z, Zhang X, Friesen D, Medina A, Rozelle S, Pappas L. The home language environment in rural China: variations across family characteristics. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:354. [PMID: 36797712 PMCID: PMC9936727 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15245-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A rich language environment is an important element of a nurturing home environment. Despite their proven importance, vocabulary and conversation have been shown to vary widely across households-even within the same socio-economic class. One significant gap in the existing literature is its nearly exclusive geographic focus on Western and developed settings, with little attention given to poorer communities in lower/middle income countries. The purpose of this study was to empirically illustrate the characteristics of the home language environment in the low SES, non-Western cultural setting of rural China. METHODS Using Language Environment Analysis (LENA) automated language-analysis system, this study measured the home language environment of 38 children aged 20-27 months in Northwest rural China. Our primary measures of the home language environment were Adult Word Count (AWC), Conversational Turn Count (CTC) and Child Vocalization Count (CVC). Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between home language environment and family/child characteristics, and language skills (Measured by MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory score). RESULTS In this paper, by comparison, we found that the home language environment of our rural sample fell far behind that of urban households. We also identify significant, positive correlations between language skills and both AWC and CTC. Our analysis finds no significant correlations between home language environment and family/child characteristics. CONCLUSION In this paper, we present the first ever findings using the LENA system to measure the home language environment of young children from poor rural communities in China. We found that the home language environment of lower-SES household was significantly worse than high-SES households, and demonstrated the importance of the home language environment to language skills, pointing to a need for more high-quality studies of the home language environment in rural China to better understand possible mechanisms behind low levels of parent-child language engagement and ways to improve the home language environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ma
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Laura Jonsson
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Zixin Yao
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA ,grid.21729.3f0000000419368729Economics Department, Columbia University, New York City, USA
| | - Xinwu Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Northwest University, 1 Xuefu Road, Chang'an District, 710127, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Dimitris Friesen
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Alexis Medina
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Scott Rozelle
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Lucy Pappas
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Rural Education Action Program, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA USA
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