Language Disorders Across the Lifespan exam 1

9:30 class

Which of the following are associated with neurodevelopmental impairment

Down Syndrome (trisomy 21)

Aphasia

an acquired neurogenetic language disorder resulting from a stroke or an injury to the brain

In many children, language disorders occur for unknown reasons. Which of the following disorder is due to unknown causes? (check all that apply)

Autism

Exposure to toxins (e.g lead, pesticides) in the environment can affect brain development and function and has been linked to language delays and disorders

True

Which of the following statements best distinguishes between a language difference and a language disorder?

A language difference is typically a variation in language use influenced by cultural or regional factors, while a language disorder is a significant impairment in language development or use.

Loss of previously acquired skills can result from neural trauma such as a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

True

Which of the following is an example of a neurodevelopmental disorder that can adversely affect language development?

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Which of the following is the best example of a microsystem influencing a child’s language development?

Parents reading bedtime stories in Spanish

A preschool-aged child lives in a household with limited access to books and few opportunities for shared reading due to parents’ long work hours. Which interpretation best reflects current understanding of SES and vocabulary development?

Limited home resources may reduce opportunities for certain types of language input, which can influence vocabulary growth without indicating language impairment.

Which statement best explains the role of home literacy activities (e.g., shared book reading, storytelling, talking about daily activities) in children’s vocabulary development?

Home literacy activities provide language-rich interactions that support vocabulary growth by increasing exposure to diverse words and meanings, without implying impairment when such activities are limited.

Maria is a typically-developing bilingual child who has recently been exposed to a second language, English, at her school. Her parents primarily speak Spanish at home. Maria's teacher notices that Maria rarely speaks English in the classroom, even though she seems to understand what is being said. Instead, she often uses nonverbal communication, relies on her first language (Spanish), and interacts more with her peers using gestures and expressions.

Question:

What can be inferred from Maria's behavior when she is first exposed to a second language, English?

Maria is employing typical strategies that many children use when first exposed to a second language, focusing on listening and comprehension.

In the context of language loss in sequential bilingual children, what potential challenge might clinicians face when assessing language development?

The characteristics of language loss can overlap with those of developmental language disorder (DLD).

Juan, a new student at an English-speaking school, recently moved from a Spanish-speaking country to the United States. He quickly became proficient in conversational English, engaging in everyday interactions with his peers and teachers. However, when it comes to academic tasks such as understanding complex textbooks and writing research papers, he struggles to grasp the content and express his ideas effectively.

Question:

Based on Juan's language abilities as described, which language proficiency is he likely to excel in, and which one is he likely to find challenging?

Juan is likely to excel in BICS but find CALP challenging.

In the context of language acquisition in young children, which statement best describes the role of attention?

Attention supports language acquisition by helping children notice and map linguistic forms to meaning, which contributes to learning words, grammatical patterns, and sentence structure.

Which of the following best describes children with Down syndrome?

Children with Down syndrome are more likely to experience delays in speaking their first words compared to typically developing children.

Turner is a child with Down syndrome.

Turner says: “Me and Griffin are rockstar.”

Which aspect of syntax weakness does this sentence illustrate?

Missing plural marker –s (rockstars) and omission of function words (e.g., “Griffin and I”)

Turner says: “No, I need a friendship.”

What does this sentence show about vocabulary use in children with Down syndrome?

Overextension of a word form — using friendship instead of a friend

Children with Down syndrome often demonstrate weak auditory short-term memory. Which statement best explains how this difficulty is related to their language delays?

Reduced auditory short-term memory limits children’s ability to hold and manipulate verbal information, making it more difficult to learn new words and acquire grammatical structures that depend on processing sequences of sounds.

A 5-year-old child with Down syndrome produces the following utterances during a language sample:

• “Yesterday he walk to school.”

• “Two dog playing.”

• “She eat cookie already.”

Which interpretation best explains these patterns in relation to language development in children with Down syndrome?

The child’s language samples reflect difficulty with grammatical morphology, particularly tense and plural marking, which is a common area of weakness in Down syndrome and contributes to overall language delay.

A 6-year-old child with Down syndrome is evaluated for language development. During assessment, the child accurately follows directions such as “Point to the dog that is chasing the cat” and “Show me the boy who is wearing a hat.” However, in spontaneous speech, the child produces sentences such as:

• “Boy wearing hat run.”

• “Dog chase cat.”

Which interpretation best explains this pattern?

The child demonstrates relatively stronger syntactic comprehension than syntactic production, a pattern commonly observed in children with Down syndrome.

What is a defining feature of expressive language and pragmatics in Williams Syndrome?

Expressive vocabulary and grammar that are relatively strong compared to cognitive level, paired with a highly sociable but sometimes incoherent conversational style.

Which statement is true regarding the relationship between language impairment and cognitive impairment in children with FXS?

The degree of language impairment is directly proportional to the severity of cognitive impairment.

Which pragmatic difficulties are commonly associated with Fragile X Syndrome?

Unusual prosody, off-topic responses, frequent disfluencies, and poor conversational use despite high talkativeness.

Which of the following best characterizes the receptive language abilities of children with Williams Syndrome (WS)?

Relational and conceptual vocabulary (such as spatial and temporal terms) is notably weaker than concrete vocabulary.

Sarah is a 7-year-old girl diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Her parents have noticed that she struggles with expressive language and often has difficulty finding the right words to express herself. Sarah's receptive language skills, on the other hand, seem to be more advanced. For instance, she can understand complex sentences like, "The cat that was sleeping on the couch jumped down when it heard the loud noise." However, when she tries to speak, she might say, "The cat, um, the cat, uh, jumped when loud noise." Additionally, she has a hard time using language effectively in social situations and often misinterprets social cues.

Question 3: Based on the provided case scenario, which aspect of language development is likely a challenge for Sarah?

Producing complex sentences

Males with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) typically achieve expressive language skills at or above their chronological age-expectations.

False

A 5-year-old child with Williams syndrome and a 5-year-old child with Down syndrome, matched for cognitive abilities, are assessed for their language skills. Which of the following statements best describes the expected difference in expressive vocabulary between the two children?

The child with Williams syndrome is expected to have a larger expressive vocabulary compared to the child with Down syndrome due to characteristics specific to Williams syndrome.

During a play session, a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is being observed. Which behavior is most indicative of challenges in play skills commonly associated with FXS?

Exhibiting a preference for solitary play over interactive play.

How does attention deficit commonly affect language development in children with language disorders?

Attention deficits often exacerbate language difficulties, leading to further delays in language acquisition and communication skills.

Which of the following best characterizes the receptive language abilities of children with Williams Syndrome (WS)?

Relational and conceptual vocabulary (such as spatial and temporal terms) is notably weaker than concrete vocabulary.