CSDS 109 module 4

• In the ASHA definition of language disorder, which components of language line up with (1) form, (2) content, and (3) function

• Phonology, morphology and syntax 2) semantics 3) pragmatics

• What the DSM-5 is

Diagnostic and statistics manual of mental disorders published by APA is the standard classification system of mental disorders used in clinical and educational settings across the world

• The two methods to qualify a student for services due to a language disorder in theCalifornia public schools

• Using more than one assessment procedure, the student scores at least 1.5 standard deviations below the mean, or below the 7th percentile, for his or her chronological age or developmental level on tests in one ore more of the following areas of language development: morphology, syntax, semantics, or pragmatics

• The student displays inappropriate or inadequate usage of expressive language as measured on a representative spontaneous language sample a minimum of fifty utterances

• Two further requirements for students to be qualified for services due to a language

disorder in the California public schools

• The disorder is not due to unfamiliarity with english

• The disorder adversely affects the students educational performance, and requires special education to meet the students needs

• Terminology used at Fresno State when diagnosing a language disorder

Expressive language disorder, a receptive language disorder or a mixed expressive/receptive language disorder

• When we diagnose specific language impairment (SLI)

After 4 years of age: this is to avoid diagnosing children that may be late bloomers who demonstrate slow language evelopment

• What percentage of children can be described as “late bloomers”

10-15% of children

• What do “late bloomers” look like in terms of language development

Decreased vocabulary and failure to combine what few words they have.

• Prevalence of SLI in kindergarten children

7-8% of children in kindergarten

• Percentage of children who will have persistent language difficulties in adolescence

60% of children

• Why SLI is called a heterogenous disorder

Children exhibit a variety of symptoms in an infinite number of combinations in the areas of semantics, syntax, morphology, and pragmatic language behaviors

• What percentage of children with phonological disorders also have difficulties with

language?

40-70% of children

• Unusual phonologic processes children with SLI might produce

-prevocalic devoicing

-word-initial weak syllable deletion

-unusual errors not typically associated with phonological processes

• What deficits in the semantic component of language are exhibited by children with SLI

• May be slow to acquire their first words

• May not show the explosive increase in vocabulary typical for 18-24 months

• May persist in overextension and underextension

• Slower to attain 2-word combinations

• Difficulty with abstract concepts

• Receptive skills higher than expressive

• What areas of language are most affected by SLI

Syntax and morphology

• What deficits children with SLI exhibit in the area of syntax

Failure to combine words by 24 months, sentences spoken are short and lack complexity, omission of function words resulting in telegraphic speech, and older children with SLI may have particular difficulty with production of complex sentences with introductory or embedded dependent clauses

• What is the most promising clinical marker of SLI?

Morphological deficits

• The inflectional morphemes children with SLI may have difficulties with – know them, and be able to identify examples of them

Regular plural –s (e.g., ducks, chairs)

Possessive –s (e.g., Daddy’s hat)

Present progressive –ing (e.g., “The dog is running.”)

Third person singular present tense –s (“She plays the piano.”)

Auxiliary verbs (e.g., “He is running.”)

Copula verbs (e.g., “I am a teacher.”)

Past tense –ed (e.g., “He talked to me yesterday.”)

Irregular plurals (feet, mice, children)

Irregular past tense verbs (ate, went, swam)

• Proposed explanations for morphologic deficiencies in children with SLI

• Explanations involving perception –

• morphologic features are not perceived as

  well as the rest of the word or sentence

  • Explanations involving syntactic

  complexity – morphologic features simply

  are part of the overall difficulty the

  children have with syntax

  • Explanations involving syntactic redundancy –

  certain features may be omitted because they are not

  critical to the meaning of the phrase or sentence. For

  example, how necessary are the italicized

  morphemes in the following?

• What deficits in pragmatic language skills might be seen in children with SLI

• A limited amount of comments relating to events/people

• Limited interactions

  • Answers questions only- no asking of questions

  • Passive

• Limited use of gestures

• Inappropriate turn-taking

• Expression of inappropriate comments

• How strong a diagnostic marker is the area of pragmatics for SI

Not strong

• Emotional consequences of SLI

• Children with SLI may be perceived in a more negative

• light by teachers and peers

  • This perception, as well as possible social pragmatic difficulties, will in turn restrict communication use.

  • This, in turn, limits opportunities to form social relationships.

  • Young children may exhibit behavior problems.

  • Children are less participatory in early elementary school.

  • By late elementary school, children with SLI may have

    • Low self esteem

    • A negative view of self relating to:

      • academic achievement

      • social acceptance

      • behavior

• The limitations of correlation data

correlation does not mean causation

• The two major types of genetic studies
 

Population genetic studies and Molecular genetics

• The three types of population genetic studies

Family studies, twin studies, and pedigree studies

• The basic findings regarding the KE family and the FOXP2 gene

The FOXP2 gene was identified as the “talking gene” but

later findings suggested that gene is not involved in

language disorders, although research into the FOXP2 gene

is ongoing

• Findings of Plante et al. (1991)

conducted an autopsy study on 4

males with “developmental dyslexia” and found that

the two sides were symmetrical due to a typically

sized left but an oversized right.

• Description of the quality of interactions between mothers and their children with SLI

Differences in how mothers interact (e.g., less interaction, more directive statements, less questions, more shouting and threatening, etc.)

• Effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on language and literacy

Low SES correlated with poor language and literacy skills in children

• The manner in which Hart and Risley conducted their study

Longitudinal study- observed 42 families over 2+ years. 13 high class, 23 middle class, 6 low class families.

• Quantitative and qualitative differences in the manner in which children were exposed to language, as discovered by Hart and Risley (1995)

• quantitative: estimated cumulative words addressed to child

• qualitative: encouragements and discouragements

• Underlying deficits researchers have suggested exist in children with SLI

Complex reasoning tasks, information processing skills, memory skills, haptic (touch) perception, attentional deficits and hyperactivity, symbolic play activity.

• What treatment research evidence suggests about underlying deficit training when treating children with SLI

• does not result in improved expressive language skills

• is not necessary before one can train expressive language skills

• does not make direct language training more efficient

• Reed’s conclusion regarding the percentage rate that is now most “commonly accepted” prevalence rate for SLI

7%

• A concept called the “Matthew effect”

those children who are better at language are better able to take advantage of language-learning opportunities to learn more language, but those who are not good fall further and further behind, and the gap between the language able and language limited children widens with time

-the rich get richer and the poor get poorer

Why Reed states that “comprehension skills [in children with SLI] deserve some special

mention”

There is increasing evidence that children with delayed expressive language development who also have more notable comprehension deficits are likely to demonstrate poorer outcomes, even into adolescence.