Evidence of a Continuum in Foundational Expressive Communication Skills

Reconciling Hard Skills and Soft Skills in a Common Framework: The Generic Skills Component Approach

The distinction between hard and soft skills has long been a topic of debate in the field of psychology, with hard skills referring to technical or practical abilities, and soft skills relating to interpersonal capabilities. This paper explores the generic composition of any skill, proposing a unified framework that consists of five distinct components: knowledge, active cognition, conation, affection, and sensory-motor abilities. Building upon previous research and theories, such as Hilgard's "Trilogy of Mind", the generic skill components approach aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure and composition of any skill, whether hard or soft. By examining these components and their interactions, we can gain a more in-depth understanding of the nature of skills and their development. This approach has several potential applications and implications for various fields, including education, training, and workplace productivity. Further research is needed to refine and expand upon the generic skill components theory, exploring the interactions between the different components, as well as the impact of contextual factors on skill development and use.

Using weighted communication scoring procedures in naturalistic play samples: Preliminary validation in preschool-aged boys with autism or fragile X syndrome

In the present study, we provide a preliminary evaluation of the validity and reliability of using weighting procedures to measure communication in play samples for preschool-aged boys with autism or fragile X syndrome (FXS). Because weighting procedure communication scores (WPCSs) reflect growth in both communicative frequency and complexity, establishing the psychometrics of the component scores, in addition to the overall metric, affords investigators the opportunity to describe growth within and across skills. Results, for both groups, provide support regarding the psychometric appropriateness (i.e., convergent validity, divergent validity, and internal consistency) for all WPCSs. That said, a trend was observed for reliability scores to be slightly lower or more variable in boys with autism than in boys with FXS. Finally, although significant associations were observed in the associations between WPCSs across play contexts, contexts effects were observed for all three WPCSs. Together, results from this study provide promising preliminary data indicating the utility of using WPCSs in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Lay Summary: Language supports long-term positive outcomes; it is important to identify accurate and flexible ways of measuring language in children over time. We considered the effectiveness of using a procedure that considers changes in the number of communication acts and the types of acts produced during a play session by preschool-aged boys with autism or fragile X syndrome. These procedures were found to be valid and reliable.

Stability of Vocal Variables Measured During the Early Communication Indicator for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Early Communication Indicator (ECI) was designed to measure expressive communication progress in young children. We evaluated using the 6-min ECI procedure for a new purpose-a sampling context for stable measures of vocal development of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We evaluated how many ECI sessions were required to adequately stabilize estimates of volubility, communicative use, and phonological complexity of vocalizations at two periods (average of 10 months apart). Participants included 83 young children with ASD (M age = 23.33 months). At study initiation, two phonological complexity variables required two sessions; other variables required three. At study endpoint, all variables required fewer sessions. Findings support the feasibility and stability of using the ECI for the new purpose.

Modelling the early expressive communicative trajectories of infants/toddlers with early cochlear implants

For children with normal hearing (NH), early communication skills predict vocabulary, a precursor to grammar. Growth in early communication skills of infants with cochlear implants (CIs) was investigated using the Early Communication Indicator (ECI), a play-based observation measure. Multilevel linear growth modelling on data from six ECI sessions held at three-monthly intervals revealed significant growth overall, with a non-significant slower growth rate than that of children with NH (comparison age centred at 18 months). Analyses of gesture use and of nonword vocalisations revealed the CI group used significantly more of each, with more rapid growth. In contrast, the CI group used significantly fewer single words and multiword utterances, and with slower growth. Maternal education and time to achieve consistent CI use impacted significantly on growth for the CI sample. The results indicate that progression to vocabulary by young CI users can be supported by encouraging their use of prelinguistic communication.

Teaching Preschoolers With Down Syndrome Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Modeling During Small Group Dialogic Reading

Purpose This study evaluated the effect of aided augmentative and alternative communication modeling (AAC-MOD) on the communication skills of children with Down syndrome (DS) during small group dialogic reading. Method Four children with DS between 3;1 and 5;3 (years;months; M = 4;5) and 5 typically developing peers between 3;5 and 5;9 (M = 4;3) participated. Effects were examined using a multiple probe across behaviors design with 4 children with DS. To simulate typical dialogic reading routines in inclusive classrooms, a strategy called Read, Ask, Answer, Prompt (Binger, Kent-Walsh, Ewing, & Taylor, 2010) was applied during the baseline and intervention sessions. Results A functional relation was demonstrated between (a) AAC-MOD and percentage of correctly identified symbols for 3 participants, (b) AAC-MOD and rate of symbolic communication for 2 participants, and (c) AAC-MOD and number of different words for 2 participants. Increases in number of multiple word combinations occurred for 2 participants. All 4 children maintained their percentage of correctly identified symbols. Increases in rate of symbolic communication did not generalize to thematic play contexts, a distal measure of response generalization. Conclusion AAC-MOD is an effective strategy for teaching target vocabulary and increasing rate of symbolic communication in young children with DS. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.10093538.

Avaliação da comunicação expressiva em crianças dos 6 aos 41 meses de idade na região norte de Portugal: Um estudo exploratório com o Early Communication Indicator

O Early Communication Indicator (ECI) é um instrumento de medida que visa identificar, intervir e monitorizar precocemente problemas na competência comunicativa de crianças dos 6 aos 36 meses. A finalidade do estudo tem por base a tradução e adaptação para o Português Europeu, administrado a 40 crianças e a análise dos resultados. Verificou-se: existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos resultados brutos totais da comunicação e nas categorias das palavras e frases; que há um padrão de crescimento nas categorias da comunicação expressiva ao longo do desenvolvimento da criança; evolução na produção da comunicação global.

Risks associated with communication delays in infants from underserved South African communities

Background

For optimal development young children need warm, responsive, enriched and communicative environments for learning social, language, and other skills. Infants and toddlers exposed to psychosocial risk lack enriched environments and may present with communication delays.

Aim

To investigate the relationship between psychosocial risks and communication delays in infants from underserved communities in South Africa.

Setting

Primary healthcare facilities in Tshwane district, South Africa.

Methods

A parent interview and Rossetti Infant Toddler Language Scales were used to collect data from caregivers of 201 infants aged 6–12 months, selected through convenience sampling. Associations between communication delays and risks were determined (Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests). A log-linear model analysis was used to model the simultaneous effect of significant risks on the probability of having communication delays.

Results

Communication delays were present in 13% of infants. Infants with two or more siblings, born from mothers aged 18–29 years who own their house, had a 39% chance of presenting with communication delays.

Conclusion

Developmental screening and early intervention is important in primary healthcare contexts in South Africa, as a clear relationship has been established between three risk factors and communication delays in infants.

Contexte

Risques associés à des retards de communication verbale chez les nourrissons des communautés sud-africaines non desservies.

Pour s'épanouir complètement les jeunes enfants ont besoin d'un environnement chaud, réceptif, enrichi et communicatif pour apprendre le langage social et d'autres compétences. Les nourrissons et les tout-petits exposés à des risques psychosociaux souffrent d'un manque d'environnements enrichissants et pourraient souffrir de retards de communication verbale.

Objectif

Pour étudier la relation entre les risques psychosociaux et les retards de communication verbale chez les nourrissons des communautés non desservies en Afrique du Sud.

Lieu

Services de soins primaires dans le district de Tshwane, en Afrique du Sud.

Méthodes

Une entrevue avec les parents et l'Echelle de Compétence linguistique pour les Nourrissons de Rossetti ont été utilisés pour rassembler les données de 201 nourrissons de 6 à 12 mois provenant de leurs gardiens, sélectionnés au moyen d'échantillonnages de proximité. On a remarqué un lien entre les retards et les risques de communication verbale (tests Chi carré et de Fisher). On a utilisé un modèle d'analyse log-linéaire pour modéliser l'effet simultané des risques importants sur la probabilité d'avoir des retards de communication verbale.

Résultats

On a trouvé des retards de communication verbale chez 13% des nourrissons. Les nourrissons qui vivent avec deux frères ou sœurs ou plus, nés de mères âgées de 18 à 29 ans qui ont leur propre maison, avaient 39% plus de chance d'avoir des retards de communication verbale.

Using Principal Components as Auxiliary Variables in Missing Data Estimation

To deal with missing data that arise due to participant nonresponse or attrition, methodologists have recommended an "inclusive" strategy where a large set of auxiliary variables are used to inform the missing data process. In practice, the set of possible auxiliary variables is often too large. We propose using principal components analysis (PCA) to reduce the number of possible auxiliary variables to a manageable number. A series of Monte Carlo simulations compared the performance of the inclusive strategy with eight auxiliary variables (inclusive approach) to the PCA strategy using just one principal component derived from the eight original variables (PCA approach). We examined the influence of four independent variables: magnitude of correlations, rate of missing data, missing data mechanism, and sample size on parameter bias, root mean squared error, and confidence interval coverage. Results indicate that the PCA approach results in unbiased parameter estimates and potentially more accuracy than the inclusive approach. We conclude that using the PCA strategy to reduce the number of auxiliary variables is an effective and practical way to reap the benefits of the inclusive strategy in the presence of many possible auxiliary variables.