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Thompson K, Choi E, Artis J, Dubay M, Baranek GT, Watson LR. An observational study of parental language during play and mealtime in toddlers at variable likelihood for autism. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:681-709. [PMID: 38247286 PMCID: PMC11052673 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000923000739] [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] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Parental language input influences child language outcomes but may vary based on certain characteristics. This research examined how parental language differs during two contexts for toddlers at varying likelihood of autism based on their developmental skills. Parental language (quantity, quality, and pragmatic functions) was analyzed during dyadic play and mealtime interactions as a secondary data analysis of observational data from a study of toddlers at elevated and lower likelihood of autism. Child developmental skills and sensory processing were also assessed. Parents used more words per minute, directives, and verbs during play and more adjectives, descriptions, and questions during mealtime. Parental language differed based on child fine motor skills, receptive language, and levels of sensory hyporesponsiveness but not autism likelihood. Overall, this study found that parental language varies based on context and child developmental skills. Future research examining parental language should include pragmatic functions and context across developmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Thompson
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
| | - Elizabeth Choi
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California
- Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
| | - Jonet Artis
- University of Maryland College Park
- Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
| | - Michaela Dubay
- Department of Human Services, University of Virginia
- Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
| | - Grace T Baranek
- Mrs. T. H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California
- Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
| | - Linda R Watson
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Program for Early Autism Research, Leadership, and Service (PEARLS), University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
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Elmquist M, Ford ALB, Lorang E, Sterling A. Opportunities to Respond During Dyadic Caregiver-Child and Naturalistic Family Interactions Among Children With Down Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38619451 DOI: 10.1044/2024_ajslp-23-00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Dyadic caregiver-child interactions are commonly used to examine children's language learning environments. However, children frequently interact with multiple caregivers and/or siblings if they come from homes with multiple caregivers and siblings. Thus, we examined if and how caregiver opportunities to respond (OTRs) varied when sampled across three interaction configurations. METHOD Twelve children with Down syndrome (Mage = 40.82 months) and their biological parents participated in the current study. We collected separate mother-child and father-child dyadic interactions and one family choice interaction (i.e., both caregivers present and occasionally siblings) in families' homes. We analyzed if differences in the caregiver's OTR frequency and type-explicit and implicit-existed among dyadic and family choice configurations. RESULTS We found that, during family choice interactions, children were exposed to fewer OTRs when combining the total number of father and mother OTRs compared to dyadic caregiver-child interactions. This effect was large for explicit OTRs (mother-dyadic vs. combined family choice: g = -1.99, confidence interval [CI] [-3.00, -1.00]; father-dyadic vs. combined family choice: g = -0.84, CI [-1.84, -0.11]). For implicit OTRs, effects were small for mother-dyadic versus combined family choice (g = -0.34, CI [-1.17, 0.48]) and negligible when comparing father-dyadic with combined family choice (g = -0.08, CI [-0.90, 0.73]). CONCLUSION Our preliminary findings highlight the need for a more nuanced understanding of children's language learning environments to better understand how caregivers support their children's language development. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.25579905.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea L B Ford
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of Cincinnati, OH
| | - Emily Lorang
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Grinberg D, Levin-Asher B, Segal O. The Myth of Women's Advantage in Using Child-Directed Speech: Evidence of Women Versus Men in Single-Sex-Parent Families. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2022; 65:4205-4227. [PMID: 36327494 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-21-00558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Differences between child-directed speech (CDS) by women and men are generally explained by either biological-evolutionary or gender-social theories. It is difficult to tease these two explanations apart for different-sex-parent families because women are usually also the main caregivers. Thus, this study aims to examine the influence of parental sex on CDS by investigating men and women who are in same-sex-parent families. METHOD Twenty same-sex-parent families participated in the study-10 families in which the parents were two men and 10 families in which the parents were two women. The families were matched for toddler age (range: 9-24 months) and sex. CDS was recorded using the Language Environment Analysis (LENA) device for 16 hr during a day. Each parent was also audio-recorded during a 30-min play session with his or her child. RESULTS No difference was found between men and women across all the LENA measures, namely, adult word count, conversational turns count, and child vocalization count. The analysis of speech samples during parent-child play showed no difference between men and women in mean length of utterance and number of nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Pragmatic speech acts of initiations, responses to infants' actions, or vocalizations were similar in both sexes. Women used more "teaching" utterances than men, and men who were main caregivers used more "teaching" utterances than men who were secondary caregivers. Across both sexes, secondary caregivers used more "requests for actions" compared to main caregivers. CONCLUSIONS The present findings support a functional-social approach and not a biological approach for explaining the use of CDS by men and women. These findings have clinical implications on the involvement of men in early intervention programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Grinberg
- Department of Communication Disorders, Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Bonnie Levin-Asher
- Department of Communication Disorders, Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Osnat Segal
- Department of Communication Disorders, Steyer School of Health Professions, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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Hilvert E, Lorang E, Maltman N, Sterling A. Assessing the Quantity and Quality of Language Used by Mothers and Fathers of Children with Down Syndrome During Shared Book Reading. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2022; 50:1-13. [PMID: 35388779 PMCID: PMC9537342 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000922000046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Young children with Down syndrome (DS) have language delays beginning early in life. Book reading with parents provides a context for capitalizing on language learning opportunities. This study evaluated the quantity and quality of language input among mothers and fathers of young children with DS during book reading interactions and investigated associations with child language. Findings revealed that mothers were more talkative and used more descriptive language, whereas fathers spent more time reading the book text. Moreover, maternal and paternal input were correlated with different measures of child language, suggesting that mothers and fathers may use divergent approaches to support language development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Lorang
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | | | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Perzolli S, Bentenuto A, Bertamini G, de Falco S, Venuti P. Father-Child Interactions in Preschool Children with ASD: A Systematic Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1202. [PMID: 34573223 PMCID: PMC8465967 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on parental interaction in the context of ASD has mainly focused on mothers, even if fathers and their children seem to form close and supportive relationships that may have unique effects on child development. Given the impact of ASD symptoms on a child's ability to interact with significant others, recent findings strengthen the importance of including caregivers during treatment to guarantee a better adaptation to the child's impairments. Despite this, fathers are scarcely involved, and interventions seem to not be tailored to their interactive characteristics and needs. For this reason, a systematic review was conducted to investigate fathers and children with ASD behaviors during interaction. This review found 12 observational studies that identified social, cognitive, and affective interactive modalities in father-child dyads through three psychology-focused journal databases: PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus. The significant variation in both sample size and in the measures used to assess dyadic outcomes limits the ability of this work to make robust recommendations for intervention. Despite this, the results revealed characteristic behaviors of this dyad that consequently allow specific targets to be worked on during intervention. In fact, from fathers' individual strengths and weaknesses, it is possible to implement interventions that are complementary with maternal characteristics from the perspective of personalized and optimized treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Perzolli
- Laboratory of Observation, Diagnosis and Education (ODFLab), Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (S.d.F.); (P.V.)
| | - Arianna Bentenuto
- Laboratory of Observation, Diagnosis and Education (ODFLab), Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (S.d.F.); (P.V.)
| | - Giulio Bertamini
- Laboratory of Observation, Diagnosis and Education (ODFLab), Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (S.d.F.); (P.V.)
- Data Science for Health (DSH), Bruno Kessler Foundation (FNK), 38123 Povo, Italy
| | - Simona de Falco
- Laboratory of Observation, Diagnosis and Education (ODFLab), Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (S.d.F.); (P.V.)
| | - Paola Venuti
- Laboratory of Observation, Diagnosis and Education (ODFLab), Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38122 Trento, Italy; (A.B.); (G.B.); (S.d.F.); (P.V.)
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Hilvert E, Lorang E, Sterling A. Maternal Use of Decontextualized and Contextualized Talk: An In-Depth Investigation of Early Parent-Child Interactions in Down Syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2021; 30:1767-1780. [PMID: 34153191 PMCID: PMC8702844 DOI: 10.1044/2021_ajslp-20-00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The goal of this study was to characterize and quantify maternal use of decontextualized and contextualized input during mother-child interactions including young children with Down syndrome (DS). Method Participants included 22 mother-child dyads with DS (M age = 42.8 months) and 22 mother-child dyads with typical development (M age = 44.0 months). Parent-child language samples were collected during free-play, book reading, and snack time, and coded for maternal decontextualized (i.e., pretend, explanatory, and narrative talk) and contextualized input (i.e., descriptions, conversation, praise, questions, and directives). Results Mothers of children with DS used a larger proportion of pretend talk compared to other types of decontextualized input and also used a larger proportion of questions, conversation, and descriptions compared to other types of contextualized language. Mothers of children with DS generally used a smaller proportion of decontextualized input compared to mothers of children with typical development, with the exception of pretend talk. Maternal decontextualized input was not related to children's age or language ability in DS. Conclusions Findings shed new light on the early language environments of children with DS, providing important insight into the ways that mothers of children with DS are incorporating decontextualized and contextualized talk into early mother-child conversations. Additional implications and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Lorang
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Expressed Emotion in Families of Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy and Down Syndrome: Relations with Parenting Stress and Parenting Behaviors. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:1789-1806. [PMID: 34021833 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05075-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the family emotional climate as assessed by Five Minute Speech Samples and the relation with parenting stress and parenting behaviors among parents of children (6-17 years, 64.7% boys) with autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and without any known disability (n = 447). The large majority of parents (79%) showed low levels of Expressed Emotion, an indicator of a positive family climate. In all groups, more Emotional Over-involvement, more Criticism and fewer expressions of Warmth were associated with higher levels of parenting stress. Across groups, Emotional Over-involvement was related to more autonomy-supportive parenting, Criticism to more psychologically controlling and overreactive parenting, and Warmth was associated with more responsive and less psychologically controlling and overreactive parenting.
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Lorang EK, Sterling A. Parent Command Use and Child Compliance During Parent-Child Interactions Including Children With Down Syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2021; 30:1203-1209. [PMID: 33979208 PMCID: PMC8702838 DOI: 10.1044/2021_ajslp-20-00251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Purpose This study investigated maternal and paternal command use and child compliance in children with Down syndrome during mother-child and father-child free-play interactions. We also examined child compliance to direct versus indirect commands, and the relationships between maternal command use, paternal command use, child compliance, and child speech and language abilities. Method Fifteen families including a mother, father, and child with Down syndrome participated. Mother-child and father-child dyads participated in free-play interactions. We coded overall parent command use, command type (direct or indirect), and child compliance with the commands. Child language abilities were measured using a standardized assessment as well as during free-play. Results Mothers and fathers of children with Down syndrome used a similar number of commands, and children complied similarly across interactions. Children were more likely to comply with direct versus indirect commands. Parent command use was related to child language abilities in different ways for mothers and fathers. Child compliance was not related to receptive or expressive language abilities. Conclusions Mothers and fathers of children with Down syndrome use commands in similar ways but may base their command use on different child factors. Using direct commands with children with Down syndrome may be beneficial when increasing compliance during early interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K. Lorang
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - Audra Sterling
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin, Madison
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Predicting mother and child emotional availability in Singaporean bilingual English and Mandarin dyads: A multilevel approach to the specificity principle. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Sheldon JP, Oliver M, Yashar BM. Rewards and challenges of parenting a child with Down syndrome: a qualitative study of fathers' perceptions. Disabil Rehabil 2020; 43:3562-3573. [PMID: 32255374 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2020.1745907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Aim: Most studies on parenting children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities have focused on stress and coping; however, research has shown many rewards in parenting such children. Additionally, most research has assessed mothers' rather than fathers' perspectives. To take steps toward filling these literature gaps, we asked fathers of children with Down syndrome about their parenting experiences.Methods: Participants were 175 fathers of children with Down syndrome. Open-ended questions asked fathers what they found most rewarding and challenging about parenting a child with Down syndrome. Researchers coded responses using inductive content analysis.Results: Key themes for rewards included: (1) Child's Positive Attributes and Behaviors; (2) Rewarding Father-Child Relationship; (3) Child Has Positively Changed Father; and (4) Father's Positive Relationship with Others. Key themes for challenges included: (1) Father's Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors; (2) Child's Challenging Behavior and Development; (3) System and Institutional Problems; and (4) Other People's Negative Attitudes/Behaviors.Conclusions: Rewards mainly concerned the father-child bond and the loving, happy child. Fathers rarely mentioned financial stressors or their children's negative behaviors. Instead, many fathers reported children's speech problems. Our findings may assist healthcare professionals in providing more beneficial resources and interventions (especially language-related ones) to families with a child with Down syndrome.Implications for rehabilitationConsistent with a positive psychology approach, fathers reported more rewards than challenges in raising a child with Down syndrome.There may be a need for greater involvement of fathers in language interventions for children with Down syndrome.Healthcare professionals can assist parents of children with Down syndrome in recognizing parenting rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane P Sheldon
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA
| | - Mary Oliver
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Beverly M Yashar
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Lyakso E, Frolova O, Grigorev A, Gorodnyi V, Nikolaev A. Strategies of Speech Interaction between Adults and Preschool Children with Typical and Atypical Development. Behav Sci (Basel) 2019; 9:bs9120159. [PMID: 31888116 PMCID: PMC6961051 DOI: 10.3390/bs9120159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this research is to study the speech strategies of adults' interactions with 4-7-year-old children. The participants are "mother-child" dyads with typically developing (TD, n = 40) children, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs, n = 20), Down syndrome (DS, n = 10), and "experimenter-orphan" pairs (n = 20). Spectrographic, linguistic, phonetic, and perceptual analyses (n = 465 listeners) of children's speech and mothers' speech (MS) are executed. The analysis of audio records by listeners (n = 10) and the elements of nonverbal behavior on the basis of video records by experts (n = 5) are made. Differences in the speech behavior strategies of mothers during interactions with TD children, children with ASD, and children with DS are revealed. The different strategies of "mother-child" interactions depending on the severity of the child's developmental disorders and the child's age are described. The same features of MS addressed to TD children with low levels of speech formation are used in MS directed to children with atypical development. The acoustic features of MS correlated with a high level of TD child speech development do not lead to a similar correlation in dyads with ASD and DS children. The perceptual and phonetic features of the speech of children of all groups are described.
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Gilmore L, Ryan B, Cuskelly M, Gavidia-Payne S. Understanding Maternal Support for Autonomy in Young Children with Down Syndrome. JOURNAL OF POLICY AND PRACTICE IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jppi.12163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linda Gilmore
- Queensland University of Technology; Brisbane Australia
| | - Belinda Ryan
- Queensland University of Technology; Brisbane Australia
| | - Monica Cuskelly
- University of Queensland; Brisbane Australia and University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
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Guralnick MJ. Early Intervention for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: An Update. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES 2016; 30:211-229. [DOI: 10.1111/jar.12233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Guralnick
- Center on Human Development and Disability; University of Washington; Seattle WA USA
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Adamson LB, Bakeman R, Brandon B. How parents introduce new words to young children: The influence of development and developmental disorders. Infant Behav Dev 2015; 39:148-58. [PMID: 25863927 PMCID: PMC4417408 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This study documents how parents weave new words into on-going interactions with children who are just beginning to speak. Dyads with typically developing toddlers and with young children with autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome (n=56, 23, and 29) were observed using a Communication Play Protocol during which parents could use novel words to refer to novel objects. Parents readily introduced both labels and sound words even when their child did not respond expressively or produce the words. Results highlight both how parents act in ways that may facilitate their child's appreciation of the relation between a new word and its referent and how they subtly adjust their actions to suit their child's level of word learning and specific learning challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B Adamson
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
| | - Roger Bakeman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Benjamin Brandon
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
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Venuti P, de Falco S, Esposito G, Zaninelli M, Bornstein MH. Maternal functional speech to children: a comparison of autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and typical development. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2012; 33:506-17. [PMID: 22119699 PMCID: PMC3429128 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Revised: 10/24/2011] [Accepted: 10/24/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Children with developmental disabilities benefit from their language environment as much as, or even more than, typically developing (TD) children, but maternal language directed to developmentally delayed children is an underinvestigated topic. The purposes of the present study were to compare maternal functional language directed to children with two developmental disabilities--autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Down syndrome (DS)--with TD children and to investigate relations of maternal functional language with child language skills. Participants were 60 mothers and their children with TD (n = 20), DS (n = 20), or ASD (n = 20). Children's mean developmental age was 24.77 months (SD = 8.47) and did not differ across the groups. Mother and child speech were studied during naturalistic play. We found (a) similarities in maternal functional language directed to the two groups of children with developmental disabilities compared to that directed to TD children and (b) a positive association between subcategories of information-salient speech and child mean length of utterance in TD dyads only. The clinical and developmental implications of these findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Venuti
- Department of Cognitive Science and Education, University of Trento, Italy.
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