TOPIC

Paediatric language research

Everything we have read on paediatric language. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

479 PAPERS · PAGE 5 OF 10 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPCase-ControlListening Difficulties in Children With Normal Audiograms: Relation to Hearing and Cognition.Ear and hearingChildren with listening difficulties but normal hearing scores showed broad deficits in cognition and auditory processing compared to typically developing peers. Cognitive factors like vocabulary and attention switching were strong predictors of listening problems, alongside specific auditory measures.
• SLPCohort2022Variation in Auditory Experience Affects Language and Executive Function Skills in Children Who Are Hard of Hearing.Ear and hearingChildren who are hard of hearing had weaker vocabulary and some working memory and attention skills than matched hearing peers. In this group, better vocabulary and more speech access from hearing aid use, fitting, and unaided hearing were linked to stronger executive function.
• SLPCohort2021A preliminary epidemiologic study of social (pragmatic) communication disorder in the context of developmental language disorder.International journal of language & communication disordersAbout 30% of adolescents with a history of developmental language disorder showed social communication deficits. Roughly 9% of those without prior language issues also met criteria. Clinicians should screen for pragmatic problems in all children, not just those with known language delays.
• SLPCohort2022Vocal Turn-Taking in Families With Children With and Without Hearing Loss.Ear and hearingChildren with cochlear implants in this sample had fewer conversational turns with adult female and adult male caregivers than children with hearing aids or normal hearing. Turns with other children increased with age and were higher in families with siblings.
• SLPCase-Control2022Statistical word learning in Catalan-Spanish and English-speaking children with and without developmental language disorder.International journal of language & communication disordersChildren with Developmental Language Disorder struggled to implicitly learn patterns in a stream of tones, unlike typically developing peers. This tone task showed promise as a screening tool, where low scores strongly suggested DLD regardless of the child's native language.
• SLPCohort2022A longitudinal study of the phonological organisation of novel word forms in children with developmental language disorder.International journal of speech-language pathologyChildren with DLD persistently struggle to organise novel sound sequences into stable patterns over two years, even as their basic sound accuracy improves. Unlike typical peers, their speech variability does not converge with norms, suggesting sequencing deficits are a core, lasting feature of the disorder.
• SLPCohort2022Home Auditory Environments of Children With Cochlear Implants and Children With Normal Hearing.Ear and hearingChildren with cochlear implants did not show the typical age-related increase in conversational turns and vocalizations seen in peers with normal hearing. However, they experienced significantly less background noise. Earlier implant activation and higher maternal education were associated with more interaction.
• SLPRCT2021Toward Preventing Speech and Language Disorders of Known Genetic Origin: First Post-Intervention Results of Babble Boot Camp in Children With Classic Galactosemia.American journal of speech-language pathologyInfants with classic galactosemia receiving early parent-coached speech intervention showed faster growth in babble complexity and larger expressive vocabularies than untreated peers. At follow-up, most treated children had typical articulation and language scores, unlike untreated controls.
• SLPCohort2021Language Variation in the Writing of African American Students: Factors Predicting Reading Achievement.American journal of speech-language pathologyAfrican American students' writing was not penalized for using African American English forms. Instead, general grammatical errors ungrammatical in any dialect predicted lower reading scores. Assess overall language ability, not dialect use, to identify students needing support.
• SLPOther2022An Economic Evaluation of Australia's Newborn Hearing Screening Program: A Within-Study Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.Ear and hearingUniversal newborn hearing screening cost more than targeted screening, yet children had better overall health-related quality of life by five years. Language outcomes were positive but not clear, and value for money remained uncertain.
• SLPOther2021Word-learning trajectories influence long-term recall in children with developmental language disorder and typical development.Journal of communication disordersIn children with DLD and typical development, more correct spaced retrievals and steady gains during learning predicted better 5-minute and 1-week recall. Their learning trajectories were similar. Immediate retrieval helped during learning but did not by itself predict later recall.
• SLPCase-Control2021What factors interfere with the performance of preschool children in the language subtest of Bayley-III?CoDASPrematurity did not predict language scores on the Bayley-III in this Brazilian sample. Maternal education did: children of mothers with only basic education were 6.31 times more likely to score below average. Cultural differences in the test may also be masking true deficits.
• SLPCohort2022Contributions of early motor deficits in predicting language outcomes among preschoolers with developmental language disorder.International journal of speech-language pathologyIn preschoolers with developmental language disorder, early balance and manual dexterity performance predicted language difficulty two years later. Early language and speech performance did not, so motor observations may help flag persistent risk.
• SLPOther2021Pitch Accuracy of Vocal Singing in Deaf Children With Bimodal Hearing and Bilateral Cochlear Implants.Ear and hearingChildren with cochlear implants or hearing aids sing with less pitch accuracy than peers with normal hearing. No implant configuration was superior to another. Standard predictors like age at implantation did not predict singing ability, suggesting vocal pitch control relies on different factors than speech perception.
• SLPCohort2021Social Communication and pragmatic skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder.CoDASParents rated children with autism as having significantly poorer social communication than children with developmental language disorder. Teachers showed a similar trend. Both groups scored lower than typically developing peers, but parents and teachers agreed closely on these deficits.
• SLPOther2021Language profile of children from a quilombola community.CoDASQuilombola preschoolers showed adequate vocabulary but impaired phonology and verbal short-term memory. Most five-year-olds retained phonological processes beyond expected ages, and none performed adequately on memory tasks. Functional communication was preserved, but school readiness risks were identified.
• SLPOther2022Children's Behavior and Maternal Parenting Stress in Young Children With Sex Chromosome Trisomies.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAverage behavior scores did not differ between children with sex chromosome trisomies and typically developing peers. Children with trisomies had lower developmental scores and reported vocabulary, and mothers reported more stress in parent-child interaction.
• SLPOther2022Predictive Sentence Context Reduces Listening Effort in Older Adults With and Without Hearing Loss and With High and Low Working Memory Capacity.Ear and hearingListening to sentences with predictable endings frees up mental resources for older adults, even those with hearing loss or low working memory. Clinicians should encourage communication partners to use clear, predictable context to reduce listening fatigue.
• SLPOther2022Psychometric Properties of the English-Spanish Vocabulary Inventory in Toddlers With and Without Early Language Delay.Journal of speech, language, and hearing research : JSLHRThe English-Spanish Vocabulary Inventory captures more cross-language words than separate monolingual lists without taking longer to complete. Parents found it easy to use, and scores matched children's actual speech samples and standardized tests. It helps clinicians see the full picture of a bilingual toddler's vocabulary.
• SLPOther2022Development and norming of the Hungarian CDI-III: A screening tool for language delay.International journal of language & communication disordersThe Hungarian CDI-III is a reliable parent-report screening tool for language delay in children aged 30 to 50 months. It identifies potential delays using cut-off scores for vocabulary, sentences, and language use. It does not yet have proven classification accuracy against clinical diagnoses.
• SLPCohort2022Repercussion of the implementation of the Picture Exchange Communication System - PECS in the overload index of mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.CoDASPECS improved children's vocabulary and reduced non-adaptive behaviors, but the primary outcome of maternal burden showed no significant change. Mothers remained stressed despite gains in their child's communication.
• SLPOther2022Spelling abilities of school-aged children with Williams syndrome.Research in developmental disabilitiesChildren with Williams syndrome who learned to read through systematic phonics spelled significantly better than those taught other ways. Spelling ability was strongly linked to reading skill, even after accounting for IQ, suggesting spelling instruction may support literacy development.
• SLPOther2022The influence of screen time on children's language development: A scoping review.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsScreen time effects on language depend on what is watched and who is present. Background TV and rapid videos reduce interaction and vocabulary, while co-viewing and slow-paced content can support learning. Children under two generally learn better from people than screens.
• SLPOther2022Assessing the Quantity and Quality of Language Used by Mothers and Fathers of Children with Down Syndrome During Shared Book Reading.Journal of child languageMothers spoke more and described things more often. Fathers read the book text more and used more grammatically complex language. Parents rarely used abstract talk, which linked to child language skills, so coaching fathers on this specific input type may be a useful intervention target.
• SLPSurvey2022Speech-language pathologists' practices in augmentative and alternative communication during early intervention.Augmentative and alternative communication (Baltimore, Md. : 1985)SLPs are most likely to recommend AAC for children with no spoken words, favoring sign language and photos over devices. They cite caregiver resistance and poor carryover as the biggest barriers, not child ability.
• SLPOther2022Development and validation of children's stories as a health education strategy in speech, language, and hearing sciences.CoDASTen children’s stories about speech, language, and hearing self-care were rated highly acceptable by speech therapists, educators, and parents. Judges requested changes to three titles, simpler vocabulary, and raising the minimum age from four to five years.
• OTSLPCohort2022Early predictors of language skills at 3 years of age vary based on diagnostic outcome: A baby siblings research consortium study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchFor infants later diagnosed with autism, higher gesture scores at 12 months predicted lower language skills at 3 years, unlike in typically developing infants. Maternal education strongly predicted language outcomes in the autism group, with those whose mothers had less than a college degree showing the lowest scores.
• SLPCohort2022Predicting 9-Year Language Ability from Preschool Speech Recognition in Noise in Children Using Cochlear Implants.Trends in hearingSpeech perception in noise at 5 years predicted better language at 9 years in 56 children with cochlear implants. Vocabulary at 5 years did not independently predict later speech perception in noise.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2022A systematic review of relationships and sex education outcomes for students with intellectual disability reported in the international literature.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRMost measured outcomes are knowledge-based, not skills. Students want practical skills like contraception use, while teachers and parents focus on safety and behaviour. No validated tools exist to measure these outcomes in this age group.
• SLPPilot2022Second-Order False Beliefs and Linguistic Recursion in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAge-matched children with and without ASD did not differ in reasoning about one person's belief about another's belief. In children with ASD who initially struggled, five sessions of recursive language or working memory training improved this reasoning; interaction-only control did not.
• SLPPilot2022A Preliminary Examination of the Impact of Working Memory Training on Syntax and Processing Speed in Children with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism who completed eight weeks of home-based working memory training improved on memory tasks and showed gains in complex sentence repetition and comprehension. These language improvements persisted three months later, though the study lacked a control group.
• SLPCohort2022What are you looking at? Gaze following with and without target objects in ASD and typical development.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceInfants later diagnosed with autism showed typical gaze-following accuracy and looking times compared to peers. However, when an adult looked at an empty spot, these infants returned their gaze to the adult's face significantly faster than typically developing infants.
• SLPRCT2023Feasibility and Initial Efficacy of an Adapted Telepractice Listening Comprehension Intervention for School-Aged Children with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism attending remote listening comprehension sessions showed significant improvement in understanding spoken paragraphs, but no change in vocabulary or narrative retell. Adding a parent-led read-aloud component did not produce better outcomes than the child sessions alone.
• SLPRCT2022Working memory training in children with developmental language disorder: Effects on complex syntax in narratives.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesWorking memory training did not significantly improve complex syntax in children's spontaneous storytelling when compared within groups. However, the trained group used more embedded clauses than the control group at post-test, though this difference was small and the study was underpowered.
• SLPCohort2023Speech Development Across Subgroups of Autistic Children: A Longitudinal Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with more consonants in their speech at baseline were the only ones who became verbal over 12 months. Those with few consonants stayed minimally verbal. Use consonant inventory and receptive vocabulary to guide prognosis and intervention targets.
• OTSLPCohort2023Longitudinal development of language and fine motor skills is correlated, but not coupled, in a childhood atypical cohort.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEarly skill level in one domain did not predict rate of change in the other. Language and fine motor growth rates were strongly correlated, but that did not show a driving effect.
• SLPOther2022A new dynamic word learning task to diagnose language disorder in French-speaking monolingual and bilingual children.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesA dynamic word-learning task accurately identified language disorder in children aged 4-6 but failed for those aged 7-8. The task did not penalize bilingual children, suggesting it is a promising screening tool for younger groups only.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2022An interdisciplinary nationwide complex intervention for lifespan neurodevelopmental service development: Underpinning principles and realist programme theory.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesStakeholders identified seven practitioner-level mechanisms for successful service change: being action-oriented, providing concise evidence-informed information, and being an accessible team. These principles guided the National Autism Implementation Team in Scotland.
• SLPOther2023Psychometric properties of the English language version of the C-BiLLT evaluated in typically developing Canadian children.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineIn 80 typically developing Canadian children, a computer language comprehension test gave stable scores over about three weeks and rose with age. It can be completed using eye gaze, switches, touch, or partner scanning. In 9 children with cerebral palsy, completion was incomplete.
• SLPOther2023Speech-in-speech recognition in preschoolers.International journal of audiologyPreschoolers needed a much louder voice to understand words in background chatter than adults did. Children with larger vocabularies understood harder words better, but vocabulary size did not help with very easy words. The test used here worked for most children aged three to four.
• SLPOther2023Early diagnostic indicators of childhood apraxia of speech in young children with 7q11.23 duplication syndrome: preliminary findings.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsToddlers with 7q11.23 duplication syndrome showed less mature babble, fewer vocalizations, and limited consonant and vocalization diversity than typical toddlers, more closely resembling children later diagnosed with apraxia. These patterns may flag risk, but they did not confirm a diagnosis.
• SLPCohort2022Receptive Vocabulary of Children With Bilateral Cochlear Implants From 3 to 16 Years of Age.Ear and hearingChildren with cochlear implants showed a U-shaped vocabulary gap compared to hearing peers. Scores were near normal at ages 3 and 16 but dropped significantly between 5 and 12 years. The deficit peaked at 8.7 years. Good early progress does not guarantee age-appropriate skills later.
• SLPCase-Control2022Are items actively removed from working memory during free time in children with developmental language disorder?International journal of language & communication disordersChildren with developmental language disorder did not have less free time than peers. More free time improved their accuracy when interference was visual, but worsened it when interference was verbal, suggesting attention or encoding failures rather than slow processing.
• SLPSurvey2022Public awareness of developmental language disorder in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia.International journal of language & communication disordersMany people in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia had heard of developmental language disorder, but accurate definitions were uncommon. Most still recognized speech-language pathologists as the key professionals, with teachers seen as similarly able to advise parents.
• SLPCohort2022Procedural learning and school-age language outcomes in children with and without a history of late talking.International journal of language & communication disordersChildren with a history of late talking did not have weaker procedural learning or motor planning than peers. However, in children with typical early development, weaker procedural learning predicted lower school-age language scores. This suggests procedural learning may identify language risks in children who were not flagged as late talkers.
• SLPCohort2023Filling lexical gaps and more: code-switching for the power of expression by young bilinguals.Journal of child languageBilingual children switch to their stronger language when their vocabulary gap between languages widens. This happens even when speaking to a bilingual parent who understands both, suggesting the switch is about expressing complex thoughts, not just missing words.
• SLPOther2022Effectiveness of intervention focused on vocational course vocabulary in post-16 students with (developmental) language disorder.International journal of language & communication disordersNine 30-minute speech and language therapy sessions targeting vocational course vocabulary led to significantly greater progress in word knowledge than classroom teaching alone. This benefit remained 14 weeks later. Progress was seen across nouns, verbs and adjectives.
• SLPQualitative2022'I think writing is everything': An exploration of the writing experiences of people with aphasia.International journal of language & communication disordersEight people with aphasia described writing as gradual, effortful, and vital for adult roles, yet often neglected in therapy. They used self-discovered strategies and technology to manage frustration, highlighting a need for person-centred goals that address real-world writing barriers and participation.
• SLPOther2022Moment-to-Moment Processing of Complex Sentences by Adults with and without Developmental Language Disorder.Journal of communication disordersAdults with developmental language disorder understood complex sentences as accurately as typical peers, but their moment-to-moment listening times differed. They were less influenced by noun expectations, and their verbal working memory scores were lower.
• SLPQualitative2023The oral language and emergent literacy skills of preschoolers: Early childhood teachers' self-reported role, knowledge and confidence.International journal of language & communication disordersEarly childhood teachers felt confident supporting literacy but unsure about language milestones. This uncertainty made them reluctant to raise concerns with parents. They reported limited practical training in language development, relying instead on collegial support and personal experience.