Kari-Anne B. Næss

Language and verbal short-term memory skills in Children with Down syndrome :A meta-analytic review

This study presents a meta-analytic review of language and verbal short-term memory skills in children with Down syndrome. The study examines the profile of strengths and weaknesses in children with Down syndrome compared to typically developing children matched for nonverbal mental age. The findings show that children with Down syndrome have broad language deficits (that are not restricted to measures of expressive language) and associated verbal short-term memory deficits. The profile of language skills in children with Down syndrome shows similarities to that seen in children with Specific Language Impairment. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Figurative Language Comprehension in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analytic Review.

We present a meta-analysis of studies that compare figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing controls who were matched based on chronological age or/and language ability. A total of 41 studies and 45 independent effect sizes were included based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Group matching strategy, age, types of figurative language, and cross-linguistic differences were examined as predictors that might explain heterogeneity in effect sizes. Overall, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed poorer comprehension of figurative language than their typically developing peers (Hedges’ g = –0.57). A meta-regression analysis showed that group matching strategy and types of figurative language were significantly related to differences in effect sizes, whereas chronological age and cross-linguistic differences were not. Differences between the autism spectrum disorder and typically developing groups were small and nonsignificant when the groups were matched based on the language ability. Metaphors were more difficult to comprehend for individuals with autism spectrum disorder compared with typically developing controls than were irony and sarcasm. Our findings highlight the critical role of core language skills in figurative language comprehension. Interventions and educational programmes designed to improve social communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder may beneficially target core language skills in addition to social skills.

Longitudinal relationships between language and verbal short-term memory skills in children with Down syndrome

Children with Down syndrome are at risk for language difficulties, the nature of which is not well understood. This study compared the longitudinal predictors of language skills in children with Down syndrome with those in typically developing control children matched for initial level of nonverbal mental ability. An age cohort of children with Down syndrome (n=43) and 57 typically developing control children was assessed on measures of vocabulary, grammar, and verbal short-term memory three times at yearly intervals. Children with Down syndrome showed slower development on all measures than the typically developing controls. Longitudinal analyses showed moderate to high stability of language and verbal short-term memory skills. Our results confirm earlier evidence of pervasive language learning difficulties in this group and suggest that early language intervention should be given high priority.

Communication attitudes in children who stutter: A meta-analytic review.

BACKGROUND This article presents a meta-analytic review of differences in communication attitudes between children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS). METHOD To be included in this review, the studies had to include a group of CWS and CWNS between the ages of 3-18 years and a measurement of communication attitudes. The journal articles were identified by using the key words stutter*, speech disfluenc*, fluency disorder*, and stammer* cross-referenced to awareness*, reaction*, attitude*, KiddyCAT, CAT, A-19 Scale, PASS and OASES. RESULTS A total of 18 studies met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. The results showed that CWS exhibit more negative communication attitudes than CWNS from the preschool years. The differences between the groups increased with age, but were not influenced by gender. CONCLUSION The results indicate that negative communication attitudes can be an effect of stuttering. Key issues requiring further investigation are whether communication attitudes differ as a function of age at stuttering onset and whether communication attitudes influence the development of stuttering. EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES After reading this article, the reader will be able to: (a) summarise empirical findings with regard to the relationship between communication attitudes and childhood stuttering; (b) describe the different instruments used to measure communication attitudes; (c) discuss the relationship between communication attitudes, age and gender.

The profile of social functioning in children with Down syndrome.

Abstract Background: Practitioners and researchers have asserted for decades that social functioning is a strength in children with Down syndrome (DS). Nevertheless, some studies have concluded that children with DS may be at greater risk of impaired social functioning compared to typically developing controls. This cross-sectional study explores the profile of social functioning (social capabilities and social problems) in six-year-old children with DS, compares it with that of typically developing children and reveals possible differences in predictors between groups. Method: Parental reports and clinical tests were utilized. Results: The children with DS had generally weaker social capabilities compared to nonverbal mental age-matched controls, but no significant differences were found for social interactive play, community functioning and prosocial behaviour. No significant differences in predictors for social capabilities between the groups were found. The children with DS had more social problems than the typically developing controls with a similar chronological age and those with a similar nonverbal mental age, but no significant differences in emotional symptoms were found between the children with DS and either comparison group. Vocabulary was a more important predictor of social problems in the children with DS than in the typically developing control groups. Conclusion: Interventions for children with DS should strongly focus on integrating vocabulary skills and social functioning starting at an early age. Implications for Rehabilitation Children with Down syndrome need help and support in social functioning. Systematic training to optimize social capabilities and to prevent social problems should be prioritized. Structured and explicit learning of words important for social interaction with peers and for conflict solutions should be emphasized. Integrated interventions focusing on social functioning and vocabulary should begin in preschool to prepare children for participation in mainstream education.

Development of phonological awareness in Down syndrome: A meta-analysis and empirical study.

Phonological awareness (PA) is the knowledge and understanding of the sound structure of language and is believed to be an important skill for the development of reading. This study explored PA skills in children with Down syndrome and matched typically developing (TD) controls using a dual approach: a meta-analysis of the existing international literature and a longitudinal empirical study. The results from both the meta-analysis and the empirical study showed that the children with Down syndrome initially had weaker PA skills compared to the controls; in particular, the awareness of rhyme was delayed. The longitudinal empirical data indicated that, as a result of formal education, the children with Down syndrome exhibited greater improvement on all PA measures compared with the controls who had not yet entered school. The results reach significance for rhyme awareness. With respect to dimensionality, the performance of the children with Down syndrome loaded on 1 factor, whereas the performance of the younger TD controls was multidimensional. In sum, these findings underline the need for studies that compare interventions designed especially to stimulate development of PA in this group of children and to provide insight into the underlying causes of the developmental profile of children with Down syndrome.

What communication strategies do AAC users want their communication partners to use? A preliminary study

Abstract Purpose: This study aims to investigate which communication strategies the people, who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), want their communication partners to use. Methods: We interviewed eight children using Talking Mats to examine the AAC users’ own opinion. Results: The results showed that they wanted their communication partners to take the initiative, to repair the breaks when communication breakdowns occurred, and to invest time in understanding what AAC users wanted to express. Conclusions: These results underlined the significant responsibility of communication partners and revealed the need for AAC user interventions to help them be active communicators. More research needs to emphasise AAC users’ opinions about communication partner strategies to improve the communication processes for AAC-users and thereby promote social inclusion in natural environment. Implications for Rehabilitation Communication partner strategies can affect communication as well as personal development and life quality for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users. In AAC-users opinion, their communication partners should take the communicative initiative, repair the breaks when communication breakdowns occurred, and invest time in understanding what AAC-users want to express. There is a need to inform and educate communication partners, especially those unfamiliar to AAC users. Practical training sessions, clinician modelling and written materials may be helpful. A communication partner guide can be adapted to each individual AAC user who explains his or her communication preferences. Additionally, there is a need that the clinicians promote active rather than passive communication from AAC users, which requires that they have access to the necessary symbols.

Assessing pragmatic communication in children with Down syndrome

PURPOSE Successful communication depends on language content, language form, and language use (pragmatics). Children with Down syndrome (DS) experience communication difficulties, however little is known about their pragmatic profile, particularly during early school years. The purpose of the present study was to explore the nature of pragmatic communication in children with DS. METHOD Twenty-nine six-year-old children with DS were assessed, in the areas of 1) initiation, 2) scripted language, 3) understanding context and 4) nonverbal communication, as reported by childrens parents via the Childrens Communication Checklist-2 (Bishop, 2003). Additionally, the relationships between pragmatics and measures of vocabulary, nonverbal mental ability and social functioning were explored. RESULTS Children with DS were impaired relative to norms from typically developing children in all areas of pragmatics. A profile of relative strengths and weaknesses was found in the children with DS; the area of nonverbal communication was significantly stronger, while the area of understanding context was significantly poorer, relative to the other areas of pragmatics assessed in these children. Relationships between areas of pragmatics and other linguistic areas, as well as aspects of vocabulary and social functioning were observed. CONCLUSIONS By the age of six children with DS experience significantly impaired pragmatic communication, with a clear profile of relative strengths and weaknesses. The study highlights the need to teach children with DS pragmatic skills as a component of communication, alongside language content and form.

Quality of Inclusion and Related Predictors: Teachers’ Reports of Educational Provisions Offered to Students with Down Syndrome

ABSTRACT The aims of this study were to gain insight into the quality of inclusion in mainstream classrooms involving students with Down syndrome and to reveal underlying predictors. A total of 39 8-year-olds with Down syndrome and their teachers participated. Via a survey, the teachers were asked to rate key indicators of inclusion. Their average rating corresponded to a moderate quality of inclusion, suggesting that the students with Down syndrome participated as active and accepted class members who learned with their peers. At the same time, the academic instruction of the students tended to take place outside the mainstream classroom. Regression analysis showed that teacher collaboration and the children’s expressive language abilities explained a reliable portion of the variation in the quality of inclusion. The implications for understanding and facilitating inclusion in practice are discussed.