Pub Date : 2019-01-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941519870784
L. Campbell, Hilary Nicoll, S. Ebbels
Background and aims Little evidence exists for the effectiveness of intervention for older adolescents and young adults with language disorders, particularly for those over 16 years. This study involves college-aged students aged 16–19 years with Language Disorder and Word-Finding Difficulties and investigates whether progress in word finding following 1:1 semantic intervention is greater than progress during a baseline period as measured by a standardised test. Methods Twenty-five college-aged students (20 males and 5 females) with Language Disorder and Word-Finding Difficulties (aged 16;4–18;4 years) participated in a single baseline design study comparing progress on the Test of Adolescent and Adult Word Finding during an intervention period with progress during a baseline period of equal length. Intervention was focused on semantics of different words from those in the Test of Adolescent and Adult Word Finding and was delivered 1:1 by the participants’ usual Speech and Language Therapist, 30 minutes per week, for eight weeks. Results The participants made significant progress in raw score on the Test of Adolescent and Adult Word Finding during both the baseline (d = 1.4) and intervention (d = 2.5) periods, but progress during the intervention period was significantly greater than during the baseline period (d = 1.16). Individual data showed reliable change for five participants during the baseline period and for 20 participants during the intervention period. At the start of the study, all participants had standard scores below 85, but after intervention, 10/25 participants scored above 85. Conclusions Four hours of semantic intervention led to significantly greater gains on a standardised test of word finding than during a baseline period of equal length in 16–19 year olds with Language Disorder and Word-Finding Difficulties. The words in the standardised test had not been included in the intervention, indicating generalised gains. Implications This study shows that intervention (at least for Word-Finding Difficulties) can be effective for this older age group of college-aged students with Language Disorder and therefore the effectiveness of Speech and Language Therapy services for this age group in a wider range of areas of language should also be investigated.
{"title":"The effectiveness of semantic intervention for word-finding difficulties in college-aged students (16–19 years) with persistent Language Disorder","authors":"L. Campbell, Hilary Nicoll, S. Ebbels","doi":"10.1177/2396941519870784","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941519870784","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Little evidence exists for the effectiveness of intervention for older adolescents and young adults with language disorders, particularly for those over 16 years. This study involves college-aged students aged 16–19 years with Language Disorder and Word-Finding Difficulties and investigates whether progress in word finding following 1:1 semantic intervention is greater than progress during a baseline period as measured by a standardised test. Methods Twenty-five college-aged students (20 males and 5 females) with Language Disorder and Word-Finding Difficulties (aged 16;4–18;4 years) participated in a single baseline design study comparing progress on the Test of Adolescent and Adult Word Finding during an intervention period with progress during a baseline period of equal length. Intervention was focused on semantics of different words from those in the Test of Adolescent and Adult Word Finding and was delivered 1:1 by the participants’ usual Speech and Language Therapist, 30 minutes per week, for eight weeks. Results The participants made significant progress in raw score on the Test of Adolescent and Adult Word Finding during both the baseline (d = 1.4) and intervention (d = 2.5) periods, but progress during the intervention period was significantly greater than during the baseline period (d = 1.16). Individual data showed reliable change for five participants during the baseline period and for 20 participants during the intervention period. At the start of the study, all participants had standard scores below 85, but after intervention, 10/25 participants scored above 85. Conclusions Four hours of semantic intervention led to significantly greater gains on a standardised test of word finding than during a baseline period of equal length in 16–19 year olds with Language Disorder and Word-Finding Difficulties. The words in the standardised test had not been included in the intervention, indicating generalised gains. Implications This study shows that intervention (at least for Word-Finding Difficulties) can be effective for this older age group of college-aged students with Language Disorder and therefore the effectiveness of Speech and Language Therapy services for this age group in a wider range of areas of language should also be investigated.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941519870784","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47451358","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-01-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941519863984
E. Blom, T. Boerma
Background and aims Recent research indicates that children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) often also score lower than their peers with typical development (TD) on tasks testing nonverbal executive functioning (EF). This study investigated whether there is evidence that children with DLD use linguistic and EF resources to support their lexical and syntactic development. Three questions were addressed: (1) How do children with DLD develop in the domains of lexicon and syntax, and how does their development compare to TD controls? (2) To what extent do children with DLD show reciprocal relations between lexical and syntactic skills, and how does this compare to TD controls? (3) Is EF ability related to DLD children’s lexical and syntactic skills, and how does this compare to TD controls? Methods Data from 117 children (NDLD = 78; NTD = 39) were collected three times with yearly intervals. At time 1, the children were 5 or 6 years old. Standardized receptive vocabulary and sentence repetition tests measured lexicon and syntax, respectively. Nonverbal EF tasks tested selective attention, interference control and working memory. Cross-lagged analyses were conducted to determine the direction of relationships. Results Both groups showed stable lexical and syntactic growth. In children with DLD, but not in TD controls, syntactic skills predicted lexical skills. In the DLD group, EF predicted lexical skills. Reversely, in the TD group, lexical skills predicted EF. Conclusions The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the lexical development of children with DLD is supported by both their verbal abilities in the domain of syntax and their nonverbal EF abilities. Implications Interventions that improve the syntactic and EF abilities of children with DLD may have spreading effects and positively impact on word learning by children with DLD.
{"title":"Reciprocal relationships between lexical and syntactic skills of children with Developmental Language Disorder and the role of executive functions","authors":"E. Blom, T. Boerma","doi":"10.1177/2396941519863984","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941519863984","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Recent research indicates that children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) often also score lower than their peers with typical development (TD) on tasks testing nonverbal executive functioning (EF). This study investigated whether there is evidence that children with DLD use linguistic and EF resources to support their lexical and syntactic development. Three questions were addressed: (1) How do children with DLD develop in the domains of lexicon and syntax, and how does their development compare to TD controls? (2) To what extent do children with DLD show reciprocal relations between lexical and syntactic skills, and how does this compare to TD controls? (3) Is EF ability related to DLD children’s lexical and syntactic skills, and how does this compare to TD controls? Methods Data from 117 children (NDLD = 78; NTD = 39) were collected three times with yearly intervals. At time 1, the children were 5 or 6 years old. Standardized receptive vocabulary and sentence repetition tests measured lexicon and syntax, respectively. Nonverbal EF tasks tested selective attention, interference control and working memory. Cross-lagged analyses were conducted to determine the direction of relationships. Results Both groups showed stable lexical and syntactic growth. In children with DLD, but not in TD controls, syntactic skills predicted lexical skills. In the DLD group, EF predicted lexical skills. Reversely, in the TD group, lexical skills predicted EF. Conclusions The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that the lexical development of children with DLD is supported by both their verbal abilities in the domain of syntax and their nonverbal EF abilities. Implications Interventions that improve the syntactic and EF abilities of children with DLD may have spreading effects and positively impact on word learning by children with DLD.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941519863984","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44886261","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-12-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518817229
Daniela Bühler, A. Perovic, N. Pouscoulous
Background and aims Difficulties with aspects of morphosyntax, phonology and/or vocabulary are the hallmark of Development Language Disorder (DLD). Yet, little is known about the linguistic-pragmatic abilities of young children with DLD. Previous studies suggest that children with DLD are experiencing difficulties with idioms, sayings and slang expressions, often interpreting them in a literal or unconventional fashion. However, it is unclear whether this is caused by difficulties to make pragmatic inferences in general or whether it stems from their semantic abilities. We therefore investigated novel metaphor understanding in young children with and without DLD. Methods We assessed novel metaphor comprehension using a reference assignment task with 15 children with DLD diagnoses (ages 42–49 months) as well as typically developing peers matched on chronological age (n = 15) and on language (n = 15). Results Children with DLD performed worse than their age-matched peers but in a comparable manner to the (younger) language-matched typically developing children. Performance was not related to non-verbal intelligence in the children with DLD. Conclusion The findings indicate that young children with DLD have difficulties with metaphor comprehension but also suggest that these difficulties are in line with their general language difficulties and linked to their overall linguistic competence rather than reflecting additional specific issues with deriving pragmatic inferences. Implications Our study adds to a growing body of literature showing that children with low language abilities are also likely to display more difficulties in understanding figurative language independently of any other symptomatology of their clinical diagnosis. It also supports the argument that deficits in the pragmatic domain are a secondary impairment rather than a core deficit in children with DLD. Nonetheless, children with DLD do show difficulties in understanding metaphors. Understanding figurative language is necessary for everyday communication and should therefore be targeted alongside traditional treatments by clinicians treating children with DLD.
{"title":"Comprehension of novel metaphor in young children with Developmental Language Disorder","authors":"Daniela Bühler, A. Perovic, N. Pouscoulous","doi":"10.1177/2396941518817229","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518817229","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Difficulties with aspects of morphosyntax, phonology and/or vocabulary are the hallmark of Development Language Disorder (DLD). Yet, little is known about the linguistic-pragmatic abilities of young children with DLD. Previous studies suggest that children with DLD are experiencing difficulties with idioms, sayings and slang expressions, often interpreting them in a literal or unconventional fashion. However, it is unclear whether this is caused by difficulties to make pragmatic inferences in general or whether it stems from their semantic abilities. We therefore investigated novel metaphor understanding in young children with and without DLD. Methods We assessed novel metaphor comprehension using a reference assignment task with 15 children with DLD diagnoses (ages 42–49 months) as well as typically developing peers matched on chronological age (n = 15) and on language (n = 15). Results Children with DLD performed worse than their age-matched peers but in a comparable manner to the (younger) language-matched typically developing children. Performance was not related to non-verbal intelligence in the children with DLD. Conclusion The findings indicate that young children with DLD have difficulties with metaphor comprehension but also suggest that these difficulties are in line with their general language difficulties and linked to their overall linguistic competence rather than reflecting additional specific issues with deriving pragmatic inferences. Implications Our study adds to a growing body of literature showing that children with low language abilities are also likely to display more difficulties in understanding figurative language independently of any other symptomatology of their clinical diagnosis. It also supports the argument that deficits in the pragmatic domain are a secondary impairment rather than a core deficit in children with DLD. Nonetheless, children with DLD do show difficulties in understanding metaphors. Understanding figurative language is necessary for everyday communication and should therefore be targeted alongside traditional treatments by clinicians treating children with DLD.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518817229","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43976798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-12-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518821570
B. Hemsley, Lucy Bryant, R. Schlosser, H. Shane, R. Lang, D. Paul, M. Banajee, M. Ireland
Background and aims Facilitated Communication (FC) is a technique that involves a person with a disability pointing to letters, pictures, or objects on a keyboard or on a communication board, typically with physical support from a “facilitator”. Proponents claim that FC reveals previously undetected literacy and communication skills in people with communication disability. However, systematic reviews conducted up to 2014 reveal no evidence that the messages generated using FC are authored by the person with a disability. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on FC published between 2014 and 2018 to inform the 2018 update of the 1995 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Position Statement on FC. Method A systematic search was undertaken to locate articles about FC in English published in the peer reviewed literature since 2014; and to classify these according to the study design for analysis. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were classified according to four categories of evidence: (a) quantitative experimental data pertaining to authorship, (b) quantitative descriptive data on messages produced using FC, (c) qualitative data, or (d) commentary material on FC. Main contribution In total, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were no new empirical studies and no new descriptive quantitative studies addressing the authorship of messages delivered using FC. Three new qualitative studies qualified for inclusion; these did not first establish authorship. Of the 15 new commentary papers on FC located, 14 were critical and one was non-critical. The results could be used to inform the development or update of current position statements on FC held locally, nationally, and globally. Conclusion There are no new studies on authorship and there remains no evidence that FC is a valid form of communication for individuals with severe communication disabilities. There continue to be no studies available demonstrating that individuals with communication disabilities are the authors of the messages generated using FC. Furthermore, there is substantial peer-reviewed literature that is critical of FC and warns against its use. Implications FC continues to be contested in high profile court cases and its use promoted in school settings and workshops at university campuses in the US. Our empty systematic review will influence both clinical practice and future clinical guidance; most immediately the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Position Statement on FC and any future guidance issued by the 19 associations worldwide with positions against FC.
{"title":"Systematic review of facilitated communication 2014–2018 finds no new evidence that messages delivered using facilitated communication are authored by the person with disability","authors":"B. Hemsley, Lucy Bryant, R. Schlosser, H. Shane, R. Lang, D. Paul, M. Banajee, M. Ireland","doi":"10.1177/2396941518821570","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518821570","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Facilitated Communication (FC) is a technique that involves a person with a disability pointing to letters, pictures, or objects on a keyboard or on a communication board, typically with physical support from a “facilitator”. Proponents claim that FC reveals previously undetected literacy and communication skills in people with communication disability. However, systematic reviews conducted up to 2014 reveal no evidence that the messages generated using FC are authored by the person with a disability. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on FC published between 2014 and 2018 to inform the 2018 update of the 1995 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Position Statement on FC. Method A systematic search was undertaken to locate articles about FC in English published in the peer reviewed literature since 2014; and to classify these according to the study design for analysis. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria were classified according to four categories of evidence: (a) quantitative experimental data pertaining to authorship, (b) quantitative descriptive data on messages produced using FC, (c) qualitative data, or (d) commentary material on FC. Main contribution In total, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were no new empirical studies and no new descriptive quantitative studies addressing the authorship of messages delivered using FC. Three new qualitative studies qualified for inclusion; these did not first establish authorship. Of the 15 new commentary papers on FC located, 14 were critical and one was non-critical. The results could be used to inform the development or update of current position statements on FC held locally, nationally, and globally. Conclusion There are no new studies on authorship and there remains no evidence that FC is a valid form of communication for individuals with severe communication disabilities. There continue to be no studies available demonstrating that individuals with communication disabilities are the authors of the messages generated using FC. Furthermore, there is substantial peer-reviewed literature that is critical of FC and warns against its use. Implications FC continues to be contested in high profile court cases and its use promoted in school settings and workshops at university campuses in the US. Our empty systematic review will influence both clinical practice and future clinical guidance; most immediately the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Position Statement on FC and any future guidance issued by the 19 associations worldwide with positions against FC.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518821570","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42962665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-10-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518803807
B. Bailey, J. Arciuli
Background and aims Effective literacy instruction demands a clear understanding of the subskills that underpin children’s reading and writing abilities. Some previous research on reading has questioned whether the same subskills support literacy acquisition for typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorders. This study examined the subskills associated with spelling ability in a group of 20 children with ASD aged 5–12 years (ASD group). A group of 20 typically developing children matched for age and word spelling accuracy (TD group) provided comparative data. Methods Participants completed standardised assessments of vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter knowledge and word spelling. Errors produced in response to the word spelling assessment were analysed for evidence of phonological awareness. In addition, all spelling attempts were analysed for evidence of phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness, ‘linguistic awareness’, using the Computerised Spelling Sensitivity System. Results Correlation and regression analyses showed statistically significant relationships between phonological awareness and word spelling accuracy for children in the ASD and TD groups. Spelling errors produced by both groups contained evidence of phonological awareness. Analysis of all spelling attempts showed that the overall level of linguistic awareness encoded by children in the ASD and TD groups was not significantly different. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that phonological awareness and other subskills support spelling in children with autism spectrum disorders as they do in typically developing children. Implications The similar spelling profiles exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorders and their typically developing peers suggest that these populations may benefit from literacy instruction that targets the same underpinning subskills.
{"title":"Subskills associated with spelling ability in children with and without autism spectrum disorders","authors":"B. Bailey, J. Arciuli","doi":"10.1177/2396941518803807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518803807","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Effective literacy instruction demands a clear understanding of the subskills that underpin children’s reading and writing abilities. Some previous research on reading has questioned whether the same subskills support literacy acquisition for typically developing children and children with autism spectrum disorders. This study examined the subskills associated with spelling ability in a group of 20 children with ASD aged 5–12 years (ASD group). A group of 20 typically developing children matched for age and word spelling accuracy (TD group) provided comparative data. Methods Participants completed standardised assessments of vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter knowledge and word spelling. Errors produced in response to the word spelling assessment were analysed for evidence of phonological awareness. In addition, all spelling attempts were analysed for evidence of phonological, orthographic, and morphological awareness, ‘linguistic awareness’, using the Computerised Spelling Sensitivity System. Results Correlation and regression analyses showed statistically significant relationships between phonological awareness and word spelling accuracy for children in the ASD and TD groups. Spelling errors produced by both groups contained evidence of phonological awareness. Analysis of all spelling attempts showed that the overall level of linguistic awareness encoded by children in the ASD and TD groups was not significantly different. Conclusions These findings provide evidence that phonological awareness and other subskills support spelling in children with autism spectrum disorders as they do in typically developing children. Implications The similar spelling profiles exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorders and their typically developing peers suggest that these populations may benefit from literacy instruction that targets the same underpinning subskills.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518803807","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48237064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-10-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518809611
D. Trembath, R. J. Bala, Joanne Tamblyn, Marleen F. Westerveld
Background In 2015, a father took his 14-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum on a six-month journey aimed to develop his son’s social-communication and independent living skills. The duo travelled across 10 countries, meeting people and practising these skills. This study examined their goals, motivations for, and outcomes of the journey. Method We used intrinsic case study methodology with mixed methods, including interviews with parents and professionals; analyses of filmed interactions between the son, his father and strangers during the journey; and descriptive analysis of parent-reported changes in their son’s participation at home, school and in the community using the Participation and Environment Measure – Children and Youth. Results Qualitative analysis of the interviews with parents and professionals revealed a set of insightful goals and motivations, focusing on creating an optimal environment for the son’s development. Parents reported increases in their son’s social-communication and independent living skills, but also unexpected changes in his perspective and self-belief. The former findings were consistent with those arising from video analysis, whereby social-pragmatic skills critical to good conversations (staying on topic, body position, eye contact) all increased over the course of the journey, while abrupt topic changes and conversational prompts reduced. Participation and inclusion across home, school and community settings all increased over the same period. Conclusion While this study makes no claims regarding causation, the findings indicate that the journey was associated with positive changes for the son and his parents, leading to greater expectations for, and progress towards, independence following the journey. Implications of the findings for supporting young people on the autism spectrum in regular community settings are discussed.
{"title":"An unconventional path to greater social-communication skills and independence for an adolescent on the autism spectrum","authors":"D. Trembath, R. J. Bala, Joanne Tamblyn, Marleen F. Westerveld","doi":"10.1177/2396941518809611","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518809611","url":null,"abstract":"Background In 2015, a father took his 14-year-old son who is on the autism spectrum on a six-month journey aimed to develop his son’s social-communication and independent living skills. The duo travelled across 10 countries, meeting people and practising these skills. This study examined their goals, motivations for, and outcomes of the journey. Method We used intrinsic case study methodology with mixed methods, including interviews with parents and professionals; analyses of filmed interactions between the son, his father and strangers during the journey; and descriptive analysis of parent-reported changes in their son’s participation at home, school and in the community using the Participation and Environment Measure – Children and Youth. Results Qualitative analysis of the interviews with parents and professionals revealed a set of insightful goals and motivations, focusing on creating an optimal environment for the son’s development. Parents reported increases in their son’s social-communication and independent living skills, but also unexpected changes in his perspective and self-belief. The former findings were consistent with those arising from video analysis, whereby social-pragmatic skills critical to good conversations (staying on topic, body position, eye contact) all increased over the course of the journey, while abrupt topic changes and conversational prompts reduced. Participation and inclusion across home, school and community settings all increased over the same period. Conclusion While this study makes no claims regarding causation, the findings indicate that the journey was associated with positive changes for the son and his parents, leading to greater expectations for, and progress towards, independence following the journey. Implications of the findings for supporting young people on the autism spectrum in regular community settings are discussed.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518809611","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42474355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-09-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518799643
P. Prévost, Laurice Tuller, Racha Zebib, M. Barthez, J. Malvy, F. Bonnet-Brilhault
Background and aims Impaired production of third person accusative pronominal clitics is a signature of language impairment in French-speaking children. It has been found to be a prominent and persistent difficulty in children and adolescents with specific language impairment. Previous studies have reported that many children with autism spectrum disorder also have low performance on these clitics. However, it remains unclear whether these difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder are due to structural language impairment or to pragmatic deficits. This is because pragmatics skills, notoriously weak in children with autism spectrum disorder, are also needed for appropriate use of pronouns. Use of pronouns without clear referents and difficulty with discourse pronouns (first and second person), which require taking into account the point of view of one’s interlocutor (perspective shifting), have frequently been reported for autism spectrum disorder. Methods We elicited production of nominative, reflexive and accusative third and first person pronominal clitics in 19 verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (aged 6–12, high and low functioning, with structural language impairment, or with normal language) and 19 age-matched children with specific language impairment. If pragmatics is behind difficulties on these elements, performance on first-person clitics would be expected to be worse than performance on third person clitics, since it requires perspective shifting. Furthermore, worse performance for first person clitics was expected in the children with autism spectrum disorder compared to the children with specific language impairment, since weak pragmatics is an integral part of impairment in the former, but not in the latter. More generally, different error patterns would be expected in the two groups, if the source of difficulty with clitics is different (a pragmatic deficit vs. a structural language deficit). Results Similar patterns of relative difficulties were found in the autism spectrum disorder language impairment and specific language impairment groups, with third person accusative clitics being produced at lower rates than first-person pronouns and error patterns being essentially identical. First-person pronouns did not pose particular difficulties in the children with autism spectrum disorder (language impairment or normal language) with respect to third-person pronouns or to the children with specific language impairment. Performance was not related to nonverbal intelligence in the autism spectrum disorder group. Conclusions The elicitation task used in this study included explicit instruction, and focus on perspective shifting (both visual and verbal), allowing for potential pragmatic effects to be controlled. Moreover, the task elicited a variety of types of clitics in morphosyntactic contexts of varying complexity, providing ample opportunities for employment of perspective shifting, which may have also curtail
{"title":"Pragmatic versus structural difficulties in the production of pronominal clitics in French-speaking children with autism spectrum disorder","authors":"P. Prévost, Laurice Tuller, Racha Zebib, M. Barthez, J. Malvy, F. Bonnet-Brilhault","doi":"10.1177/2396941518799643","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518799643","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims Impaired production of third person accusative pronominal clitics is a signature of language impairment in French-speaking children. It has been found to be a prominent and persistent difficulty in children and adolescents with specific language impairment. Previous studies have reported that many children with autism spectrum disorder also have low performance on these clitics. However, it remains unclear whether these difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder are due to structural language impairment or to pragmatic deficits. This is because pragmatics skills, notoriously weak in children with autism spectrum disorder, are also needed for appropriate use of pronouns. Use of pronouns without clear referents and difficulty with discourse pronouns (first and second person), which require taking into account the point of view of one’s interlocutor (perspective shifting), have frequently been reported for autism spectrum disorder. Methods We elicited production of nominative, reflexive and accusative third and first person pronominal clitics in 19 verbal children with autism spectrum disorder (aged 6–12, high and low functioning, with structural language impairment, or with normal language) and 19 age-matched children with specific language impairment. If pragmatics is behind difficulties on these elements, performance on first-person clitics would be expected to be worse than performance on third person clitics, since it requires perspective shifting. Furthermore, worse performance for first person clitics was expected in the children with autism spectrum disorder compared to the children with specific language impairment, since weak pragmatics is an integral part of impairment in the former, but not in the latter. More generally, different error patterns would be expected in the two groups, if the source of difficulty with clitics is different (a pragmatic deficit vs. a structural language deficit). Results Similar patterns of relative difficulties were found in the autism spectrum disorder language impairment and specific language impairment groups, with third person accusative clitics being produced at lower rates than first-person pronouns and error patterns being essentially identical. First-person pronouns did not pose particular difficulties in the children with autism spectrum disorder (language impairment or normal language) with respect to third-person pronouns or to the children with specific language impairment. Performance was not related to nonverbal intelligence in the autism spectrum disorder group. Conclusions The elicitation task used in this study included explicit instruction, and focus on perspective shifting (both visual and verbal), allowing for potential pragmatic effects to be controlled. Moreover, the task elicited a variety of types of clitics in morphosyntactic contexts of varying complexity, providing ample opportunities for employment of perspective shifting, which may have also curtail","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518799643","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48879995","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-09-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518800775
Evangelia-Chrysanthi Kouklari, S. Tsermentseli, C. Monks
Background and aims The development of Executive Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder has been investigated using mainly performance-based executive function measures. Less is known about the development of everyday executive function skills. The present study aimed to identify the developmental patterns of everyday executive function of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder compared to neurotypical controls. The association between executive function and adaptive skills was also investigated. Methods The present study used a cross-sectional developmental trajectory approach and data were collected from 57 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, matched to 63 controls of the same age (7–15 years). Results Results showed age-related performance declines in most everyday executive function domains (e.g. inhibition, working memory, planning) in autism spectrum disorder, whereas for executive function emotional control and shift, non-significant differences emerged across age in autism spectrum disorder. Everyday executive function predicted adaptive skills over and above age and IQ, in participants overall. Conclusions and implications These results suggest that several everyday executive function problems increase in adolescence in autism spectrum disorder and that these everyday executive function developmental patterns deviate to a great extent from those of typical development. Shedding more light on the developmental course of all types of executive function processes as well as their association with crucial social outcomes in autism spectrum disorder could contribute to a better theoretical understanding of the heterogeneity of the neurocognitive development in autism spectrum disorder.
{"title":"Everyday executive function and adaptive skills in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Cross-sectional developmental trajectories","authors":"Evangelia-Chrysanthi Kouklari, S. Tsermentseli, C. Monks","doi":"10.1177/2396941518800775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518800775","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims The development of Executive Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder has been investigated using mainly performance-based executive function measures. Less is known about the development of everyday executive function skills. The present study aimed to identify the developmental patterns of everyday executive function of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder compared to neurotypical controls. The association between executive function and adaptive skills was also investigated. Methods The present study used a cross-sectional developmental trajectory approach and data were collected from 57 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, matched to 63 controls of the same age (7–15 years). Results Results showed age-related performance declines in most everyday executive function domains (e.g. inhibition, working memory, planning) in autism spectrum disorder, whereas for executive function emotional control and shift, non-significant differences emerged across age in autism spectrum disorder. Everyday executive function predicted adaptive skills over and above age and IQ, in participants overall. Conclusions and implications These results suggest that several everyday executive function problems increase in adolescence in autism spectrum disorder and that these everyday executive function developmental patterns deviate to a great extent from those of typical development. Shedding more light on the developmental course of all types of executive function processes as well as their association with crucial social outcomes in autism spectrum disorder could contribute to a better theoretical understanding of the heterogeneity of the neurocognitive development in autism spectrum disorder.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518800775","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44296327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-09-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518804407
Craig Goodall
Background and aim More autistic young people are being educated in mainstream schools. While existing research suggests that the outcomes of mainstream inclusion are mixed for autistic young people, few studies have examined their views and experiences directly. This article discusses the educational experiences of 12 autistic young people (aged 11–17 years) from their perspectives and how education could be improved to better support the others with autism. Methods A flexible qualitative participatory approach was used which incorporated a range of methods, including individual semi-structured interviews, diamond ranking activities and draw-and-tell activities. A Children’s Research Advisory Group (CRAG) advised on the methods used and matters to be explored. Results The young people offered insights into how education has been for them in mainstream school, mostly negative, but with islets of positive experience. Several described themselves as being socially, emotionally and physically isolated from peers, with loneliness and bullying experienced by some. Participants felt unsupported and misunderstood by teachers within a social and sensory environment that was antithetical to their needs. Some spoke of the dread they felt before and during school and the negative impact their experiences in mainstream has had on their wellbeing. Many participants suggested simple strategies and curriculum adaptations that they felt would have helped make their time at mainstream more successful. These include having more breaks, smaller class sizes, less homework, instructions broken down, safe places to use when anxious and teachers who listen to their concerns and take account of their needs. In short they want to be understood, supported and included. Conclusions There exists scope to better support autistic young people in mainstream education, as evidenced by the literature and the participants in this paper. The participants demonstrate that mainstream is not working for all and that changes, such as smaller class sizes, flexible pedagogy and understanding could improve education for autistic learners. Implications Autistic young people can and should be central to the discussion on school improvement. They also show that being academically able for mainstream school should not be the only aspect when deciding on the suitability of mainstream school for meeting their needs. The young person’s social and emotional wellbeing must be considered to ensure they can flourish, and not flounder.
{"title":"‘I felt closed in and like I couldn’t breathe’: A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people","authors":"Craig Goodall","doi":"10.1177/2396941518804407","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518804407","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aim More autistic young people are being educated in mainstream schools. While existing research suggests that the outcomes of mainstream inclusion are mixed for autistic young people, few studies have examined their views and experiences directly. This article discusses the educational experiences of 12 autistic young people (aged 11–17 years) from their perspectives and how education could be improved to better support the others with autism. Methods A flexible qualitative participatory approach was used which incorporated a range of methods, including individual semi-structured interviews, diamond ranking activities and draw-and-tell activities. A Children’s Research Advisory Group (CRAG) advised on the methods used and matters to be explored. Results The young people offered insights into how education has been for them in mainstream school, mostly negative, but with islets of positive experience. Several described themselves as being socially, emotionally and physically isolated from peers, with loneliness and bullying experienced by some. Participants felt unsupported and misunderstood by teachers within a social and sensory environment that was antithetical to their needs. Some spoke of the dread they felt before and during school and the negative impact their experiences in mainstream has had on their wellbeing. Many participants suggested simple strategies and curriculum adaptations that they felt would have helped make their time at mainstream more successful. These include having more breaks, smaller class sizes, less homework, instructions broken down, safe places to use when anxious and teachers who listen to their concerns and take account of their needs. In short they want to be understood, supported and included. Conclusions There exists scope to better support autistic young people in mainstream education, as evidenced by the literature and the participants in this paper. The participants demonstrate that mainstream is not working for all and that changes, such as smaller class sizes, flexible pedagogy and understanding could improve education for autistic learners. Implications Autistic young people can and should be central to the discussion on school improvement. They also show that being academically able for mainstream school should not be the only aspect when deciding on the suitability of mainstream school for meeting their needs. The young person’s social and emotional wellbeing must be considered to ensure they can flourish, and not flounder.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518804407","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49482341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-09-01DOI: 10.1177/2396941518803806
Cheong Ying Sng, M. Carter, J. Stephenson
Background and aims: Given that problems with social interaction and communication are defining features of autism spectrum disorder, it stands to reason that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have difficulties in conversation. There is a growing body of research on the conversation skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, including research conducted to compare these skills to those of typically developing individuals and those with other disabilities. Such comparisons may offer insight into the extent to which conversational skills may be deficient and whether deficits are unique to a particular diagnostic group. Main contribution: This review provides an examination of comparative studies of pragmatic aspects of conversation that included individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Only a small number of consistent findings emerged from the analysis. Groups with autism spectrum disorder find it difficult to stay on topic and provide novel, relevant information. They also tend to perseverate more and initiate and respond less during conversation but, contrary to expectation, similar numbers of turns were offered to partners, and there was little difference in the way communication breakdowns were repaired or clarified. There was a contradictory finding on the use of eye gaze. Conclusions and implications: Some consistent findings were reported but overall, fewer than expected between group differences were found. The fragmented nature of the research and inconsistent operational definitions of variables measured made analysis problematic. Further research and replication of studies is recommended before definitive conclusions can be drawn.
{"title":"A systematic review of the comparative pragmatic differences in conversational skills of individuals with autism","authors":"Cheong Ying Sng, M. Carter, J. Stephenson","doi":"10.1177/2396941518803806","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/2396941518803806","url":null,"abstract":"Background and aims: Given that problems with social interaction and communication are defining features of autism spectrum disorder, it stands to reason that individuals with autism spectrum disorder have difficulties in conversation. There is a growing body of research on the conversation skills of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, including research conducted to compare these skills to those of typically developing individuals and those with other disabilities. Such comparisons may offer insight into the extent to which conversational skills may be deficient and whether deficits are unique to a particular diagnostic group. Main contribution: This review provides an examination of comparative studies of pragmatic aspects of conversation that included individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Only a small number of consistent findings emerged from the analysis. Groups with autism spectrum disorder find it difficult to stay on topic and provide novel, relevant information. They also tend to perseverate more and initiate and respond less during conversation but, contrary to expectation, similar numbers of turns were offered to partners, and there was little difference in the way communication breakdowns were repaired or clarified. There was a contradictory finding on the use of eye gaze. Conclusions and implications: Some consistent findings were reported but overall, fewer than expected between group differences were found. The fragmented nature of the research and inconsistent operational definitions of variables measured made analysis problematic. Further research and replication of studies is recommended before definitive conclusions can be drawn.","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/2396941518803806","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45091352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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