Newborn and preschool predictors of second-grade reading scores: an evaluation of categorical and continuous scores.

This study examined how the development of foundation skills in speech perception, language, short-term memory, and family demographics and activities in the home environment influence the development of reading skills. Data from 96 children participating in a longitudinal research project were used. It was hypothesized that measures of specific foundation skills in the preschool period and measures of family demographics and home environment could be used to identify children's reading abilities. As expected, most of the foundation skills were found to be related to and predictive of reading scores. Event-related potential (ERP) measures of speech perception, which have previously been found to be predictive of reading abilities, and measures of family and home activities and language measures were related to reading scores. Verbal short-term memory scores contributed little to the prediction of reading scores. These variables influenced the results whether they were used to discriminate reading groups or to predict a continuum of reading scores, but there were large differences in the amount of variance accounted for. More variance was accounted for in the group analyses than in the continuum analyses.

Predicting learning and other developmental disabilities: assessment of reproductive and caretaking variables.

As the studies summarized above reflect, there has been considerable progress made toward identifying and quantifying some of the many variables that are known to place infants and children at risk for learning and other related disabilities. Of specific relevance to this chapter are the improvements that have been made in the conceptualization and measurement of reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables. Both of these classes of variables are well known to influence learning disabilities. However, additional research is now needed to firmly establish the specific nature of the influence of these variables. First, it appears that the influence of reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables is different at different age points. However, because not all longitudinal studies include measures of both reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables, it is difficult to adequately evaluate their influence on outcome measures at different ages. With more consistent use of these measures across studies and age groups it will be possible to make the needed comparisons. Second, there needs to be a closer examination across studies that have used similar samples and designs but that report conflicting findings concerning the influence of reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables. The critical differences between these studies need to be identified. For example, it appears that some studies reporting findings of no effects of reproductive measures on developmental outcome are using perinatal risk scales that are different from those used by studies that report reproductive effects. Clearly, it is critical to use perinatal risk scales that are appropriate for the characteristics of the study sample, the study design, and statistical analyses. Beyond these criteria, the selected scales need to have established validity with respect to the measurement questions under study. Overall, consideration needs to be given to the selection of valid and reliable measures of both reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables. Finally, reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables need to be included more consistently in studies as predictors of learning developmental disabilities and not just for the purpose of subject classification and description. By using these variables as predictors in statistical analyses, it will be possible to determine if these variables directly contribute to developmental outcomes and the strength (or importance) of the contributions of these variables compared to other variables. Tracking the role and strength of the contribution made by these variables across age periods will permit the assessment of possible developmental changes in susceptibility to influence by reproductive and environmental/caretaking variables.

Right-hemisphere responses from preschool children to temporal cues to speech and nonspeech materials: electrophysiological correlates.

Auditory-evoked responses (AERs) were recorded from scalp electrodes placed over the left and right temporal hemisphere regions of 12 preschool children while they listened to a series of velar stop consonants which varied in voice onset time (VOT) and to two-formant tone stimuli with temporal lags comparable to the speech materials. A late occurring negative peak (N400) in the right hemisphere AERs discriminated between both the speech and nonspeech materials in a categorical-like manner. Sex-related hemisphere differences were also noted in response to the two different stimulus types. These results replicate earlier work with speech materials and suggest that temporal delays for both speech and nonspeech auditory materials are processed in the right hemisphere.

Perinatal risk screening and infant outcome. Can predictions be improved with composite scales?

This study extended earlier research by identifying the specific items in the pool of items from five existing perinatal risk scales that correlate with specific infant outcome measures. Predictive items obtained from analyses of one sample of subjects were used to predict outcomes in two other samples, one drawn retrospectively and the other, prospectively. The result was an improvement over most existing perinatal risk scales in the ability to predict a greater number of outcome measures. Improvements in the amount of variance accounted for by the composite scales remain to be made.

Optimality versus complications: assessing predictive values of perinatal scales.

In this study, 2 optimality scales and 3 complication scales were used to obtain perinatal risk scores for 103 infants. The scores generated by the 5 scales were compared for accuracy in predicting a variety of traditional and frequently used neonatal and infant outcome measures. The results were interpreted as showing an advantage in favor of the 3 complication scales in the number and variety of outcome measures that could be predicted from the scale scores.

Perinatal outcome. Similarity and predictive value of antepartum and intrapartum assessment scales.

This study evaluated five risk-screening scales containing antepartum and intrapartum subscales. Two issues were addressed: (1) whether one scale is as good as another in screening obstetric patients for perinatal risk, and (2) whether intrapartum scores are more important predictors of perinatal outcome than are antepartum scores. Four of the five scales produced fairly similar total scores, but the overall value of these scores in predicting perinatal outcome was not as good as that shown by scores derived from the least similar scale. The major differences between scales were due to the specific antepartum items they contained. In general, the antepartum scores were found to influence the prediction of infant outcome more strongly, and intrapartum scores were more predictive of maternal outcome.

Electrophysiological correlates of adult decisions made during a conservation of quantity task.

Visual evoked responses were recorded from 10 scalp locations over the left and right hemisphere while adults were involved in a conservation of quantity task. Multivariate analyses involving principal components analysis and ANOVA identified bilateral and left hemisphere lateralized components of the visual evoked responses which discriminated between conservation judgments made by subjects.

The influence of setting and task partner on the performance of adults over age 65 on a communications task.

The present study was an investigation of the influence of two methodological variables on the performance of adults sixty-four to seventy-nine years old. Participants gave directions on a map reading task to a peer (similar aged) partner and a non-peer (younger) partner. Testing was conducted in either the laboratory or the participants' homes. Contrary to expectations, communication performances with the non-peer required less time and fewer utterances, morphemes, repetitions and start overs than with the peer. The influence of setting was apparent only in the number of attention cues used, with the more distracting home setting requiring more attention cues to maintain partner attention.