Intervention for oral language comprehension skills in preschoolers with developmental language disorder.

BACKGROUND: There is a clear predominance of programmes aimed at improving aspects related to language production in pupils with developmental language disorder (DLD). However, programmes aimed at improving their receptive skills are limited. AIMS: The main aim was to assess the effectiveness of an intervention programme for oral language comprehension skills in preschoolers with typical development (TD) and pupils with DLD. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Participants were 99 five-year-old pupils, with and without DLD, divided into four groups: two control groups (TD-C = 25; DLD-C = 25) and two experimental groups (TD-T = 24; DLD-T = 25), from schools on the Spanish island of Tenerife. The study used, as pre- and post-measures, the receptive language subtests of the CELF-4-Spanish: Concepts and Following Directions, Word Classes-Receptive and Sentence Structure, as well as two tasks assessing comprehension of paragraphs and narratives. Due to the strong link between oral comprehension skills and executive functions, working memory and semantic fluency are included in this research. The Backward Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) and Semantic Fluency subtest of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) were used to assess working memory and semantic fluency, respectively. The intervention programme followed a multitiered system of support (MTSS) model, with 95 sessions lasting 60 min each delivered jointly by teachers and speech and language therapists, and focused on lexical-semantic, morphological, syntactic and narrative skills; inferences; verbal working memory; and semantic fluency. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: The results showed, as expected, that pupils diagnosed with DLD initially performed worse on oral language comprehension and executive functions than pupils with TD. Further, the DLD-T and TD-T groups showed greater gains following the programme, especially in word classes-receptive, sentence structure, verbal working memory and semantic fluency. Finally, a significant positive correlation was found between the gains obtained by the participants in verbal working memory and semantic fluency, with the gains obtained in the three CELF-4-Spanish subtests. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: An intervention programme applied at an early age fosters oral language comprehension skills and executive functions in pupils with DLD and TD. The intervention organized at different levels of support, following an MTSS model, showed clear progress of the DLD and TD groups in oral language comprehension and executive functions. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Pupils with DLD present deficits in linguistic comprehension and executive functions. There are many intervention programs focused on improving language production skills. It is also necessary to consider the skills underlying language problems in pupils with DLD. Oral language, inference, working memory and semantic fluency activities improve comprehension. A collaborative and inclusive intervention of teachers and speech language therapists. Psycholinguistic and neuropsychological skills training should become part of the academic curriculum as early as preschool age. What is already known on the subject Pupils with DLD show problems related to both comprehension and production language. However, there is a clear predominance of programs just aimed at improving aspects related to language production. Clinical implications of this study An intervention program applied at an early age fosters oral language comprehension skills and executive function in pupils with DLD. The intervention organized at different levels of support, following an adaptation of the Response Tier Intervention models, showed clear progress of the DLD in comprehension oral language and executive functions.

Overlapping in memory profiles in Spanish children with autism spectrum disorders, developmental language disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Neurodevelopmental disorders do not have biological markers that allow for their identification. This means that in most cases, diagnosis is based on behavior. This approach implies that difficulties will exist in establishing the diagnostic boundaries of the different nosological entities, and it argues that neurodevelopmental disorders probably share neuropsychological deficits. Our main objective was to study whether neurodevelopmental disorders share a common endophenotype. We carried out a study of memory in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Developmental Language Disorders (DLD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). For this purpose, we administered an extensive neuropsychological battery to evaluate memory to 24(ASD), 25(DLD), and 25(ADHD) children. The results obtained by these three clinical groups were contrasted with those obtained by a group of 25 children of typical development (TD). TD group performed better in all memory tasks, except the recognition task than the clinical groups, and the clinical groups showed slight differences among themselves in their performance in memory tasks. These results show that memory deficits could represent a common endophenotype at least in these three neurodevelopmental disorders and emphasize the need to intervene in memory disorders in this population.

Intervention in Syntactic Skills in Pupils with Developmental Language Disorder / Intervención en Habilidades Sintácticas en Alumnos con Trastorno del Desarrollo del Lenguaje

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this research has been to verify the effectiveness of an intervention program on syntactic skills of pupils with typical development and with developmental language disorder. METHOD: A total of 99 five-year-old pupils from schools of Tenerife (Spain) participated. The CELF-4 Recalling Sentences, Formulated Sentences, and Sentence Structure subtests were used. The intervention program consisted of 40 sessions implemented by teachers and speech language therapists. Three levels of practice were organized: in the ordinary classroom (large group and small group) and in the support classroom. RESULTS: Pupils diagnosed with developmental language disorder initially performed worse on syntax than those with typical development. In addition, the goodness of an intervention program was verified especially for Recalling sentences, and, to a lesser extent, for Sentences Structure, which improves in the experimental group with typical development as well as in the control and experimental groups with language development disorder. CONCLUSIONS: A collaborative and inclusive intervention program that uses implicit techniques favors the improvement of certain aspects of the syntactic processing of pupils with developmental language disorder

ANTECEDENTES: el objetivo principal de esta investigación ha sido verificar la efectividad de un programa de intervención sobre las habilidades sintácticas de los alumnos con desarrollo típico y con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje. MÉTODO: participaron 99 alumnos de cinco años de colegios de Tenerife (España). Se utilizaron los subtests del CELF-4 Recordando oraciones, Formulación de oraciones y Estructura de oraciones. El programa de intervención consistió en 40 sesiones implementadas por profesores y logopedas. Se organizaron tres niveles de práctica: en el aula ordinaria (grupo grande y grupo pequeño) y en el aula de apoyo. RESULTADOS: los resultados indicaron que los alumnos diagnosticados con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje presentaron inicialmente un peor rendimiento en la sintaxis que aquellos con desarrollo típico. Además, se comprobó la bondad de un programa de intervención especialmente en Recordando oraciones, y en menor medida, para Estructura de oraciones, que mejora en el grupo experimental con desarrollo típico y en los grupos control y experimental con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje. CONCLUSIONES: un programa de intervención de naturaleza colaborativa e inclusiva que recurre a técnicas implícitas favorece la mejora de determinados aspectos del procesamiento sintáctico de alumnado con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje

Intervention in Syntactic Skills in Pupils with Developmental Language Disorder.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this research has been to verify the effectiveness of an intervention program on syntactic skills of pupils with typical development and with developmental language disorder. METHOD: A total of 99 five-year-old pupils from schools of Tenerife (Spain) participated. The CELF-4 Recalling Sentences, Formulated Sentences, and Sentence Structure subtests were used. The intervention program consisted of 40 sessions implemented by teachers and speech language therapists. Three levels of practice were organized: in the ordinary classroom (large group and small group) and in the support classroom. RESULTS: Pupils diagnosed with developmental language disorder initially performed worse on syntax than those with typical development. In addition, the goodness of an intervention program was verified especially for Recalling sentences, and, to a lesser extent, for Sentences Structure, which improves in the experimental group with typical development as well as in the control and experimental groups with language development disorder. CONCLUSIONS: A collaborative and inclusive intervention program that uses implicit techniques favors the improvement of certain aspects of the syntactic processing of pupils with developmental language disorder.

A comparative study of language phenotypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Specific Language Impairment.

BACKGROUND: Problems with communication and language are among the main characteristics of both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI). The main objective of the present study was to analyze whether the two disorders have similar formal language profiles. METHOD: The study involved three groups of 20 students each, divided into ASD, SLI, and Control, of similar ages and IQ. The CELF-4 standardized test was administered to assess their language skills. RESULTS: No significant differences in language were found between the SLI and ASD groups, with no effect sizes. Differences were observed between the SLI and ASD groups when they were compared separately with the Control group, with a large effect size. CONCLUSIONS: There is an overlap in the linguistic profiles of children with SLI and children with ASD. Similarity is thus confirmed in comprehensive and expressive language, as well as in morphosyntactic and lexical-semantic production.

Análisis bibliométrico de la Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología: 2000-2016 / Bibliometric analysis of the Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología: 2000-2016

Introducción. El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar la producción científica de la Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología (RLFA). Metodología. Se desarrolla un estudio descriptivo-retrospectivo de la RLFA a partir de los 344 artículos recogidos en los 108 números publicados en el período comprendido entre los años 2000 y 2016, ambos incluidos. Resultados. Siguiendo el criterio del índice de colaboración, la RLFA se encuentra en vías de madurez científica. Además, se observa un buen patrón de ajuste a la ley de Lotka. En los 344 artículos analizados se han citado 961 revistas diferentes, destacándose Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders como la primera, seguida de Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research y de Brain and Language. Además, se han producido 43 artículos con colaboración internacional entre diferentes instituciones. Discusión y conclusiones. Se proponen una serie de sugerencias que la RLFA puede considerar con el propósito de alcanzar una mayor difusión y reconocimiento en el ámbito internacional (AU)

Introduction. The aim of this paper is to present the scientific production of Revista de Logopedia, Foniatría y Audiología (RLFA). Methodology. A descriptive-retrospective study of the RLFA was developed based on the 344 articles collected in the 108 issues published between the years 2000 and 2016, inclusively. Results. Following the criterion of the Collaboration Index, RLFA is in the process of scientific maturity. In addition, a good pattern adjusted to Lotka's Law is observed. In the 344 articles analysed, 961 different journals have been cited, highlighting the Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, followed by Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, and Brain and Language. In addition, 43 articles have been written with international collaboration between different institutions. Discussion and conclusions. A series of suggestions are proposed for the RLFA to consider in order to achieve greater coverage and recognition at international level (AU)

Intervention in reading processes in pupils with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) / Intervención en procesos lectores en alumnado con Trastorno Específico del Lenguaje

BACKGROUND: Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) encounter significant difficulties in learning to read. The aim of this research was to determine the efficacy of an intervention program on reading processes (letter identification, lexical processes, syntactic processes and semantic processes) in children with SLI. METHOD: The sample consisted of a total of 34 pupils diagnosed with SLI and 34 children with typical language development. For the selection of the sample, the CELF-3 test, the Peabody test, the Hearing Association and Visual Association subtests of the ITPA and the K-BIT Intelligence test were used. The intervention program consisted of 144 sessions of 40 minutes each, in which oral language activities were combined with other activities related to the automation of basic reading processes and reading sentences and texts. RESULTS: Significant gains were also made in the group of children with SLI versus controls in lexical, syntactic, and semantic reading processes.CONCLUSIONS: A combined program of both oral language and reading skills improves reading achievement in pupils with SLI

ANTECEDENTES: los niños con Trastorno Específico del Lenguaje (TEL) tienen importantes dificultades para el aprendizaje de la lectura. El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido comprobar la eficacia de un programa de intervención sobre los procesos lectores (identificación de letras, procesos léxicos, procesos gramaticales y procesos semánticos) en niños con TEL. MÉTODO: la muestra estuvo compuesta por un total de 34 alumnos diagnosticados con TEL y 34 niños con un desarrollo típico del lenguaje. Para la selección de la muestra se utilizaron los tests CELF-3, Peabody, las subpruebas de Asociación Auditiva y de Asociación Visual del ITPA y el Test de Inteligencia K-BIT. El programa de intervención constó de 144 sesiones, de 40 minutos de duración cada una, en el que se combinaron actividades de lenguaje oral con otras destinadas a la automatización de procesos lectores básicos y de lectura de frases y textos.RESULTADOS: los niños con TEL obtuvieron ganancias significativas frente a los controles en los procesos lectores léxicos, sintácticos y semánticos. CONCLUSIONES: un programa combinado de lenguaje oral y lectura mejora el rendimiento lector en alumnado con TEL

Intervention in reading processes in pupils with Specific Language Impairment (SLI).

BACKGROUND: Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) encounter significant difficulties in learning to read. The aim of this research was to determine the efficacy of an intervention program on reading processes (letter identification, lexical processes, syntactic processes and semantic processes) in children with SLI. METHOD: The sample consisted of a total of 34 pupils diagnosed with SLI and 34 children with typical language development. For the selection of the sample, the CELF-3 test, the Peabody test, the Hearing Association and Visual Association subtests of the ITPA and the K-BIT Intelligence test were used. The intervention program consisted of 144 sessions of 40 minutes each, in which oral language activities were combined with other activities related to the automation of basic reading processes and reading sentences and texts. RESULTS: Significant gains were also made in the group of children with SLI versus controls in lexical, syntactic, and semantic reading processes. CONCLUSIONS: A combined program of both oral language and reading skills improves reading achievement in pupils with SLI.