Parent-Implemented Hanen Program It Takes Two to Talk®: An Exploratory Study in Spain.

Parent-implemented interventions are a highly common approach for enhancing communication and linguistic abilities of late talkers, involving a population that shows a small expressive vocabulary in the absence of other deficits that could explain it. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of a parent-implemented language intervention, It Takes Two to Talk®-The Hanen Program® for Parents (ITTT), to a clinician-directed therapy. Participants were 17 families and their late-talking children: 10 families took part in ITTT and 7 in the clinician-directed modality. The outcomes in the social communication domain were more favorable for the ITTT group, but there were no significant differences between groups as regards vocabulary and syntax. In terms of parents, the research focused on examining if there were significant changes in parents' stress and their perceptions of their children's communication abilities. No differences were observed in the level of stress. In contrast, the group that received the ITTT program significantly altered their perceptions of their children's communication difficulties in comparison with the clinician-directed therapy. These results have implications in the clinical management of late-talking children, and they are discussed in terms of evidence-based practice.

Profiles on the Orientation Discrimination Processing of Human Faces.

Face recognition is a crucial subject for public health, as socialization is one of the main characteristics for full citizenship. However, good recognizers would be distinguished, not only by the number of faces they discriminate but also by the number of rejected stimuli as unfamiliar. When it comes to face recognition, it is important to remember that position, to some extent, would not entail a high cognitive cost, unlike other processes in similar areas of the brain. The aim of this paper was to examine participant's recognition profiles according to face position. For this reason, a recognition task was carried out by employing the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces. Reaction times and accuracy were employed as dependent variables and a cluster analysis was carried out. A total of two profiles were identified in participants' performance, which differ in position in terms of reaction times but not accuracy. The results can be described as follows: first, it is possible to identify performance profiles in visual recognition of faces that differ in position in terms of reaction times, not accuracy; secondly, results suggest a bias towards the left. At the applied level, this could be of interest with a view to conducting training programs in face recognition.

Pragmatic competence of children with autism spectrum disorder. Impact of theory of mind, verbal working memory, ADHD symptoms, and structural language.

The primary aim of this study is to increase the existing knowledge about the pragmatic skills of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Specifically, the study has two objectives. The first is to provide a profile of characteristics based on The Children's Communication Checklist (CCC-2) pragmatics scales (inappropriate initiation, stereotyped language, use of context, nonverbal communication, and general pragmatics) and narrative task indicators. To this end, children with ASD will be compared to children with typical development (TD), controlling the effects of sex and structural language (speech, syntax, semantics, coherence). The second objective is to analyze whether theory of mind (ToM), verbal working memory, ADHD symptoms, and structural language can predict pragmatic competence in children with ASD without intellectual disability (ID). The results showed worse performance in the group with ASD on the majority of the pragmatic aspects evaluated. In addition, the application of ToM skills and structural language were significant predictors of the pragmatic skills of the children with ASD. These findings reinforce the importance of focusing intervention programs on mentalist abilities through experiences in real social scenarios, along with strengthening structural language components.

Intervención en comunicación en el trastorno del espectro autista mediante el programa More than Words. Estudio de un caso / A communication intervention in autism spectrum disorder by means of the programme 'More than Words'. A case study

Introducción. El programa 'More than Words' pretende capacitar a los padres para aprovechar las situaciones cotidianas como entornos de aprendizaje de la comunicación, a través de la instrucción en estrategias de interacción de tipo responsivo. Objetivo. Describir los efectos de este programa en las habilidades de comunicación de un niño con trastorno del espectro autista y en el lenguaje que sus padres le dirigen. Pacientes y métodos. Se siguió un diseño de tres fases (preintervención, intervención y postintervención), en el que se midieron las intervenciones responsivas de los padres y los actos comunicativos del niño. Resultados. La intervención puede modificar el estilo comunicativo de los padres, particularmente cuando la familia recibe las orientaciones de la logopeda. Sin embargo, el carácter responsivo de la comunicación de los padres tiende a disminuir cuando finaliza la intervención. Por su parte, los actos comunicativos del niño se incrementan, con un tamaño medio del efecto del tratamiento. Conclusiones. El programa 'More than Words' puede ser un buen punto de partida para que los padres conozcan estrategias que promuevan la comunicación con sus hijos con trastorno del espectro autista (AU)

Introduction. The 'More than Words' programme aims to enable parents to take advantage of day-to-day situations as communication learning settings, through the use of instruction in responsive-type interaction strategies. Aim. To describe the effects of this programme on the communication skills of a child with autism spectrum disorder and on the language the parents use to address him. Patients and methods. A three-phase design (pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention) was employed, in which the responsive interactions of the parents and the child's communicative acts were measured. Results. The intervention can modify the parents' communicative style, especially when the family receives guidance from a speech therapist. Nevertheless, the responsive nature of the parents' communication tends to diminish when the intervention finishes. Conversely, the child’s communicative acts increase, with a medium-sized effect of the treatment. Conclusions. The 'More than Words' programme can be a good starting point for parents to become familiar with strategies that foster communication with their children who have autism spectrum disorder (AU)

ADHD Symptoms and peer problems: Mediation of executive function and theory of mind.

BACKGROUND: The social maladjustment suffered by many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is maintained over time, increasing the risk of subsequent adverse outcomes. The objectives of the study were to explore the mechanisms that operate between ADHD symptoms and social problems with peers, considering the mediation of FE and ToM. METHOD: 35 children with ADHD and 37 with typical development matched in age and IQ were compared. Parents assessed ToM skills and relationships with peers, and teachers provided EF ratings. RESULTS: The analyses showed statistically significant indirect mediation effects of EF in the relationship between ADHD symptoms and problems in relationships with peers, whereas ToM did not show these effects. CONCLUSIONS: EF impairments contribute to the social difficulties of children with ADHD.

Intervenciones para promover la comunicación social en niños con trastornos del espectro autista / Interventions to promote social communication in children with autism spectrum disorders

Introducción. Las dificultades en la comunicación social constituyen una de las alteraciones nucleares que experimentan las personas con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA). Esta problemática provoca sentimientos de soledad y exclusión social, que repercuten negativamente en la calidad de vida. Objetivo. Revisar las características de las principales intervenciones en este ámbito en el TEA de alto funcionamiento. Desarrollo. Se sintetizan estrategias como las historias sociales, comic-strip conversations o videomodelaje, e intervenciones mediadas por pares y tratamientos multicomponente. Conclusiones. El diseño de los actuales programas ha evolucionado hacia enfoques más ecológicos, considerándose a la familia, a los profesores y a los compañeros en el tratamiento. Las últimas síntesis de la bibliografía han evidenciado mejoras significativas tras su implementación, lo que se ha manifestado en una mejor competencia social y un menor sentimiento de soledad. La intervención en comunicación social debe combinar la instrucción individualizada con la consideración del entorno del niño y de la motivación hacia la interacción comunicativa (AU)

Introduction. The difficulties encountered when it comes to social communication are one of the core disorders experienced by persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This problem leads to feelings of loneliness and social exclusion, which negatively affect the quality of life. Aims. To review the characteristics of the main interventions in this field in high-functioning ASD. Development. Strategies employed include social stories, comic-strip conversations or videomodelling, and interventions mediated by peers and multicomponent treatments. Conclusions. The design of the programmes used today has evolved towards more ecological approaches that take the family, teachers and companions into account in the treatment. The most recent literature reviews have found evidence of significant improvements following their implementation, which has been reflected in better social competence and lesser feelings of loneliness. The social communication intervention must combine individualised instruction with consideration of the child’s environment and the motivation towards communicative interaction (AU)

Poder de discriminación del funcionamiento ejecutivo y de la teoría de la mente en el trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad. Fundamentos para la intervención / Discriminatory power of executive functions and of theory of mind in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Rationale for intervention

Introducción. Los déficits en funcionamiento ejecutivo y en teoría de la mente (ToM) están presentes en los niños con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (TDAH). Identificar la magnitud de la asociación entre funcionamiento ejecutivo y ToM resulta primordial para la comprensión del trastorno. Objetivos. Adoptando un enfoque de evaluación naturalista, se analiza la capacidad del funcionamiento ejecutivo frente a la ToM para discriminar entre niños con TDAH y con desarrollo típico, y se identifica el grado de asociación entre déficits en los componentes de funcionamiento ejecutivo (regulación conductual y metacognitivos) y de la ToM. Sujetos y métodos. Participaron un grupo de 35 niños con TDAH y otro de 37 niños con desarrollo típico entre 7 y 11 años, igualados en edad y capacidad intelectual. Los padres evaluaron las habilidades de ToM y los profesores estimaron las funciones ejecutivas. Resultados y conclusiones. El porcentaje de niños con TDAH clasificados correctamente fue superior en el análisis discriminante al introducir los componentes de funcionamiento ejecutivo como variable independiente, que en el análisis discriminante realizado con la ToM. No obstante, un elevado porcentaje de niños con déficits en funcionamiento ejecutivo también tenían problemas en ToM. Se revisan intervenciones enfocadas en el desarrollo de un rango amplio de procesos ejecutivos (AU)

Introduction. Executive functions and theory of mind (ToM) deficits are present in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Identifying the magnitude of the association between executive functions and ToM is important for understanding the disorder. Aims. This study adopts a naturalistic evaluation approach to analyze the executive functions versus ToM ability to discriminate between children with ADHD and typically developing children and to identify the degree of association between deficits in the components of executive functions (behavioral regulation and metacognitive) and ToM. Subjects and methods. Thirty-five children with ADHD and 37 typically developing children-7 to 11 years old, matched in age and intelligence quotient, participated in this study. Parents assessed ToM skills and teachers estimated the executive functions. Results and conclusions. The percentage of children with ADHD classified correctly was higher in the discriminant analysis where the executive functions components were introduced as an independent variable than in the discriminant analysis performed with the ToM. However, a high percentage of children with executive functions deficits had also problems in ToM. Interventions focused on the development of a broad range of executive processes are reviewed (AU)

Modelo integrador de la adaptación social de niños con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad / Integrating model of the social adaptation of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Introducción. Los niños con trastorno por déficit de atención/hiperactividad (TDAH) experimentan dificultades sociales que afectan a su funcionamiento personal y académico. Objetivo. Revisar los estudios que han abordado la influencia de las habilidades cognitivas y afectivas implicadas en su adaptación social, desde la perspectiva de un modelo integrador que incluye el funcionamiento ejecutivo, las habilidades mentalistas y el lenguaje pragmático. Desarrollo. Las investigaciones revisadas constatan una asociación entre funcionamiento ejecutivo (memoria de trabajo, inhibición, planificación), habilidad pragmática y rendimiento en tareas mentalistas, con la problemática social que experimentan las personas con TDAH. Conclusiones. Aunque la bibliografía respalda una relación entre estos constructos, los déficits observados en la ejecución de tareas de teoría de la mente o en el uso del lenguaje parecen responder más bien a un déficit de carácter procedimental y no tanto a dificultades de índole conceptual (AU)

Introduction. Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience social difficulties affecting their personal and academic functioning. Aim. To review the research addressing the influence of cognitive/affective abilities involved in their social adaptation, from the perspective of an integrative model that includes executive functioning, theory of mind and pragmatic language. Development. Research shows an association between executive functioning (working memory, inhibition, planning), pragmatic abilities, performance in theory of mind tasks, and the social problems experienced by individuals with ADHD. Conclusions. Although literature supports a relationship between these constructs, deficits observed in theory of mind tasks or language use, seem rather to reflect a procedural deficit than a conceptual impairment (AU)

[Relationships between language disorders and socio-emotional competence]. / Relaciones entre trastornos del lenguaje y competencia socioemocional.

INTRODUCTION: The rate of comorbidity between language disorders and behavioural, emotional and social problems is high. AIM: To review the literature on the social and emotional difficulties of children with specific language impairment from a developmental perspective. DEVELOPMENT: In early childhood, findings concerning this kind of difficulties in children with delayed language development are not conclusive. Yet, as of the period of preschool education, research points to a greater occurrence of difficulties in the social and emotional area. The longitudinal studies that have made it possible to determine the psychosocial adjustment of teenagers suggest a greater risk of presenting experiences involving victimisation and bullying or of developing anxiety and depression in the long term, although some studies offer a more promising scenario. CONCLUSIONS: Disorders involving comprehension and the pragmatic component of language are an important predictor in the manifestation of socio-emotional alterations. In mixed comprehension-expression disorders, general difficulty in processing could at least partially account for this association. In turn, these limitations in the development of social cognition are likely to help explain, at least up to a point, the difficulties experienced by persons with pragmatic disorders, although the research conducted to date is not consistent in this sense.

TITLE: Relaciones entre trastornos del lenguaje y competencia socioemocional.Introduccion. Existe una comorbilidad elevada entre los trastornos del lenguaje y los problemas conductuales, emocionales y sociales. Objetivo. Revisar la bibliografia existente sobre las dificultades sociales y emocionales de los niños con trastorno especifico del lenguaje desde una perspectiva evolutiva. Desarrollo. En la infancia temprana, los resultados acerca de este tipo de dificultades en niños con un retraso del lenguaje no son concluyentes. Sin embargo, desde el periodo de educacion infantil, la investigacion advierte de una mayor ocurrencia de alteraciones en el area social y emocional. Los estudios longitudinales que han permitido determinar el ajuste psicosocial en la adolescencia indican un mayor riesgo de presentar experiencias de victimizacion y bullying o de desarrollar ansiedad y depresion a largo plazo, aunque algunos trabajos ofrecen una panoramica mas alentadora. Conclusiones. La afectacion de la comprension y del componente pragmatico del lenguaje es un predictor importante en la manifestacion de alteraciones socioemocionales. En los trastornos mixtos comprensivos-expresivos, una dificultad de procesamiento general podria justificar, al menos parcialmente, esta asociacion. A su vez, es probable que limitaciones en el desarrollo de la cognicion social contribuyan a explicar, en cierta medida, las dificultades de las personas con trastornos pragmaticos, si bien no existe una consistencia en la investigacion en este sentido.

Relaciones entre trastornos del lenguaje y competencia socioemocional / Relationships between language disorders and socio-emotional competence

Introducción. Existe una comorbilidad elevada entre los trastornos del lenguaje y los problemas conductuales, emocionales y sociales. Objetivo. Revisar la bibliografía existente sobre las dificultades sociales y emocionales de los niños con trastorno específico del lenguaje desde una perspectiva evolutiva. Desarrollo. En la infancia temprana, los resultados acerca de este tipo de dificultades en niños con un retraso del lenguaje no son concluyentes. Sin embargo, desde el período de educación infantil, la investigación advierte de una mayor ocurrencia e alteraciones en el área social y emocional. Los estudios longitudinales que han permitido determinar el ajuste psicosocial en la adolescencia indican un mayor riesgo de presentar experiencias de victimización y bullying o de desarrollar ansiedad y depresión a largo plazo, aunque algunos trabajos ofrecen una panorámica más alentadora. Conclusiones. La afectación de la comprensión y del componente pragmático del lenguaje es un predictor importante en la manifestación de alteraciones socioemocionales. En los trastornos mixtos comprensivos-expresivos, una dificultad de procesamiento general podría justificar, al menos parcialmente, esta asociación. A su vez, es probable que limitaciones en el desarrollo de la cognición social contribuyan a explicar, en cierta medida, las dificultades de las personas con trastornos pragmáticos, si bien no existe una consistencia en la investigación en este sentido (AU)

Introduction. The rate of comorbidity between language disorders and behavioural, emotional and social problems is high. Aim. To review the literature on the social and emotional difficulties of children with specific language impairment from a developmental perspective. Development. In early childhood, findings concerning this kind of difficulties in children with delayed language development are not conclusive. Yet, as of the period of preschool education, research points to a greater occurrence of difficulties in the social and emotional area. The longitudinal studies that have made it possible to determine the psychosocial adjustment of teenagers suggest a greater risk of presenting experiences involving victimisation and bullying or of developing anxiety and depression in the long term, although some studies offer a more promising scenario. Conclusions. Disorders involving comprehension and the pragmatic component of language are an important predictor in the manifestation of socio-emotional alterations. In mixed comprehension-expression disorders, general difficulty in processing could at least partially account for this association. In turn, these limitations in the development of social cognition are likely to help explain, at least up to a point, the difficulties experienced by persons with pragmatic disorders, although the research conducted to date is not consistent in this sense (AU)

Intervención logopédica en un caso de dispraxia verbal y trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad / Speech therapy intervention in a case of verbal dyspraxia and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

En este artículo se expone el proceso de evaluación e intervención realizado en un caso clínico de dispraxia verbal asociada a trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH), subtipo combinado. En el TDAH se producen déficit en el control inhibitorio comportamental que inciden en el control, la fluencia y la sintaxis de la ejecución de secuencias motoras complejas, como las de la articulación del habla. Durante el desarrollo del lenguaje es probable que las características del TDAH no favorezcan el control propioceptivo articulatorio y, en ocasiones, contribuyen a perfilar un cuadro sintomatológico de dispraxia verbal. La dispraxia verbal comporta una dificultad para crear automática e inconscientemente programas motores para fonemas, sílabas y palabras, durante el periodo de adquisición de la lengua materna. En el texto se presentan estrategias de evaluación de la dispraxia, así como la justificación del diagnóstico, según los criterios considerados en la literatura especializada. La intervención se fundamentó en tres elementos clave: selección cuidadosa y secuenciación de objetivos lingüísticos, potenciación de los mecanismos de feedback e introducción de un sistema aumentativo —gestos de apoyo al fonema—, para conseguir la automatización lenta y progresiva de programas motores o automatismos verbales. Además, la condición de TDAH supuso adaptaciones instruccionales y metodológicas, con el fin de conseguir los objetivos del tratamiento. En la medida en que el habla del niño se convirtió en fluida, se manifestaron dificultades lingüísticas en el nivel morfosintáctico, previsibles en estos casos, que apuntan a una semiología más amplia del trastorno, no limitada al componente práxico (AU)

This article describes the assessment and intervention process carried out in a case of verbal dyspraxia associated with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combined subtype. In ADHD, deficits occur in behavioral inhibitory control, affecting the control, flow and syntax of the performance of complex motor sequences, such as speech articulation. During language development, the characteristics of ADHD probably hamper articulatory control, sometimes contributing to aggravating a core symptom of verbal dyspraxia. Verbal dyspraxia involves difficulty in automatically and unconsciously creating motor programs for phonemes, syllables and words during first language acquisition. The present article discusses strategies for assessing dyspraxia, as well as diagnosis of this order based on the criteria included in the specialized literature. The intervention was based on three key elements: careful selection and sequencing of linguistic objectives, enhancement of feedback mechanisms and introduction of an augmentative system (gestures to support the phoneme) to achieve slow and progressive automation of motor programs or verbal automatisms. In addition, to achieve treatment goals, the instruction and methodology were adapted to the child's ADHD status. As the child's speech became fluent, language difficulties were manifested in morphology and syntax, predictable in these cases, pointing to a broader symptomatology of the disorder, not limited to the praxis component (AU)

[Language observation protocol for teachers in pre-school education. Effectiveness in the detection of semantic and morphosyntactic difficulties]. / Protocolo de observacion del lenguaje para maestros de educacion infantil. Eficacia en la deteccion de dificultades semanticas y morfosintacticas.

INTRODUCTION: A number of studies have shown that teachers are capable of recognising pupils with language difficulties if they have suitable guidelines or guidance. AIMS: To determine the effectiveness of an observation-based protocol for pre-school education teachers in the detection of phonetic-phonological, semantic and morphosyntactic difficulties. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 175 children from public and state-subsidised schools in Valencia and its surrounding province, together with their teachers. The children were aged between 3 years and 6 months and 5 years and 11 months. The protocol that was used asks for information about pronunciation skills (intelligibility, articulation), conversational skills (with adults, with peers), literal understanding of sentences, grammatical precision, expression through discourse, lexical knowledge and semantics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: There was a significant correlation between the teachers' observations and the criterion scores on intelligibility, literal understanding of sentences, grammatical expression and lexical richness, but not in the observations concerning articulation and verbal reasoning, which were more difficult for the teachers to judge. In general, the observation protocol proved to be effective, it guided the teachers in their observations and it asked them suitable questions about linguistic data that were relevant to the determination of difficulties in language development. The use of this protocol can be an effective strategy for collecting information for use by speech therapists and school psychologists in the early detection of children with language development problems.

Protocolo de observación del lenguaje para maestros de educación infantil. Eficacia en la detección de dificultades semánticas y morfosintácticas / Language observation protocol for teachers in pre-school education. Effectiveness in the detection of semantic and morphosyntactic difficulties

Introducción. Diversos estudios demuestran que los profesores pueden reconocer con suficiente sensibilidad a los alumnos con dificultades del lenguaje si disponen de una guía u orientación adecuada. Objetivo. Comprobar la eficacia en la detección de dificultades fonético-fonológicas, semánticas y morfosintácticas de un protocolo de observación del lenguaje para maestros de educación infantil. Sujetos y métodos. Han participado 175 niños de colegios públicos y concertados de Valencia y su provincia con sus correspondientes maestros. Los niños tenían edades que iban desde los 3 años y 6 meses hasta los 5 años y 11 meses. El protocolo utilizado solicita información sobre habilidades de pronunciación (inteligibilidad, articulación), habilidades de conversación (con los adultos, con sus iguales), comprensión literal de oraciones, precisión gramatical, expresión mediante el discurso, conocimiento léxico y semántica. Resultados y conclusiones. Hubo correlación significativa entre las observaciones de los maestros y las puntuaciones de criterio de inteligibilidad, de comprensión literal de oraciones, de expresión gramatical y de riqueza léxica, pero no en las observaciones sobre articulación y razonamiento verbal, que fueron más difíciles de juzgar por los maestros. En general, el protocolo de observación se mostró eficaz, guió a los maestros en sus observaciones y les preguntó convenientemente sobre datos lingüísticos relevantes en la determinación de dificultades en el desarrollo del lenguaje. El empleo de este protocolo puede ser una estrategia eficaz de recogida de información al servicio de los logopedas y psicólogos escolares para la detección rápida de niños con dificultades en el desarrollo del lenguaje (AU)

ntroduction. A number of studies have shown that teachers are capable of recognising pupils with language difficulties if they have suitable guidelines or guidance. Aims. To determine the effectiveness of an observation-based protocol for pre-school education teachers in the detection of phonetic-phonological, semantic and morphosyntactic difficulties. Subjects and methods. The sample consisted of 175 children from public and state-subsidised schools in Valencia and its surrounding province, together with their teachers. The children were aged between 3 years and 6 months and 5 years and 11 months. The protocol that was used asks for information about pronunciation skills (intelligibility, articulation), conversational skills (with adults, with peers), literal understanding of sentences, grammatical precision, expression through discourse, lexical knowledge and semantics. Results and conclusions. There was a significant correlation between the teachers’ observations and the criterion scores on intelligibility, literal understanding of sentences, grammatical expression and lexical richness, but not in the observations concerning articulation and verbal reasoning, which were more difficult for the teachers to judge. In general, the observation protocol proved to be effective, it guided the teachers in their observations and it asked them suitable questions about linguistic data that were relevant to the determination of difficulties in language development. The use of this protocol can be an effective strategy for collecting information for use by speech therapists and school psychologists in the early detection of children with language development problems (AU)