Cross-linguistic comparison of utterance shapes in Korean- and English-learning children: An ambient language effect.

This study compared vocal development in Korean- and English-learning infants and examined ambient-language effects focusing on predominant utterance shapes. Vocalization samples were obtained from 14 Korean-learning children and 14 English-learning children, who ranged in age from 9 to 21 months, in monolingual environments using day-long audio recordings. The analyzers, who were blind to participants' demographic information, identified utterance shapes to determine functional vocal repertoires through naturalistic listening simulating the caregiver's natural mode of listening. The results showed no cross-linguistic differences in the amount of vocal output or the proportion of canonical syllables. However, the infants from the two language backgrounds showed differences regarding the predominant canonical utterance shapes. The percentage of VCV utterances in Korean-learning children was higher than in English-learning children while CV syllables predominated in the English-learning children. We speculate that the difference between the predominant utterance shapes of Korean- and English-learning children could be associated with differences in early lexical items typically acquired in the two language groups.

Examining Useful Spoken Language in a Minimally Verbal Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Descriptive Clinical Single-Case Study.

Purpose This was a companion study to a previous one (Biller & Johnson, 2019). The purpose was to develop a detailed descriptive profile of a minimally verbal child with a unique medical history and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present report describes his social-cognitive and speech sound production abilities in relation to his potentially burgeoning spoken language. Method This in-depth, descriptive, clinical single-case study focused on a 3-year-old boy who was diagnosed with a chromosomal abnormality and ASD. The size of his spoken vocabulary fell at the upper limit for classifying a child as minimally verbal. His demographic information was obtained, in addition to general information from his mother. Four social-cognitive and three speech sound production abilities were assessed, as well as his overall performance in both domains. The study included a parent interview and two child assessment sessions. Results The child exhibited low social-cognitive and speech sound production abilities for his age, with social-cognitive abilities higher than speech sound production abilities. Comparison with the previous study revealed substantial gaps in social cognition and speech sound production between this child and five other minimally verbal children with ASD. His higher abilities in these two domains co-occurred with his larger spoken vocabulary size. Conclusions Although the child's social-cognitive abilities were low for his age, with his speech sound production abilities even lower, both domains were perhaps high enough to support spoken vocabulary at the upper limit for minimally verbal children. Indeed, there appeared to be quantitative and qualitative differences between him and other minimally verbal children in the previous study. The possibility was explored that there is a point or threshold along the developmental continua for social cognition and speech sound production that allows for expansion into useful language.

Social-Cognitive and Speech Sound Production Abilities of Minimally Verbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Purpose To date, there has been a dearth of systematic research that examines both social-cognitive (SC) and speech sound production (SSP) abilities simultaneously in minimally verbal (MV) children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Such an analysis would allow a unified and comprehensive view of the children's communication abilities. The purpose of this study was to develop detailed descriptive profiles of MV children with ASD and uncover patterns in their SC and SSP abilities that may pertain to spoken language. Method This study was a descriptive, multiple clinical case study that examined 5 MV children with ASD, 4 boys and 1 girl, aged 3-6 years. The case studies consisted of demographic information, parent report, and formal and informal assessment of the children. Four SC abilities and 3 SSP abilities were assessed. Results The 5 children's SC score, SSP score, and number of spoken words were converted to z scores. This analysis revealed 2 different patterns of development: 3 of the children had lower SC than SSP abilities, and 2 of the children had the reverse pattern. Conclusions The 5 children were low in both SC and SSP abilities. Although both domains were low, the measure that coincided most with spoken vocabulary among the 5 children was their SSP abilities. Specifically, the children had difficulty in demonstrating emerging control of the onset of voicing for specific speech sounds and verbal imitation of single speech sounds and syllables. Clinical implications of simultaneously assessing and treating SC and SSP abilities in MV children are discussed.

Phonological patterns in Mandarin-English bilingual children.

Adele Miccio recognized the paucity of information on the phonological development of children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and emphasized the need to apply advances in bilingual phonological research toward an appropriate phonological measure for bilingual children. In the spirit of her pioneering work, the present study investigated both Mandarin and English phonological patterns in typically-developing 5-year-old bilingual children in an English-immersion programme in Taiwan. Consonant and vowel accuracy, number and types of phonological processes, and Mandarin-influenced English patterns were assessed on a single-word assessment in each language. Results indicated comparable levels of phoneme accuracy and similar rates and types of phonological processes for bilinguals and their monolingual counterparts. A number of English phonological processes for bilinguals, however, suggested a possible Mandarin influence. The present results reiterate Dr Miccio's call for interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance one's understanding of bilingual language development, to advance successful intervention for bilingual children.

Characteristics of Korean phonology: review, tutorial, and case studies of Korean children speaking English.

UNLABELLED: A significant number of bilinguals in English-speaking countries speak Korean as their first language. One such country is the United States (U.S.). As the U.S. becomes increasingly diverse, providing more effective services for culturally and linguistically diverse children is a critical issue and growing challenge for speech-language pathologists. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the number of Korean immigrants in the U.S. has steadily increased over the past decade. As a result, a greater number of children who speak Korean as a first or second language may need speech, language, and hearing services. This paper provides a review of the literature on (1) phonological characteristics of the Korean language and (2) speech sound acquisition and developmental patterns for phonological processes in Korean children. We illustrate how language knowledge of Korean might impact the learning of English based on case studies of three Korean children speaking English in the U.S. We describe considerations for more appropriate evaluation and treatment of speech sound disorders in Korean-English-speaking children. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Readers will be able to: (1) understand phonological characteristics of the Korean language and speech sound acquisition and developmental patterns for phonological process in Korean children, (2) describe characteristics of English speech sound acquisition in successive bilingual English-Korean learners and interference patterns that result from the influence of two independent phonological and phonetic systems, and (3) describe considerations and clinical implications for the more appropriate evaluation and treatment of speech sound disorders in Korean-English speaking children.

When "Simon says" doesn't work: alternatives to imitation for facilitating early speech development.

PURPOSE: To provide clinicians with evidence-based strategies to facilitate early speech development in young children who are not readily imitating sounds. Relevant populations may include, but are not limited to, children with autism spectrum disorders, childhood apraxia of speech, and late-talking toddlers. METHOD: Through multifaceted search procedures, we found experimental support for 6 treatment strategies that have been used to facilitate speech development in young children with developmental disabilities. Each strategy is highlighted within this article through a summary of the underlying rationale(s), empirical support, and specific examples of how it could be applied within intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Given the relatively sparse experimental data focused on facilitating speech in children who do not readily imitate, theoretical support emerges as particularly key and underscores the need for clinicians to consider why they are doing what they are doing. In addition, this review emphasizes the need for the research community to bridge the gap between pressing clinical needs and the limited evidence base that is currently available.

Nouns and verbs: a comparison of definitional style.

The present investigation is a study of the definitional style of nouns and verbs in typically developing school-age children. A total of 30 children in upper-elementary grades provided verbal definitions for 10 common high-frequency nouns (e.g., apple, boat, baby) and 10 common high-frequency verbs (e.g., climb, sing, throw). All definitions were coded and scored for semantic content (meaning) and grammatical form (syntax). Results revealed no significant difference between noun and verb definitions for content scores. For form, however, noun definition scores were significantly higher than verb definition scores. A supplementary analysis was conducted to explore development of noun and verb definitions in upper-elementary grades. Input factors, word frequency, as well as theory of the organization of the mental lexicon are discussed in relation to definitional skill.

Adjective definitions and the influence of word frequency.

The present investigation is a study of the development of adjective definitions given by participants in Grades 6 and 10 and by young adults, as well as the influence of word frequency on those definitions. A total of 150 participants (50 per age group) wrote definitions for 6 high-frequency and 6 low-frequency adjectives. Adjective definitions were analyzed for use of semantic content and also grammatical form. Findings indicated that content of adjective definitions generally followed a developmental course from concrete and functional to more abstract. Response patterns of certain categories, such as superordinate, have implications for organization of the mental lexicon and suggest that adjective definitions may be less predictable than definitions of other grammatical categories, such as noun. Although conventional syntactic form was highly used in definitions (i.e., adjectival form for a definition of an adjective), verb form was also highly used. Conventional form may be less useful to characterize adjective definitions than other grammatical classes. Findings suggest that word frequency has a robust influence on adjective definitions and that development progresses differently for high- and low-frequency words.

Definitional skill in school-age children with specific language impairment.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the definitional skills in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Fifteen children with SLI and 15 matched control participants were asked to define 10 common high-frequency nouns (e.g., apple, horse, and boat). Definitions were scored for both content and form. Children with SLI scored significantly lower than children with typically developing language for both content and form. Results suggest that lexical access and/or lack of metalinguistic knowledge were potential causes for the lower scores earned by the children with SLI when defining common nouns. Implications for assessment of and intervention for definitional skill are discussed. LEARNING OUTCOMES: The reader will be able to explain the importance of definitional skill and how this skill generally develops in typically developing children. The reader will be able to describe the performance, in terms of content and form, of children with SLI and their typically developing peers in defining common high-frequency nouns. The reader will also be able to discuss what possible impact linguistic knowledge, metalinguistic knowledge, and lexical access have on children with SLI in defining the common nouns in this study.