The broad aim of this clinical study is to assess the hypothesis that morphological and phonological deficits are linked by a broader deficit in sequential pattern learning. This hypothesis applies to learning in general, but is especially critical as an avenue for developing earlier assessments and more powerful interventions for children with developmental language disorder (DLD; also known as specific language impairment). Other populations, such as at-risk toddlers, may also benefit from this new approach.
All children (TD, DLD, DLD + SSD, SSD) will score above 75 on the Nonverbal Scale of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II), which is above the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual cut-off for intellectual disability, even considering the standard error of measurement.
Hearing will be within normal limits
Oral structures will be within normal limits (Robbins & Klee, 1987).
The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (Schopler et al., 2010) and parent report, will be used to rule out autism.
Hearing impairment
Intellectual impairment
Autism
Significant motor impairment.
Parallel
Sensitivity to phonological rules
Other interventionAssess whether children with developmental language disorder (DLD) are sensitive to different phonological patterns that are predicted to align with development of morphosyntax or the lexicon; children with speech sound disorder (SSD) are not predicted to be sensitive to the same phonological patterns.
Sensitivity to semantic category cues.
Other interventionAssess whether all children, including those with DLD, show improved learning of OR rules when a semantic category cue is used.
Transcription Accuracy Measures of Children's Sensitivity to OR/disjunction, Family resemblance/prototype and/or Single feature rules
Learning shown via changes in transcription accuracy
Transcription Variability Measures of Children's Sensitivity to OR/disjunction, Family resemblance/prototype and/or Single feature rules
Learning shown via changes in transcription based syllable co-occurrence variability
Articulatory Variability Measures of Children's Sensitivity to OR/disjunction, Family resemblance/prototype and/or Single feature rules
Learning shown via changes in articulatory variability (articulatory spatiotemporal variability)
Acoustic Measures of Children's Sensitivity to OR/disjunction, Family resemblance/prototype and/or Single feature rules
Learning shown via changes in acoustic variability (Acoustic spatiotemporal variability)
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Father Flanagan's Boys' Home
Lead sponsor
University of Arizona
Collaborator
