The study found that mean length of utterance (MLU) and age were significantly correlated in both language impaired (N=24) and normal preschool children with rates of MLU change also similar for both groups of children. (DB)

The study compared the use of language functions and language interactions in a structured setting with normal and language-disordered preschoolers. Language disordered children performed less appropriately on the average across all measures and the difference between groups was greater at younger ages. (Author/DB)

The relationship between interactive play and the frequency of related responding to comments was investigated within the dyadic interactions between a language impaired 4-year-old and 4 normal language users. While the frequency of related responses was variable for the subject, the frequencies of related responses of normal children were…

Of 30 children with low birth weight, only 4 demonstrated clinically significant language problems at age 3. Language problems were characterized by circumscribed expressive syntax difficulties but were not related systematically to birth weight, gestational age, length of neonatal hospitalization, severity of respiratory illness, socioeconomic…

Children slow in expressive language development (SELD) at age two and matched normal toddlers were reevaluated at age four. Fifty-seven percent of SELD children showed chronic deficits in expressive syntax and morphology at reevaluation. Children with chronic language delay performed more poorly on narrative skill than their normal language…

Speech samples were elicited twice (four months apart) from a 4-year-old language delayed child. Clinical analysis involved examination of conversational turns and words, length of unit, speech act variables, amount of speech, and syntax. Although results clearly indicated an unmistakable surge in expressive language, analysis did not explain the…

Examines the impact of specific language delay (LD) on peer interaction in preschool children. Interaction between three groups of dyads (normals and normals; normals and LD children; and between LD children) were studied. Normal children were more likely to initiate interaction with non-responsive partners and to dominate the interaction.…

Comparison of production and comprehension methods in teaching six 3-year-old language disordered children the relationship between semantic role and word order indicated the production method (the children produced sentences contrasting word order and meaning) was more effective than the comprehension method (the children responded to contrasting…

This study assessed the family history of speech, language, and school problems in 62 young children (mean age 28 months) with developmental expressive language delay (ELD). Comparison with normally developing children indicated no strong familial component of ELD. (Author/DB)

Examination of 23 4-year-old children classified otitis media negative or positive during their first year of life indicated that otitis positive children required a more advantageous signal-to-competition ratio for sentence intelligibility, compared to otitis-negative peers. No intergroup differences were found in receptive or expressive language…

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR OBTAINING AND ANALYZING CONTINUOUS EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE SAMPLES USED BY PRE-KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN WHEN THEY COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. IT ALSO WAS TO CONSIDER MEANS FOR ANALYZING THESE SAMPLES THAT WOULD YIELD CERTAIN QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS. FOUR INVESTIGATORS WERE…

A modified approach to the development of verbal expression in young children is proposed as an alternative to either the prescriptive-instructional method or the developmental viewpoint which relies on self-initiated learning. The Bereiter-Engelmann method, the method based on operant conditioning, and the Montessori method are representative of…