Related Experiment Videos
Language development in children with spina bifida
Jack M Fletcher1, Marcia Barnes, Maureen Dennis
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center, 77030, USA.
Insights
Spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM) affects central nervous system development, causing cognitive and motor challenges. Children with SBM often struggle with real-time language processing for meaning construction and pragmatic communication.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM) is a prevalent, disabling birth defect in North America.
- SBM involves spinal dysraphism and associated brain malformations (cerebellum, corpus callosum), often leading to hydrocephalus.
- These neurological issues result in diverse cognitive, motor, and language difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific language challenges faced by children with SBM.
- To highlight the importance of meaning construction and pragmatic communication in SBM language development.
- To inform targeted assessment and intervention strategies for SBM-related language impairments.
Main Methods:
- This study synthesizes existing research on language development in children with SBM.
- Analysis focuses on the distinction between language form/content and meaning/pragmatic skills.
- Review of clinical observations and developmental assessments in the SBM population.
Main Results:
- Children with SBM typically exhibit adequate development of language form (grammar) and content (lexicon).
- However, the majority experience significant deficits in constructing meaning from language.
- Difficulties are pronounced in real-time, flexible language processing required for pragmatic communication.
Conclusions:
- Language interventions for SBM must prioritize the development of meaning construction.
- Semantic-pragmatic communication skills require specific therapeutic attention in children with SBM.
- Addressing these nuanced language deficits is crucial for improving functional communication in SBM.
Abstract:
Spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM) is the most common severely disabling birth defect in North America. It is a disorder of the central nervous system that includes, in addition to the defining spinal dysraphism, congenital malformations of the cerebellum and corpus callosum that, along with hydrocephalus, produces a range of cognitive and motor difficulties, including language. In the language domain, many children with SBM demonstrate adequate development of language at the level of form and content (grammar and lexicon). However, most children with SBM experience significant difficulties in the construction of meaning and in pragmatic communication, both of which require flexible language processing in real time. Assessment and intervention should specifically attend to the development of meaning construction and semantic-pragmatic communication.