A study of language skills in severely subnormal children

A study of 37 severely subnormal children, comparing their language development with their non-verbal ability, is described. The test scores obtained by the 17 children with Down's syndrome were compared with those of the remaining 20 children ("others); a cross-sectional examination of the effects of increasing chronological age was made; and an assessment of speech intelligibility was compared with language scale scores. The results show that the children as a group had a language deficit compared with their non-verbal ability, and that their verbal comprehension tended to be poorer than their expressive language ability. Children with Down's syndrome tended to have inferior language ability through the differences between their scores and those of the "others" were not statistically significant. An association between poor intelligibility of speech and low expressive language scores was demonstrated. The results are discussed in the context of other studies. Possible reasons for the patterns of language development observed are suggested, and the practical implications, particularly the need for careful attention to the language development of severely subnormal children from an early age, are considered.