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Assessing Dyslexia at Six Year of Age
Published on: May 1, 2020
Language development and assessment in the preschool period
Gina Conti-Ramsden1, Kevin Durkin
1Human Communication and Deafness, The University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. gina.conti-ramsden@manchester.ac.uk
Neuropsychology Review
|June 19, 2012
Summary
Early language development is crucial for identifying potential developmental issues. Comprehensive assessment of preschool language skills, including phonological short-term memory, is vital for detecting specific language impairment.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Language acquisition in the first four years is critical for development.
- Language delays are sensitive indicators of developmental problems.
- Variability in language acquisition poses assessment challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- Summarize key preschool language development milestones.
- Provide a framework for understanding language learning difficulties.
- Characterize specific language impairment (SLI) and its manifestations.
Main Methods:
- Review of developmental milestones in preschool years.
- Illustration of language difficulties in children with SLI.
- Analysis of genetic and neurobiological evidence for language impairment.
Main Results:
- No consistent neurobiological signature for language difficulties identified.
- Assessment relies on comparing children to typically developing peers.
- Comprehensive evaluation of expressive, receptive, and multiple language dimensions is recommended.
Conclusions:
- Single measures (e.g., vocabulary) are insufficient for diagnosing language impairment.
- Inclusion of phonological short-term memory measures is supported.
- Further research into genetic, neurobiological, and behavioral correlates is needed.
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