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Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm
Published on: April 28, 2016
Nonverbal imitation skills in children with specific language delay
Andrea Dohmen1, Shula Chiat, Penny Roy
1Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK; Language and Communication Science Division, City University London, Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB, UK.
Research in Developmental Disabilities
|July 31, 2013
Summary
Children with specific language delay (SLD) show imitation difficulties in nonverbal sociocognitive tasks, particularly those involving body movements and pretend play. This suggests a core deficit in social connection, not motor or general cognitive skills.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Child Development
Background:
- Limited understanding of nonverbal sociocognitive deficits in children with language problems.
- Nonverbal sociocognitive skills are crucial for language acquisition.
- Specific language delay (SLD) may involve deficits beyond verbal abilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate elicited nonverbal imitation in children with SLD.
- Examine if nonverbal imitation difficulties indicate sociocognitive deficits.
- Explore the impact of task nature on imitation performance in SLD.
Main Methods:
- Compared imitation abilities in typically developing children (n=60) and children with SLD (n=45) aged 2-3.5 years.
- Utilized a novel battery of tasks assessing imitation of body movements, instrumental acts, and pretend acts.
- Assessed motor and nonverbal cognitive skills to rule out confounding factors.
Main Results:
- Children with SLD showed significant imitation deficits in body movement and pretend act tasks.
- No significant group differences were observed in instrumental act tasks.
- Poorer imitation performance in SLD was not attributable to motor or general nonverbal cognitive skills.
Conclusions:
- Task characteristics significantly influence imitation performance in children with SLD.
- Difficulties in imitating sociocognitive nonverbal acts may indicate underlying sociocognitive deficits.
- Establishing a sense of connectedness with the demonstrator appears central to imitation challenges in SLD.
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