Inner Speech and Executive Function in Children With Developmental Language Disorder: Implications for Assessment and...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Executive function (EF) and language skills frequently co-occur in children with developmental language disorder (DLD).
• Inner speech, or self-talk, is a critical mediator for executive function performance in typical development.
• The interplay between inner speech and EF in DLD is not well understood, impacting assessment and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of inner speech in executive function for typical populations.
• To summarize current knowledge on inner speech and executive function in children with DLD.
• To discuss clinical implications and future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of theoretical frameworks, developmental trajectories, and measurement of inner speech.
• Synthesis of research on inner speech and EF in typical adults and children.
• Analysis of existing studies on inner speech and EF in children with DLD.

Main Results:

• Inner speech acts as a self-cueing mechanism for task rules, sequencing, and goal maintenance in typical individuals.
• Preliminary findings suggest children with DLD exhibit less mature and effective inner speech during EF tasks.
• There is a significant gap in research specifically examining the relationship between inner speech and EF in children with DLD.

Conclusions:

• Inner speech plays a vital role in executive function, and its atypical development in DLD may contribute to EF deficits.
• Speech-language pathologists should consider the role of inner speech when addressing EF challenges in children with DLD.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the inner speech-EF link in DLD and inform evidence-based practices.