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Speech perception development in language-impaired children: a 4-year follow-up study
The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders
|February 1, 1985
Summary
Children with specific language impairment (SLI) showed speech perception differences compared to typically developing peers. Perceptual development occurred in both groups over four years, suggesting language and perception are linked.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Auditory Neuroscience
Background:
- Specific language impairment (SLI) affects language development in children.
- The role of speech perception deficits in SLI is debated.
- Longitudinal studies are crucial for understanding developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare speech perception abilities in children with SLI and typically developing children.
- To investigate developmental changes in speech perception over a 4-year period.
- To examine the relationship between perceptual development and SLI.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design with assessments at two time points, 4 years apart.
- Comparison of a group of children with SLI and a matched group of non-SLI children.
- Administration of tests measuring speech perception (discrimination, sequencing, rate processing, serial memory) of synthesized /ba/ and /da/ stimuli.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in speech perception abilities between SLI and non-SLI groups at initial assessment (Time 1).
- Age-related improvements in speech perception observed in both groups.
- Near-ceiling performance in speech perception at follow-up (Time 2) for both groups, indicating developmental progress.
Conclusions:
- Children with SLI exhibit distinct speech perception profiles compared to their typically developing peers.
- Speech perception abilities show significant development over time in both SLI and non-SLI children.
- Findings support the hypothesis that perceptual deficits may contribute to the etiology of specific language impairment.