Comparison of communicative-linguistic indices between Late Talkers and typically developing children through the
Claudia Maggiulli1, Laura Zampini2, Martina Paini1
1Neuroscience Pediatric Department, IRCCS Foundation Neurologic Institute 'Carlo Besta', Milan, Italy.
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
|July 11, 2025
Summary
Late Talkers (LTs) exhibit delays in language and communication skills. Early identification through systematic observation, like the Dynamic Communication Evaluation (DCE), is crucial for intervention.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Clinical Child Psychology
Background:
- Late Talkers (LTs) are children with delayed language acquisition, posing risks for persistent developmental language disorders.
- Socio-communicative pragmatics and linguistic complexity are key areas affected in LTs.
- Early identification and intervention are critical for improving outcomes in LTs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the communicative-linguistic competencies of Late Talkers (LTs) with typically developing (TD) children using the Dynamic Communication Evaluation (DCE).
- To investigate the relationship between age and communicative-linguistic skills in LTs and TD children.
- To highlight the interconnectedness of various language skills in children with slow language emergence.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study involving 19 LTs (24-38 months) and 19 TD children (25-37 months), matched for chronological age.
- Utilized the Dynamic Communication Evaluation (DCE), an event-based coding scheme analyzing intentional communicative acts.
- Assessed socio-communicative pragmatic and structural linguistic complexity through parental interaction.
Main Results:
- LTs demonstrated significantly lower abilities in communicative-pragmatic indices (joint attention, responsiveness, information requests) and linguistic indices compared to TD children.
- Correlations between communicative/linguistic labels and age were more numerous in the LT group.
- Socio-communicative pragmatic, lexical, morphosyntactic, and phonological skills showed mutual influence during development in LTs.
Conclusions:
- Systematic observations using DCE provide valuable quantitative and qualitative data for early identification of LTs.
- Findings underscore the importance of assessing both pragmatic and linguistic skills for a comprehensive understanding of LT development.
- Intervention strategies should consider the interplay of socio-communicative and linguistic components in children with slow language emergence.
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