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Discourse processes underlying social competence in children with language learning disabilities
1C. M. Hincks Treatment Centre/Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Development and Psychopathology
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Children with language learning disabilities (LLD) often struggle with social skills. Figurative language abilities significantly impact their social competence, highlighting a key area for intervention.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Linguistics
- Special Education
Background:
- Children with language impairments and learning disabilities (LLD) face heightened risks for poor social competence.
- The specific developmental processes linking LLD to social difficulties are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying mechanisms contributing to social competence deficits in children with LLD.
- To examine the mediating role of social discourse skills in the relationship between LLD and social competence.
Main Methods:
- A developmental-organizational perspective was adopted.
- Fifty children with LLD and 50 non-LLD controls (aged 8-12) were assessed.
- Social discourse skills (figurative language, sentence recreation, ambiguity, inference) and social competence were evaluated.
Main Results:
- Social discourse skills significantly mediated the link between LLD status and social competence.
- Figurative language ability emerged as the strongest mediator.
- The LLD group showed deficits in figurative language, sentence recreation, and overall social competence compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Social discourse skills, particularly figurative language, are critical factors in the social development of children with LLD.
- Interventions targeting social discourse may improve social competence in this population.
- Understanding interdomain relationships is crucial for identifying factors influencing developmental outcomes.