ERIC Number: EJ1189067
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Aug
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-1461
EISSN: N/A
Distributional Cues to Language Learning in Children with Intellectual Disabilities
Kover, Sara T.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v49 n3S p653-667 Aug 2018
Purpose: In typical development, distributional cues--patterns in input--are related to language acquisition processes. Statistical and implicit learning refer to the utilization of such cues. In children with intellectual disability, much less is known about the extent to which distributional cues are harnessed in mechanisms of language learning. Method: This tutorial presents what is known about the process of language learning in children with language impairments associated with different sources of intellectual disability: Williams syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, and fragile X syndrome. Results: A broad view is taken on distributional cues relevant to language learning, including statistical learning (e.g., transitional probabilities) and other patterns that support lexical acquisition (e.g., sensitivities to sound patterns, cross-situational word learning) or relate to syntactic development (e.g., nonadjacent dependencies). Conclusions: Critical gaps in the literature are highlighted. Research in this area is especially limited for Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome. Future directions for taking learning theories into account in interventions for children with intellectual disability are discussed, with a focus on the importance of language input.
Descriptors: Cues, Language Acquisition, Intellectual Disability, Linguistic Input, Learning Processes, Language Impairments, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Syntax, Down Syndrome, Learning Theories, Intervention, Children, Language Patterns
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: lshss@asha.org; Web site: http://lshss.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: F31DC010959