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ERIC Number: EJ984112
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Aug
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: N/A
Developmental Trajectories of Early Communication Skills
Maatta, Sira; Laakso, Marja-Leena; Tolvanen, Asko; Ahonen, Timo; Aro, Tuija
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v55 n4 p1083-1096 Aug 2012
Purpose: This study focused on developmental trajectories of prelinguistic communication skills and their connections to later parent-reported language difficulties. Method: The participants represent a subset of a community-based sample of 508 children. Data include parent reports of prelinguistic communication skills at 12, 15, 18, and 21 months and language difficulties at age 4;7 (years;months). The authors used latent profile analysis to identify groups of children with differing developmental trajectories of prelinguistic communication skills (n = 271). The relations among these groups and follow-up data of parent-reported concerns of language development (n = 187), as well as the role of gender, were examined. Results: Six meaningful prelinguistic communication groups were identified with the latent profile analysis, and these groups showed connections to later parent-reported concerns of language difficulties. Delayed early expressive language and a minor delay of overall performance, together with symbolic difficulties, appeared as predictors of later language difficulties. Nearly 80% of the children whose parents reported language-related concerns at the follow-up stage could already be identified before their 2nd birthday. Conclusion: The results support the potential of early screening in identifying children at risk of developing language difficulties, particularly when screening includes repeated surveillance of more than one area of communication skills.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). 10801 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852. Tel: 800-638-8255; Fax: 301-571-0457; e-mail: subscribe@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A