Language Theory and Development: A Review

1. Language Theory and Development: A Review

2. In this class, I will be using information from Karanth, Roseberry-McKibbin, & James, 2017** • This is a series of early intervention manuals (0-6 years old) for children with impairments such as LI, sensory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder, etc. • The manuals address the areas of fine and gross motor skills, activities of daily living, social skills, overall language skills, and cognitive skills

3. There are suggestions for clinicians and caregivers…** • The focus is on using common, daily household activities and items to help at-risk children become prepared for school • Originally used in India, Asia, and the Middle East, we are now bringing the series to a Western audience in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand 

4. Several other new resources:** • Fogle, P.T. (2019). Essentials of communication sciences and disorders (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. • Moore, B.J., & Montgomery, J.K. (2018). Speech-language pathologists in public schools: Making a difference for America’s children (3rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

5. Roseberry-McKibbin, C. (2018). ** Multicultural students with special language needs: Practical strategies for assessment and intervention (5th ed.). Oceanside, CA: Academic Communication Associates. • Roseberry-McKibbin, C., Hegde, M.N., & Tellis, G. (2019). Advanced review of speech-language pathology: Study guide for PRAXIS and comprehensive examination (5th ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. • www.proed.inc

6. In March 2018, I went to a fabulous conference in Richmond, Virginia:** • Kathryn Phillips (special ed and psychology background) • Effective Strategies for Managing Challenging Behaviors and Teaching Executive Functioning Skills: ASD, ADHD, Anxiety, Sensory Processing

7. PowerPoint Outline • I. Review of Theories • A. Cognitive Theory (Piaget) • B. Social Interactionism (Vygotsky) II. Review of Relationship of SSD to SLI III. Review of Typical Developmental Milestones A. Infant B. Toddler C. Preschool

8. Before we dive in…this slide is not on the exam  What’s the very latest terminology?** • Language Impairment**** • Specific Language Impairment**** • Language Disorder • Primary Language Impairment • Developmental Language Disorder

9. Before we dive in, always remember the Big 5 in language:** • Syntax • Morphology • Phonology • Semantics • Pragmatics

10. A. Cognitive Theory** • Jean Piaget • Emphasizes cognition, or knowledge and mental processes • Language acquisition is made possible by cognition and general intellectual processes • Two forms: strong cognition hypothesis and weak cognition hypothesis

11. Strong cognition hypothesis:** language • Cognitive abilities are prerequisites to language skills • Language will absolutely not develop without these cognitive abilities Cognition

12. Weak cognition hypothesis: • Cognition can account for some of a ch’slang abilities, but not all

13. Piaget’s stages of cognitive development: • Sensorimotor (birth-2 years)

14. Youtube video: • Lucille Piaget’s sensorimotor

15. Preoperational (2-7 years)

16. Concrete Operations (7-11 years)** • Acquires conservation and classification skills • Child less egocentric, has ability to see others’ points of view

17. Formal Operations (over 11 years)** • ↑ ability to see others’ points of view • Thinks, speaks in the abstract • Fluidly uses verbal reasoning and if-then statements

18. Clinical implications of the cognitive theory:** • If cognitive development is sufficient for lang. development, language therapy is unnecessary • Cognitive growth will automatically facilitate language growth

19. Lastly…** • Clinicians must assess and treat cognitive precursors to language and facilitate development of these precursors before working on language itself • So, with a very young child, you would work on symbolic play and object permanence before you tried to have a child say her first word

20. B. Social Interactionism Theory** • Language function, not structure, is emphasized • Language develops as a result of children’s social interactions with the important people in their lives • Vygotsky (Russian psychologist): language knowledge is acquired through social interaction with more competent and experienced members of the child’s culture

21. According to social interactionism theory:

23. Clinical Implications:** • SLPs ↑ children’s motivation to communicate • SLPs supply verbal and nonverbal situations that encourage children to communicate to meet their needs

24. II. Relationship of Specific Language Impairment to Speech Sound Disorders

25. Westby (ASHA Schools Conference—Phoenix):

26. Often… • SSDs and language impairments coexist

27. Macrae, T., & Tyler, A.A. (2014). Speech abilities in preschool children with speech sound disorder with and without co-occurring language impairment. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 45, 302-313.

28. Macrae & Tyler:** • Compared preschool children with co-occurring SSD and language impairment (LI) to children with SSD only • Looked at numbers and types of errors in both groups

29. Macrae and Tyler found:

30. Dr. Melanie Schuele, ASHA Schools Conference • Approximately 50% of preschool and kindergarten children with SSDs have a concomitant language impairment (LI) • Tx all our unintelligible children as if they have LI until we know they don’t

31. III. Review of Typical Infant Language Milestones

32. Between 6-8 weeks of age…** • Babies exhibit their first social smile

33. Cooing occurs….

34. In terms of motor milestones…** • At 3 months, the baby reaches for and grasps objects • At 5 months, the baby sits up with slight support

35. III. 7-12 MONTHS** • Baby develops intentionalityaround 8-9 months • At 8-10 months, babies imitate simple motor behaviors (e.g., waving bye bye) • 9 month olds can follow maternal pointing and glancing

36. At 9-12 months of age… • Babies often usejargon, or strings of syllables produced with stress and intonation that sound like real speech • Youtube baby talk bla bla bla

37. By 12 months of age…

38. First words** • Verbalization/1st word at 12 mos. • Vocalization within pointing • Pointing

39. Joint reference/attention is important:

40. Dialogues are important: • E.g. peek-a-boo and pattycake • They set the stage for discourse and overall turntaking

41. NO SCREENS!!!!!!!!

42. FIRST WORDS

43. To qualify as a true word:** • It needs to occur with consistency in a given context in apparent response to an identifiable stimulus • It should be produced consistently in the presence of the same person, object, or event • It must bear some phonetic resemblance to a conventional adult word; it can be an approximation of a real adult word

44. Youtube Smartest 2-year old ever (melaniew1977) • Do you think this 2-year old is saying real words?

45. In first words…** • Front consonants /p, b, d, t, m, n/ are the most common • These children use simple syllable patterns (e.g., CV, VC, CVCV)

46. Holophrases** • Are early one-word utterances that convey a holistic communicative intention • For example, these utterances can request or describe others’ actions (eat, ride, kiss) • They can also ask questions (e.g., Why? What? Who?)

47. Youtube • Toddler Tries to Argue Like an Adult • This child is 20 months old

48. There is rapid vocabulary growth:

49. If the child does not have a major language growth spurt between 18-24 months of age…** • Probably language delay • Clinically significant

50. Therapy implication: