The Oral Narrative Comprehension and Production Abilities of Verbal Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum

Purpose

This study described the oral narrative comprehension and production skills of verbal preschool-age children on the autism spectrum and investigated correlations between oral narrative ability and norm-referenced language test performance.

Method

Twenty-nine preschool-age children (aged 4;0–5;9 years;months) with autism, who obtained an age-equivalent score of at least 36 months on the expressive communication subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005), participated. Children listened to an unfamiliar fictional narrative and answered comprehension questions afterward. After listening to the narrative a second time, children were asked to retell the narrative without picture support. Narratives were transcribed and analyzed for length, semantic diversity, grammatical complexity and accuracy, intelligibility, inclusion of critical events, and narrative stage.

Results

All children participated in the comprehension task, and 19 children produced an analyzable narrative retell. Compared with published data on typically developing children, significant difficulties were observed in narrative comprehension, intelligibility, and grammatical accuracy. Most of the children told descriptive or action sequences, with only 1 child producing an abbreviated episode. Significant positive correlations were found (a) between performance on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) and semantic diversity and narrative comprehension and (b) between parent-reported receptive communication competence (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition) and narrative comprehension.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary evidence of specific difficulties in oral narrative comprehension and production skills in verbal preschoolers on the autism spectrum.

from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_LSHSS-17-0003/2655030/The-Oral-Narrative-Comprehension-and-Production
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The Oral Narrative Comprehension and Production Abilities of Verbal Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum

Purpose

This study described the oral narrative comprehension and production skills of verbal preschool-age children on the autism spectrum and investigated correlations between oral narrative ability and norm-referenced language test performance.

Method

Twenty-nine preschool-age children (aged 4;0–5;9 years;months) with autism, who obtained an age-equivalent score of at least 36 months on the expressive communication subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005), participated. Children listened to an unfamiliar fictional narrative and answered comprehension questions afterward. After listening to the narrative a second time, children were asked to retell the narrative without picture support. Narratives were transcribed and analyzed for length, semantic diversity, grammatical complexity and accuracy, intelligibility, inclusion of critical events, and narrative stage.

Results

All children participated in the comprehension task, and 19 children produced an analyzable narrative retell. Compared with published data on typically developing children, significant difficulties were observed in narrative comprehension, intelligibility, and grammatical accuracy. Most of the children told descriptive or action sequences, with only 1 child producing an abbreviated episode. Significant positive correlations were found (a) between performance on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) and semantic diversity and narrative comprehension and (b) between parent-reported receptive communication competence (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition) and narrative comprehension.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary evidence of specific difficulties in oral narrative comprehension and production skills in verbal preschoolers on the autism spectrum.

from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_LSHSS-17-0003/2655030/The-Oral-Narrative-Comprehension-and-Production
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The Oral Narrative Comprehension and Production Abilities of Verbal Preschoolers on the Autism Spectrum

Purpose

This study described the oral narrative comprehension and production skills of verbal preschool-age children on the autism spectrum and investigated correlations between oral narrative ability and norm-referenced language test performance.

Method

Twenty-nine preschool-age children (aged 4;0–5;9 years;months) with autism, who obtained an age-equivalent score of at least 36 months on the expressive communication subscale of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005), participated. Children listened to an unfamiliar fictional narrative and answered comprehension questions afterward. After listening to the narrative a second time, children were asked to retell the narrative without picture support. Narratives were transcribed and analyzed for length, semantic diversity, grammatical complexity and accuracy, intelligibility, inclusion of critical events, and narrative stage.

Results

All children participated in the comprehension task, and 19 children produced an analyzable narrative retell. Compared with published data on typically developing children, significant difficulties were observed in narrative comprehension, intelligibility, and grammatical accuracy. Most of the children told descriptive or action sequences, with only 1 child producing an abbreviated episode. Significant positive correlations were found (a) between performance on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test–Fourth Edition (Dunn & Dunn, 2007) and semantic diversity and narrative comprehension and (b) between parent-reported receptive communication competence (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales–Second Edition) and narrative comprehension.

Conclusions

This study provides preliminary evidence of specific difficulties in oral narrative comprehension and production skills in verbal preschoolers on the autism spectrum.

from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_LSHSS-17-0003/2655030/The-Oral-Narrative-Comprehension-and-Production
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Ordinary Interactions Challenge Proposals That Maternal Verbal Responses Shape Infant Vocal Development

Purpose

This study tested proposals that maternal verbal responses shape infant vocal development, proposals based in part on evidence that infants modified their vocalizations to match mothers' experimentally manipulated vowel or consonant–vowel responses to most (i.e., 70%–80%) infant vocalizations. We tested the proposal in ordinary rather than experimentally manipulated interactions.

Method

Response-based proposals were tested in a cross-sectional study of 35 infants, ages 4 to 14 months, engaged in everyday interactions in their homes with their mothers using a standard set of toys and picture books.

Results

Mothers responded to 30% of infant vocalizations with vocal behaviors of their own, far fewer than experimentally manipulated response rates. Moreover, mothers produced comparatively few vowel and consonant–vowel models and responded to infants' vowel and consonant–vowel vocalizations in similar numbers. Infants showed little evidence of systematically modifying their vocal forms to match maternal responses in these interactions. Instead, consonant–vowel vocalizations increased significantly with infant age.

Conclusions

Results obtained in ordinary interactions, rather than response manipulation, did not provide substantial support for response-based mechanisms of infant vocal development. Consistent with other research, however, consonant–vowel productions increased with infant age.

from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-16-0005/2655031/Ordinary-Interactions-Challenge-Proposals-That
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Architecture of the Suprahyoid Muscles: A Volumetric Musculoaponeurotic Analysis

Purpose

Suprahyoid muscles play a critical role in swallowing. The arrangement of the fiber bundles and aponeuroses has not been investigated volumetrically, even though muscle architecture is an important determinant of function. Thus, the purpose was to digitize, model in three dimensions, and quantify the architectural parameters of the suprahyoid muscles to determine and compare their relative functional capabilities.

Method

Fiber bundles and aponeuroses from 11 formalin-embalmed specimens were serially dissected and digitized in situ. Data were reconstructed in three dimensions using Autodesk Maya. Architectural parameters were quantified, and data were compared using independent samples t-tests and analyses of variance.

Results

Based on architecture and attachment sites, suprahyoid muscles were divided into 3 groups: anteromedial, superolateral, and superoposterior. Architectural parameters differed significantly (p < .05) across muscles and across the 3 groups, suggesting differential roles in hyoid movement during swallowing. When activated simultaneously, anteromedial and superoposterior muscle groups could work together to elevate the hyoid.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the suprahyoid muscles can have individualized roles in hyoid excursion during swallowing. Muscle balance may be important for identifying and treating hyolaryngeal dysfunction in patients with dysphagia.

from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-16-0277/2655032/Architecture-of-the-Suprahyoid-Muscles-A
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Ordinary Interactions Challenge Proposals That Maternal Verbal Responses Shape Infant Vocal Development

Purpose

This study tested proposals that maternal verbal responses shape infant vocal development, proposals based in part on evidence that infants modified their vocalizations to match mothers' experimentally manipulated vowel or consonant–vowel responses to most (i.e., 70%–80%) infant vocalizations. We tested the proposal in ordinary rather than experimentally manipulated interactions.

Method

Response-based proposals were tested in a cross-sectional study of 35 infants, ages 4 to 14 months, engaged in everyday interactions in their homes with their mothers using a standard set of toys and picture books.

Results

Mothers responded to 30% of infant vocalizations with vocal behaviors of their own, far fewer than experimentally manipulated response rates. Moreover, mothers produced comparatively few vowel and consonant–vowel models and responded to infants' vowel and consonant–vowel vocalizations in similar numbers. Infants showed little evidence of systematically modifying their vocal forms to match maternal responses in these interactions. Instead, consonant–vowel vocalizations increased significantly with infant age.

Conclusions

Results obtained in ordinary interactions, rather than response manipulation, did not provide substantial support for response-based mechanisms of infant vocal development. Consistent with other research, however, consonant–vowel productions increased with infant age.

from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-16-0005/2655031/Ordinary-Interactions-Challenge-Proposals-That
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Architecture of the Suprahyoid Muscles: A Volumetric Musculoaponeurotic Analysis

Purpose

Suprahyoid muscles play a critical role in swallowing. The arrangement of the fiber bundles and aponeuroses has not been investigated volumetrically, even though muscle architecture is an important determinant of function. Thus, the purpose was to digitize, model in three dimensions, and quantify the architectural parameters of the suprahyoid muscles to determine and compare their relative functional capabilities.

Method

Fiber bundles and aponeuroses from 11 formalin-embalmed specimens were serially dissected and digitized in situ. Data were reconstructed in three dimensions using Autodesk Maya. Architectural parameters were quantified, and data were compared using independent samples t-tests and analyses of variance.

Results

Based on architecture and attachment sites, suprahyoid muscles were divided into 3 groups: anteromedial, superolateral, and superoposterior. Architectural parameters differed significantly (p < .05) across muscles and across the 3 groups, suggesting differential roles in hyoid movement during swallowing. When activated simultaneously, anteromedial and superoposterior muscle groups could work together to elevate the hyoid.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the suprahyoid muscles can have individualized roles in hyoid excursion during swallowing. Muscle balance may be important for identifying and treating hyolaryngeal dysfunction in patients with dysphagia.

from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://article/doi/10.1044/2017_JSLHR-S-16-0277/2655032/Architecture-of-the-Suprahyoid-Muscles-A
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