Prediction and persistence of late talking: A study of Italian toddlers at 29 and 34 months
Abstract
This study analyzed the communicative, linguistic and symbolic skills in Italian Late Talking (LT) toddlers. Thirty-five participants were identified through a language-screening program at 29 months by using the Italian version of MB-CDI W&S Short Form. Cognitive, communicative and linguistic skills were evaluated 5 later, with indirect and direct tools. The MB-CDI WS Short Form revealed, in LT children, weakness in gesture production, decontextualized comprehension, verbal imitation, symbolic play, and phonological accuracy. Our results confirmed lexical size at 29 months is the predictive factor to identify language delay at 34 months. The clinical assessment at 34 months confirmed that 89% of the LT children had a vocabulary size below the 10th percentile on the MB-CDI Complete Form. On a structured task, LT children showed lexical comprehension more preserved than lexical production, and more advanced skills in nouns than in predicates. Weakness in socioconversational abilities emerged. Correlation among maternal education, expressive vocabulary and socio-conversational competence in LT children was evidenced. Strong association among cognitive, communicative and linguistic skills were documented.
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Vocabulary measures assessed with the Italian version of the MB-CDI at 29 months predicted lexical development at 34 months.
“In Bello et al. [86], vocabulary measures, assessed with the Italian version of the MB-CDI [128] at 29 months, predicted lexical development at 34 months.”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [86]
Not only expressive vocabulary but also gesture production and symbolic skills should be assessed in late talkers at 29 months.
“This provided further evidence that not only expressive vocabulary, but also gesture production and symbolic skills should be assessed in late talkers at this age.”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [86]
Some investigations on predictors of persistent language delay were general population studies, while others referred to late talkers or children at risk of language delay.
“Additionally, some of the investigations on the predictors of persistent language delay were general population studies (e.g., [75]), while others referred to late talkers (e.g., [72,86,88]) or children at risk of language delay (e.g., [79,80,81]).”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [86]
Some early predictors (communicative gestures, communicative skills, receptive and productive vocabulary size, nonverbal cognitive abilities) can be easily observed regardless of the language of the children.
“Some of the early predictors (i.e., communicative gestures [75,79,80,81,86]; communicative skills [75,82,83,86]; receptive and productive vocabulary size [67,73,75,76,82,83,85,86,87]; nonverbal cognitive abilities [73]) can be easily observed regardless of the language of the children.”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [86]
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References 52 · Cited by 37
- Authors
- Bello, A., Onofrio, D., Remi, L., & Caselli, C.
- Affiliations
- Roma Tre University (IT)
- National Research Council (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Bello, Arianna
- Venue
- Research in Developmental Disabilities
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-04
- Volume
- 75
- Pages
- 40-48
- ISSN
- 0891-4222 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2791178288
- Cited by
- 37
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 6
- FWCI
- 7.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Research in Developmental Disabilities (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Iris (Roma Tre University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- late talking, language delay, toddlers, vocabulary size, word comprehension, word production, pretend play, gesture production, phonological accuracy, verbal imitation, predictive factors, language screening, Italian children, maternal education
- MeSH terms
- Child, Preschool, Cognition, Communication, Female, Gestures, Humans, Italy, Language Development Disorders, Male, Mass Screening, Phonetics, Vocabulary, Comprehension
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