The role of phonological working memory and environmental factors in lexical development in Italian-speaking late talkers: A one year follow up study
Abstract
Purpose: This follow-up study assessed (a) the influence of phonological working memory (pWM), home literacy environment, and a family history of linguistic impairments in late talkers (LTs); (b) the diagnostic accuracy of a task of nonword repetition (NWR) in identifying LTs; and (c) the persistence of lexical weaknesses after 10 months. Method: Two hundred ninety-three children were assessed at approximately 32 (t1) and 41 (t2) months. At t1, they were administered the Italian adaptation of the Language Development Survey, an NWR task (used to assess pWM), and questionnaires assessing home literacy environment and family history of language impairments. Thirty-three LTs were identified. The linguistic skills of the participants were evaluated at t2 by administering tasks assessing Articulation, Naming, Semantic Fluency, and Lexical Comprehension. Results: At t2, LTs performed more poorly as compared with age-matched typically developing peers in articulatory and naming skills, had reduced lexical comprehension abilities, and had limited lexical knowledge. Their performance on the NWR task at t1 correlated with the extension of their vocabularies at t2 (as estimated with a Semantic Fluency task). Conclusions: The Language Development Survey recently adapted to Italian is sensitive to LTs. Former LTs still have a mild lexical delay at approximately 40 months. As an indirect measure of pWM, the task of NWR is an early indicator of future lexical deficits.
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A family history of DLD is 2.5 times more common in late talkers than in typically developing children.
“Marini et al. 2017 [76] found that a family history of DLD is 2.5 times more common in late talkers than in typically developing (TD) children”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [76]
Late talkers have significantly lower mean scores of home literacy environment than children with typical development.
“and that late talkers have significantly lower mean scores of home literacy environment than children with TD.”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [76]
The Italian adaptation of the Language Development Survey proved sensitive in identifying late talkers at t1.
“The Italian adaptation of the Language Development Survey [129] proved to be sensitive in identifying late talkers at t1.”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [76]
At t2, 33 children identified as late talkers at t1 performed more poorly than age-matched typically developing peers in articulatory and naming skills, lexical comprehension, and lexical knowledge, showing a persisting mild lexical deficit.
“At t2, 33 children, identified as late talkers at t1, performed more poorly as compared with age-matched TD peers in articulatory and naming skills, lexical comprehension, and lexical knowledge, showing a persisting mild lexical deficit.”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [76]
Biological and environmental risk factors for DLD have been detected under the age of 36 months.
“In addition, biological and environmental risk factors for DLD have been detected under the age of 36 months [75,76,77,78,80,81].”
From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [76]
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 [76]
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References 60 · Cited by 29
- Authors
- Marini, A., Ruffino, M., Sali, M. E., & Molteni, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Udine (IT)
- IRCCS Eugenio Medea (IT)
- Venue
- Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
- Published
- 2017-12-20
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 3462-3473
- ISSN
- 1092-4388 (ISSN-L)
- 1558-9102
- OpenAlex
- W2767339389
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 4.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Institutional Research Information System (University of Udine) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Keywords
- late talkers, phonological working memory, vocabulary development, non-word repetition, home literacy environment, Italian-speaking children, word comprehension, semantic fluency, articulation, diagnostic accuracy
- MeSH terms
- Child Language, Child, Preschool, Environment, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Italy, Language Development Disorders, Language Tests, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Phonetics, Semantics, Speech Perception, Time Factors, Vocabulary, Comprehension, Speech Sound Disorder
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