Expressive vocabulary of school-age children with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

Objectives: The main goal of this study was to describe the expressive vocabulary of school-age children with mild to moderately severe hearing loss (CHL group) and to compare their performance with children with normal hearing (CNH group) of the same age. Another aim was to examine the interaction between nonword repetition and expressive vocabulary size. Furthermore, the interaction between results on vocabulary tests and background factors, such as the age of diagnosis, age of hearing aid fitting, and amount of hearing aid use, was explored.

Swallowing dysfunction in patients hospitalised due to a COPD exacerbation.

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-reported and clinically screened swallowing dysfunction (dysphagia) in COPD patients with severe exacerbations and to identify any associated factors. Findings were then compared to a control group.

Methods: Participants included 30 patients hospitalised due to a COPD exacerbation.

Intensive computer-based phonics training in the educational setting of children with Down syndrome: An explorative study.

Children with Down syndrome (DS) using intensive computer-based phonics (GraphoGame, GG) were studied. The children's independence and improvement in phonological processing, letter knowledge, word decoding, and reading strategies were investigated. Seventeen children (5-16 years) with DS participated in a crossover design through 8 weeks (one period), with three test sessions separated by 4 weeks.

Vocabulary comprehension and strategies in name construction among children using aided communication.

Vocabulary learning reflects the language experiences of the child, both in typical and atypical development, although the vocabulary development of children who use aided communication may differ from children who use natural speech. This study compared the performance of children using aided communication with that of peers using natural speech on two measures of vocabulary knowledge: comprehension of graphic symbols and labeling of common objects. There were 92 participants not considered intellectually disabled in the aided group.

Prevalence of swallowing dysfunction screened in Swedish cohort of COPD patients.

Background: COPD is a common problem associated with morbidity and mortality. COPD may also affect the dynamics and coordination of functions such as swallowing. A misdirected swallow may, in turn, result in the bolus entering the airway.

Interpretation and Construction of Meaning of Bliss-words in Children.

Blissymbolics as a graphic symbol system has the potential to represent a large number of vocabulary items using a small number of basic Bliss-characters. The aim of this project was to investigate how children with typical development, aged 3 years to 7 years 11 months, interpreted Bliss-characters and compound Bliss-words and then constructed their own Bliss-words. Children participated in a teaching procedure that included explanations and feedback on the structure and meaning of Bliss-characters.

Enhanced recognition memory after incidental encoding in children with developmental dyslexia.

Developmental dyslexia (DD) has previously been associated with a number of cognitive deficits. Little attention has been directed to cognitive functions that remain intact in the disorder, though the investigation and identification of such strengths might be useful for developing new, and improving current, therapeutical interventions. In this study, an old/new recognition memory paradigm was used to examine previously untested aspects of declarative memory in children with DD and typically developing control children.

Grammar predicts procedural learning and consolidation deficits in children with Specific Language Impairment.

The Procedural Deficit Hypothesis (PDH) posits that Specific Language Impairment (SLI) can be largely explained by abnormalities of brain structures that subserve procedural memory. The PDH predicts impairments of procedural memory itself, and that such impairments underlie the grammatical deficits observed in the disorder. Previous studies have indeed reported procedural learning impairments in SLI, and have found that these are associated with grammatical difficulties.

Speech, language, and cognitive dysfunction in children with focal epileptiform activity: A follow-up study.

We reviewed the medical history, EEG recordings, and developmental milestones of 19 children with speech and language dysfunction and focal epileptiform activity. Speech, language, and neuropsychological assessments and EEG recordings were performed at follow-up, and prognostic indicators were analyzed. Three patterns of language development were observed: late start and slow development, late start and deterioration/regression, and normal start and later regression/deterioration.

Linguistic difficulties in children and adolescents after acquired brain injury: A retrospective study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to focus on two linguistic abilities, word retrieval (expressive language) and comprehension of vocabulary and grammar (receptive language), as well as to investigate to what extent long-term problems exist in these areas in children following traumatic brain injury.

Methods: Two groups of children were studied retrospectively: twenty-four children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and twenty-one children diagnosed with brain tumour. All children had been referred to the rehabilitation team for assessment.

Patterns of language and auditory dysfunction in 6-year-old children with epilepsy.

In a previous study we reported difficulty with expressive language and visuoperceptual ability in preschool children with epilepsy and otherwise normal development. The present study analysed speech and language dysfunction for each individual in relation to epilepsy variables, ear preference, and intelligence in these children and described their auditory function. Twenty 6-year-old children with epilepsy (14 females, 6 males; mean age 6:5 y, range 6 y-6 y 11 mo) and 30 reference children without epilepsy (18 females, 12 males; mean age 6:5 y, range 6 y-6 y 11 mo) were assessed for language and auditory ability.

Speech, language, and cognition in preschool children with epilepsy.

We studied expressive and receptive language, oral motor ability, attention, memory, and intelligence in 20 6-year-old children with epilepsy (14 females, six males; mean age 6y 5mo, range 6y-6y 11mo) without learning disability, cerebral palsy (CP), and/or autism, and in 30 reference children without epilepsy (18 females, 12 males; mean age 6y 5mo, range 6y-6y 11mo). Ten children had partial, six primarily generalized, and four unclassified epilepsy. Fourteen were having monotherapy and six were taking two or more antiepileptic drugs; 13 children were free from seizures 3 months before the assessment.

School level at 10 years of age in children who required neonatal intensive care in 1980-1989.

Unlabelled: School level at age 10 was studied in two cohorts of children who had required neonatal intensive care (NIC): cohort 1, children born 1980-1985 (n=310); and cohort 2, children born 1986-1989 (n=245); and two control groups. More than 80% of all NIC children of both cohorts attended the appropriate mainstream grade 3 or 4; 12.9% of cohort 1 and 6.

Comorbidity in severe developmental language disorders: neuropediatric and psychological considerations.

Aim: To explore possible patterns of comorbidity in children with severe developmental language disorders (DLD).

Methods: A retrospective investigation of the clinical records of 28 children relating to oral motor and language problems, psychological profiles, medical history and EEG findings.

Results: 36% of all the children had pure expressive language problems, 64% had combined expressive-receptive language problems and 57% had additional oral motor problems.

Gender differences in outcome after neonatal intensive care: speech and language skills are less influenced in boys than in girls at 6.5 years.

Aim: To study language development at age 6.5 y in 230 children who had required neonatal intensive care (NIC) and 71 full-term neonatally healthy control children, all born in 1986-1989, with a focus on comparison between genders.

Methods: Eight aspects of spontaneous speech, 3 fine motor functions, 10 linguistic areas, Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and digit recall (ITPA) were assessed.

Linguistic skills at 6 1/2 years of age in children who required neonatal intensive care in 1986-1989.

Unlabelled: Linguistic skills at 6 1/2 y of age, corrected for gestational age at birth, were examined in a cohort of 230 children who had required neonatal intensive care (NIC) in 1986-89, and in 71 fullterm neonatally healthy control children (C) matched to the NIC children born at < 32 gestational weeks. Ten linguistic areas were assessed. The 10th percentile score of the controls was identified in each linguistic area and used for comparisons.

Spontaneous speech at 6 1/2 years of age in children who required neonatal intensive care in 1986-1989.

Unlabelled: Spontaneous speech at 6 1/2 y of age was studied in a follow-up of 230 children born in 1986-89 who had required neonatal intensive care (NIC) and 71 fullterm neonatally healthy control children. Eight aspects of spontaneous speech were examined: Information, speech motor function, sound pattern, word finding, word selection, grammar, interaction and motivation. The results were analysed in relation to gestational age groups (group I, 23-31 wk; subgroup IA, 23-27 wk; IB, 28-31 wk; group II, 32-36 wk; group III, >36 wk) and a separate group of children with congenital malformations (IWCM).

Speech and language skills in children who required neonatal intensive care: evaluation at 6.5 y of age based on interviews with parents.

Speech and language skills at 6.5 y of age were studied in a follow-up of a cohort of children who had required neonatal intensive care (NIC) at Uppsala University Children's Hospital. An interview with the parents indicated that preterm and full-term NIC children were older than control children when they reached certain stages in language development (short sentences, intelligible speech).

Speech and language skills in children who required neonatal intensive care. II. Linguistic skills at 6 1/2 years of age.

Linguistic skills at 6 1/2 y of age were examined in a cohort of 284 children requiring neonatal intensive care (NIC) and in 40 controls. Ten linguistic areas were assessed. The results are presented for gestational age groups.

Speech and language skills in children who required neonatal intensive care. I. Spontaneous speech at 6.5 years of age.

Spontaneous speech at age 6.5 years was studied separately in a follow-up of speech and language skills in a regional cohort of 284 children requiring neonatal intensive care and in 40 controls. Eight aspects of spontaneous speech were evaluated in a conversation: A1, information; A2, speech motor function; A3, sound pattern; A4, word finding; A5, word selection; A6, grammar; A7, interaction; and A8, motivation.

Assessment of speech and language skills in children.

A speech and language assessment procedure was developed to study different aspects of speech and language skills in children 6.5 years old who had needed intensive care in the neonatal period. It was required that the procedure could be carried out at one examination session and that it should characterize a broad spectrum of language skills and permit detection of deviations in language development.