From theory to practice in child language development

Clibbens, John

doi:10.3104/reviews.20

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Given the evidence that the use of signed input with children with Down's syndrome can be bene cial, consideration clearly needs to be given to ways of maximizing the eVectiveness of such input. Research focusing on the importance of establishing joint attention for vocabulary development, in both hearing children exposed to spoken input and deaf children acquiring sign language, is pertinent here (Clibbens 1993(Clibbens , 2001. During the early stages of language development children are confronted with the task of relating the language addressed to them to the non-verbal context in which that language occurs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategies for achieving joint attention when signing to children with Down's syndrome

Clibbens

Powell

Atkinson

2002

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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Research indicates that joint attention is an important factor in determining the rate and nature of early vocabulary development in typically developing children. Studies conducted with deaf children acquiring sign language indicate that caregivers adopt special strategies for achieving joint attention with this group: these strategies make allowance for the visual medium in which the language is transmitted. Joint attention is also important for the development of communication in children with Down's syndrome, who also often have restricted attentional capacity. Moreover, there is good evidence that the use of signed input in addition to speech can have significant benefits for these children. This paper reports on a study designed to explore the utility of strategies observed in deaf parents for the achievement of joint attention when signing with children with Down's syndrome. Data are presented from recordings of four children with Down's syndrome and their mothers. The results showed that the mothers were successful in enabling the child to perceive both signed input and contextual referents much of the time, but that the range of strategies used was very limited compared to deaf parents of deaf children. Adopting a wider range of strategies would allow a considerable increase in signed input. Implications for intervention programmes are discussed.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strategies for achieving joint attention when signing to children with Down's syndrome

Clibbens

Powell

Atkinson

2002

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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“…There is strong evidence that language is modular and that it can be further divided into sub-modules (Clibbens, 1993).…”

Section: Numerical Processes In the Typical Populationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical ability, general ability and language in children with Down syndrome

Nye¹,

Clibbens²,

Bird³

1995

Downs Syndr. Res. Pract.

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“…Given the evidence presented above that signing offers benefi ts to both children and adults with Down syndrome, consideration needs to be given to the most appropriate intervention/teaching methods to maximise that benefi t (Clibbens, 1993). This will clearly vary depending on the age of the individuals involved, among other factors.…”

Section: Joint Attention and Sign Inputmentioning

confidence: 99%

Signing and Lexical Development in Children with Down Syndrome

Clibbens¹

2001

Downs Syndr. Res. Pract.

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-Language development in children with Down syndrome is delayed, on average, relative to general cognitive, motor and social development, and there is also evidence for specifi c delays in morphology and syntax, with many adults showing persistent problems in these areas. It appears that the combined use of signed and spoken input can boost early language development signifi cantly, this evidence coming initially from single case-studies, and more recently from larger scale controlled studies. Research with typically developing hearing and deaf children, as well as children with Down syndrome, has demonstrated the importance of establishing joint attention for vocabulary development. Furthermore, studies carried out with children with Down syndrome indicate that reducing attentional demands may be especially important in scaffolding language development in this group. The use of signing strategies which have been found to facilitate language development in deaf children when signing to children with Down syndrome is discussed, as is the need for further research on this topic and on the importance of joint attention for the use of other augmentative and alternative communication systems, such as graphic symbol and picture systems.Keywords -Down syndrome, language, lexical development, signing, augmentative and alternative communication, joint attention Language and cognitive development in children with Down syndromeIt is now well established that people with Down syndrome typically experience specifi c delays and defi cits in language relative to other cognitive domains, with many adults showing persistent problems in the areas of morphology and syntax (Fowler, 1990; Miller, 1992;Rondal & Comblain, 1996;Tager-Flusberg, 1999). There is, however, much variability between individuals, with some developing to a much higher level of linguistic competence (Rondal, 1995). The profi le of abilities can also change over time in the same individual. Miller (1999) found evidence for several distinct cognitive profi les in children with Down syndrome. The most common pattern was one in which receptive language and nonverbal mental age were in advance of expressive language, but there were smaller groups who showed different patterns, including a substantial group whose expressive language was at the same level as their receptive language and nonverbal ability, and others who showed delays in both receptive and expressive language. The same individuals could show different profi les when tested at different times over a two-year period. Recent work by Paterson (2000; see also Paterson, Brown, Gsödl, Johnson & Karmiloff-Smith, 1999) also indicates that cognitive profi les in both Down syndrome and Williams syndrome change over time, emphasising the importance of developmental processes and the problems that can be encountered when applying an adult neuropsychological model to genetic disorders. Joint attention and early language developmentOne major infl uence on early language development, and particularly lexical...

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From theory to practice in child language development

Cited by 4 publications

References 13 publications

Strategies for achieving joint attention when signing to children with Down's syndrome

Strategies for achieving joint attention when signing to children with Down's syndrome

Numerical ability, general ability and language in children with Down syndrome

Signing and Lexical Development in Children with Down Syndrome

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