Language in Special Populations Etiology

Language in Special Populations

Etiology

Casby, M. W. (2001). Otitis media and language development: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 10, 65-80.

Usefulness to Clinical Practice

Tables of studies of the relationship
between otitis media & language
development

Characteristics of Review
Population	Otitis media
Review Type	Systematic; meta-analysis
Country	USA
Number of studies	32 included

A substantial contemporary research literature on the impact of otitis media with effusion (OME) on language development in children currently exists. Compared to the reports of earlier retrospective research on the topic, the results of the more recent prospective studies may be viewed as less conclusive and more equivocal. Nonetheless, the negative impact of OME on young children’s language development appears to be a widely held belief. What is required now, in addition to the continuing primary research, and occasional qualitative/narrative reviews, is an objective quantitative analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of this research literature. The purpose of this project was to conduct such an examination employing the methodology of meta-analysis. The results of this meta-analysis of the contemporary primary research on OME and language development in young children show that the magnitude of the statistical population effect of OME is markedly low. Nevertheless, it should be acknowledged that the findings of low population effects in this meta-analysis may be related to certain vicissitudes of the primary research. Among these are failure to determine research participants’ hearing levels, other intrinsic and/or extrinsic individual differences among the research participants, as well as the sensitivity of language measures used. (Journal Abstract).

FULL TEXT

Cone-Wesson, B. (2005). Prenatal alcohol and cocaine exposure: Influences on cognition, speech, language, and hearing. Journal of Communication Disorders, 38, 279-302.

Usefulness to Clinical Practice

Research on speech, language &
hearing development & prenatal
alcohol and/or cocaine exposure

Identifies developmental deficits

Characteristics of Review
Population	Prenatal cocaine
Review Type	Narrative
Country	USA
Number of studies	36 included

This paper reviews research on the consequences of prenatal exposure to alcohol and cocaine on children’s speech, language, hearing, and cognitive development. The review shows that cognitive impairment, learning disabilities, and behavioral disorders are the central nervous system manifestations of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), and cranio-facial abnormalities are also present. Delays in language acquisition, as well as receptive and expressive language deficits, are commonly reported. The cranio-facial abnormalities for FAS, which sometimes include cleft palate, make the child prone to otitis media with effusion and conductive hearing loss. The family environment in which one or both parents is a heavy alcohol user presents challenges to a child with normal intelligence, but may be especially deleterious to the child with mental retardation.
Prenatal exposure to cocaine results in subtle cognitive disabilities when measured at 4 years of age. The cognitive effects may be ameliorated by a stimulating and sensitive care-giving environment. A small, deleterious “cocaine-effect” is also seen in speech and language development. The child with prenatal exposure to cocaine may be considered at increased risk for language delay or disorder. There is no evidence that prenatal cocaine exposure by itself is a risk factor for sensorineural hearing impairment, although auditory evoked potentials from the brainstem and cortex suggest some abnormalities in central auditory processing, at least during the newborn period.
The strong effect of the home environment for ameliorating the effects of prenatal cocaine-exposure suggests that a family-focused approach for cognitive, language, and social-emotional habilitation would be beneficial to all. Learning outcomes: The learner will be able to describe the major features of fetal alcohol syndrome and how they relate to speech, language, hearing and cognitive disorders. The learner will review the literature and determine research needs with respect to language, speech and hearing among infants and children with fetal alcohol syndrome. Similarly, the learner will distinguish the outcomes of prenatal alcohol-exposure from those of prenatal cocaine-exposure. The learner will summarize the controversy regarding the possible stigmatization of cocaine-exposed infants. The learner will summarize the speech, language, and hearing effects of prenatal cocaine-exposure. (Journal Abstract).

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McCann, J., & Peppé, S. (2003). Prosody in autism spectrum disorders: A critical review. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38, 325-350.

Usefulness to Clinical Practice

Describes disordered prosody in ASD
& how it affects pragmatic functions

Characteristics of Review
Population	Autism
Review Type	Systematic
Country	United Kingdom
Number of studies	16 included

Background: Many individuals with autism spectrum disorders present with unusual or odd-sounding prosody. Despite this widely noted observation, prosodic ability in autism spectrum disorders is often perceived as an under-researched area.
Aims: This review seeks to establish whether there is a prosodic disorder in autism, what generalizations can be made about its various manifestations and whether these manifestations vary according to the diagnosis. A literature review was carried out to establish what areas of prosody in autism spectrum disorders have been researched to date, what the findings have been and to determine what areas are yet to be researched.
Main contribution: It is shown that prosody in autism spectrum disorders is an under-researched area and that where research has been undertaken, findings often conflict. The findings of these conflicting studies are compared and recommendations are made for areas of future research.
Conclusions: Research in this area has covered mostly prosodic expression, although some more recent studies cover comprehension, processing and the relationship of receptive prosodic ability to theory of mind. Findings conflict and methodology varies greatly. (Journal Abstract).

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