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Session 11 - Symposium: Factors related to early language development in Down syndrome: the importance of the home learning environment and executive functions

Organizers: Vesna Stojanovik (v.stojanovik@reading.ac.uk), Kelly Burgoyne (kelly.burgoyne@manchester.ac.uk), Emma Pagnamenta (e.pagnamenta@reading.ac.uk)

Lead Presenters:

Discussant: Emma Pagnamenta (e.pagnamenta@reading.ac.uk)

Child language development happens in the context of the child's immediate home environment as well as the child’s inherent general cognitive skills which include executive functions (such as working memory, planning, inhibition, shifting attention and problem solving). There is a rich body of literature which shows that the home learning environment and parental responsivity in parent-child interactions are significantly associated with language outcomes in preschool typically developing children (e.g., Tamis-LeMonda et al., 2001). Less is known about these environmental factors in the context of Down syndrome. There is also a body of research which shows that executive functions are predictive of language outcomes in the neurotypical population (Woodward et al. 2016; Slevc 2011). Although studies have shown that working memory (as part of the executive functions) can be improved in individuals with Down syndrome (Bennett et al., 2013; Costa et al., 2015) there is limited knowledge whether improving working memory may be related to better language outcomes. It is therefore more important to look at this in more detail.

This symposium brings together three papers each of which addresses environmental and child factors which may be related to early language development in 3–6-year-old children with Down syndrome. Paper 1 focusses on parental responsive behaviours, Paper 2 focusses on the home learning environment and Paper 3 focusses on executive functions.

References

  • Bennett S, Holmes J and Buckley S (2013). Computerized memory training leads to sustained improvement in visuospatial short term memory skills in children with Down syndrome. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 118(3), 179-192.
  • Costa HM, Purser HR, Passolunghi MC. (2015), Improving working memory abilities in individuals with Down syndrome: a treatment case study. Frontiers in Psychology, 0;6:1331. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01331.
  • Slevc LR (2011) Saying what’s on your mind: Working memory effects on sentence production. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 37, 1503–1514. 10.1037/a0024350
  • Tamis-LeMonda CS, Bornstein MH, Baumwell L. (2001). Maternal responsiveness and children's achievement of language milestones. Child Development,72(3):748-67. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00313
  • Woodard K, Pozzan L, & Trueswell JC (2016) Taking your own path: Individual differences in executive function and language processing skills in child learners. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 141, 187–209. 10.1016/j.jecp.2015.08.005

Presentation 1: Effects of parental responsive behaviours on language development in children with Down syndrome: a longitudinal study.

Authors: Enrica de Rosa Raffone1, Rebecca Baxter2, Kirstie Hartwell1, Emma Pagnamenta2, Vesna Stojanovik2, Kelly Burgoyne1

  1. University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
  2. University of Reading, Reading, UK

Contact: enrica.derosaraffone@student.manchester.ac.uk

Background: Quality of parental language input has repeatedly been shown as key in supporting children’s language acquisition, in both typical and atypical development (Dockrell et al., 2023; Roberts et al., 2018; Rowe & Snow, 2020). Particularly, parental responsive behaviours are thought to boost children’s language (Levickis et al., 2018; 2023), with examples being: responsive questions, supportive directives, expansions, interpretations and imitations. However, the specific contribution of such parental responsive behaviours to the language development of children with Down syndrome remains unclear. The current study investigates the relationship between parental responsive behaviours and language outcomes of children with Down syndrome.

Research questions: What characterises parents’ use of responsive behaviours during shared play interactions with children with Down syndrome? How are these behaviours associated with concurrent measures of child language? Do these behaviours predict child language outcomes after 9 months?

Method: Data are drawn from a subset of the PACT-DS language intervention feasibility trial, involving 30 families with 3–6-year-old children with Down syndrome. Shared play interactions were recorded at baseline and nine months later. Parental behaviours were coded, and children’s language skills were assessed using standardised tests of expressive and receptive vocabulary.

Results: Data analysis is ongoing. Descriptives will be used to characterise parental responsive behaviours, while correlations will investigate their relation to child language scores. Regression analyses will address whether parental responsive behaviours predict language outcomes longitudinally.

Conclusions: Findings will be discussed for their theoretical and practical implications, relevant to supporting evidence-based language interventions for children with Down syndrome. Specific effects of certain responsive behaviours would indicate an important contribution to the current understanding of parents’ role in supporting language development for children with Down syndrome.

Presentation 2: Concurrent and Longitudinal Associations Between the Home Learning Environment and the Language Skills of Children with Down Syndrome

Authors: Amelia Hickman1, Kirstie Hartwell1, Rebecca Baxter2, Emma Pagnamenta2, Vesna Stojanovik2, and Kelly Burgoyne1

  1. The University of Manchester, UK
  2. The University of Reading, UK

Contact: amelia.hickman@student.manchester.ac.uk

Background: A plethora of research demonstrates a positive association between the Home Learning Environment (HLE) and language acquisition in typically developing (TD) populations (Bus et al., 1995). Though few studies have explored this in families of children with Down Syndrome (DS), the limited evidence suggests that an enriched HLE promotes language acquisition in this population also (Dulin et al., 2023).

Research questions: (1) How do parent(s) of children with DS describe their HLEs? (2) How do parent(s) of children with DS describe their child’s engagement during shared book reading (SBR) interactions? Do measures of the HLE (richness and child engagement) correlate with child language scores (3) concurrently (Time 1) and (4) 9 months later (Time 2).

Method: Participants were parents and children with Down Syndrome (DS) (n = 29 at Time 1, 2 years, 10 months – 6 years, 9 months of age; n = 14 at Time 2, 3 years, 9 months – 8 years of age). Parent(s) completed a Home Learning Environment Questionnaire (Dulin et al., 2023) at Time 1, which was used to characterise a) the richness of HLE and b) child engagement in SBR. At both Time 1 and 2, parent(s) completed a vocabulary checklist (MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories) and researchers administered a range of language measures including the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (EOWPVT) and the Renfrew Action Picture Test (RAPT).

Results: Descriptive statistics revealed significant variability in the richness of HLEs (M = 32.76, SD = 6.83, range [16 – 44]) and child engagement in SBR (M = 18.86, SD = 6.00, range [5 – 32]). Associations between HLEs and child language were variable. Hierarchical regression will be used to analyse the influence of the HLE on child expressive and receptive language scores both concurrently (Time 1) and 9 months later (Time 2).

Discussion: Results will be discussed in terms of the implications for research and practice.

Presentation 3: Executive function in young children with Down syndrome: profile over time and associations with vocabulary

Authors: Emma Pagnamenta1, Vesna Stojanovik1, Rebecca Baxter1, Kirstie Hartwell2, Kelly Burgoyne2

  1. University of Reading, Reading, UK
  2. University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.

Contact: e.pagnamenta@reading.ac.uk

Background: An uneven profile of executive functions associated with Down syndrome has been reported in the literature, with working memory and planning/organisation particularly affected. However, how profiles of executive functions change over time and how executive function is associated with language in young children with Down syndrome is under-researched. The current study investigates executive function over time and the relationships between executive function and vocabulary measures in young children with Down syndrome.

Research questions: What is the profile of executive functions in young children with Down syndrome and how does this profile develop over time? How are executive functions associated with direct measures and parental report measures of vocabulary in young children with Down syndrome?

Method: Children with Down syndrome were assessed at three time points as part of the PACT-DS language intervention feasibility trial (Time 1 n=29 aged 3;1-6;0 years; Time 2 n=27 aged 3;9-8;0 years; Time 3 n=27 aged 4;1-7;7 years). Parents completed the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function Preschool Version (BRIEF-P) at all time points. Vocabulary was measured using the Expressive One Word Vocabulary Test and by parental report using the Reading Communicative Development Inventory (spoken words and signs).

Results: Mean scores for working memory and emergent metacognition reached clinical significance indicating areas of need, in contrast to scores for inhibition, shift, emotional control and planning/organisation. This profile was stable across time points. No associations were found between vocabulary and executive function scores.

Conclusions: A profile of difficulties with working memory and emergent metacognition is consistent with existing studies with young children with Down syndrome using the BRIEF-P measure (Lee et al. 2011, Daunhauer et al. 2014, Loveall et al. 2017). The lack of association between executive function and measures of vocabulary is in contrast with limited existing evidence from direct measures of language in older children and adults with Down syndrome and provides new insights into the complexities of parent-report measures and the profile associated with Down syndrome in childhood.

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