Early Language Development in Infants and Toddlers with Fragile X Syndrome: Change over Time and the Role of Attention

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with significant language and communication delays, as well as problems with attention. This study investigated early language abilities in infants and toddlers with FXS ( n = 13) and considered visual attention as a predictor of those skills. We found that lan...

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Published inAmerican journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 125 - 144
Main Authors Kover, Sara T., McCary, Lindsay M., Ingram, Alexandra M., Hatton, Deborah D., Roberts, Jane E.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.03.2015
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Summary:Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is associated with significant language and communication delays, as well as problems with attention. This study investigated early language abilities in infants and toddlers with FXS ( n = 13) and considered visual attention as a predictor of those skills. We found that language abilities increased over the study period of 9 to 24 months with moderate correlations among language assessments. In comparison to typically developing infants ( n = 11), language skills were delayed beyond chronological age- and developmental level-expectations. Aspects of early visual attention predicted later language ability. Atypical visual attention is an important aspect of the FXS phenotype with implications for early language development, particularly in the domain of vocabulary.
Bibliography:Sara T. Kover is now in the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of Washington.
ISSN:1944-7515
1944-7558
DOI:10.1352/1944-7558-120.2.125