Cognitive processes associated with working memory in children with developmental language disorder.

The current study examined how individual differences in language, nonverbal, and attention abilities relate to working memory in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) relative to age-matched typically developing (TD) peers using an interference-based model of working memory as our theoretical framework. Our experimental paradigm involved varying the domain (verbal/nonverbal) of recall items and an interference processing task, testing effects of interference. We examined the relative importance of language, nonverbal, and attention skills in predicting working memory performance by using Bayesian leave-one-out cross-validation to compare models with varied combinations of these skills as predictors. We then statistically tested selected models. Selected models were similar between groups for nonverbal, but not verbal, working memory. Language, nonverbal, and attention skills were associated with performance regardless of whether the working memory task was verbal or nonverbal for the DLD group, yet only attention was associated with verbal working memory for the TD group. A broader set of cognitive processes was involved in verbal recall in children with DLD than in TD peers, potentially reflecting diminished specialization of cognitive processes underlying language. The interference-based model of working memory accounted for interrelationships among language, processing speed, and inhibition of interference, revealing new insights into verbal processing.

Naturalistic parent-child reading frequency and language development in toddlers with and without autism.

Background and aims: The efficacy of parent-child reading for supporting language development has been well-established in the neurotypical (NT) literature. For children with autism spectrum disorder, (ASD) who may be at risk for delays in language development, prior research has shown promise for shared book-reading interventions. Yet there has been limited research on naturalistic parent-child reading with autistic children to date. The present study aimed to fill this missing link in the current literature. Methods: Fifty-seven autistic toddlers participated at two developmental time points: Time 1 (Mage = 30.4 months) and Time 2 (Mage = 43.8 months). An NT control group (N = 31) was matched on age to a subset of the ASD group (N = 33). We assessed group differences in parent-child reading frequency between age-matched NT and autistic groups. Using a one-year follow-up design, we evaluated the relationship between parent-child reading and autistic children's language development. Results: Cross-group comparisons revealed that parents of age-matched NT children reported significantly more frequent weekly parent-child reading than parents of autistic toddlers. After a one-year follow-up with the autistic group, within-group analyses revealed that greater frequency of parent-child reading (controlling for maternal education, books in the home, and autism symptom severity) was associated with larger growth in autistic toddlers' receptive and expressive language skills. Conclusions and implications: These findings have important clinical implications as they emphasize the potential of parent-child reading for supporting autistic children's language development. Findings demonstrate that frequency of parent-child reading is associated with language development over one year. Findings also demonstrate that parents of autistic children engage in less frequent parent-child reading than parents of age-matched NT peers, suggesting these parents may face more barriers to implementing parent-child reading than parents of NT children.

Predictive language processing in young autistic children.

Recent theories propose that domain-general deficits in prediction (i.e., the ability to anticipate upcoming information) underlie the behavioral characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). If these theories are correct, autistic children might be expected to demonstrate difficulties on linguistic tasks that rely on predictive processing. Previous research has largely focused on older autistic children and adolescents with average language and cognition. The present study used an eye-gaze task to evaluate predictive language processing among 3- to 4-year-old autistic children (n = 34) and 1.5- to 3-year-old, language-matched neurotypical (NT) children (n = 34). Children viewed images (e.g., a cake and a ball) and heard sentences with informative verbs (e.g., Eat the cake) or neutral verbs (e.g., Find the cake). Analyses of children's looking behaviors indicated that young autistic children, like their language-matched NT peers, engaged in predictive language processing. Regression results revealed a significant effect of diagnostic group, when statistically controlling for age differences. The NT group displayed larger difference scores between the informative and neutral verb conditions (in looks to target nouns) compared to the ASD group. Receptive language measures were predictive of looking behavior across time for both groups, such that children with stronger language skills were more efficient in making use of informative verbs to process upcoming information. Taken together, these results suggest that young autistic children can engage in predictive processing though further research is warranted to explore the developmental trajectory relative to NT development. LAY SUMMARY: This study found that 3- to 4-year-old autistic children and younger, language-matched neurotypical (NT) children both used verbs to predict upcoming nouns in sentences like "Eat the cake." For both autistic and NT children, those with stronger language skills were able to predict upcoming nouns more quickly.

Use of Mutual Exclusivity and its Relationship to Language Ability in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

To efficiently learn new words, children use constraints such as mutual exclusivity (ME) to narrow the search for potential referents. The current study investigated the use of ME in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical (NT) peers matched on nonverbal cognition. Thirty-two toddlers with ASD and 26 NT toddlers participated in a looking-while-listening task. Images of novel and familiar objects were presented along with a novel or familiar label. Overall, toddlers with ASD showed less efficient looking toward a novel referent when a novel label was presented compared to NT toddlers, controlling for age and familiar word knowledge. However, toddlers with ASD and higher language ability demonstrated more robust use of ME than those with lower language ability.