Donna Jackson-Maldonado. A life dedicated to joining theory and practice in language development research / Donna Jackson-Maldonado. Una vida dedicada a unir teoría y práctica en la investigación del desarrollo del lenguaje

Precedents and objectives: Dr Donna Jackson-Maldonado, researcher and professor at the Centro de Estudios Lingüísticos y Literarios of the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro in Mexico, left us on November 30, 2021. In this article, we review her main scientific contributions related to the three fundamental axes on which she worked: language acquisition, language disorders and language assessment. Methods and results: Dr Jackson-Maldonado's studies on language acquisition included groups of premature babies, late talkers, and typical development children in bilingual and diverse socioeconomic conditions. Moreover, she studied atypical language development in children with hearing loss, children with developmental language disorders and children with Down syndrome and other syndromes. Finally, regarding language assessment, it should be noted that she led the Mexican Spanish version of the Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) that was used as a model for later adaptations in other Romance languages. Discussion and conclusion: Dr Jackson-Maldonado's methodological approach combined rigour with a creative and innovative scientific spirit, yet she integrated theory and clinical practice from its very beginning. She left us an immense research and personal legacy that we want to honour in this paper.

Antecedentes y objetivos: La Dra. Donna Jackson-Maldonado, investigadora y profesora del Centro de Estudios Lingüísticos y Literarios de la Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro en México, nos dejó el 30 de noviembre de 2021. En este artículo repasamos sus principales aportaciones científicas relacionadas con los tres ejes fundamentales sobre los que trabajó: la adquisición del lenguaje, los trastornos del lenguaje y la evaluación del lenguaje. Método y resultados: Las investigaciones de la Dra. Jackson sobre la adquisición del lenguaje incluyeron grupos de bebés prematuros, hablantes tardíos y niños de desarrollo típico en condiciones socioeconómicas bilingües y diversas. Además, estudió el desarrollo atípico del lenguaje en niños con pérdida auditiva, con trastornos del desarrollo del lenguaje y con síndrome de Down, así como otros síndromes. Finalmente, en cuanto a la evaluación lingüística, cabe destacar que lideró la versión en español mexicano de los Inventarios de Desarrollo Comunicativo (CDI) que sirvió de modelo para posteriores adaptaciones en otras lenguas romances. Discusión y conclusiones: El enfoque metodológico de la Dra. Jackson combinó el rigor con un espíritu científico creativo e innovador, además, integró la teoría y la práctica clínica desde sus inicios. Nos dejó un inmenso legado personal e investigador que queremos honrar en este trabajo.(AU)

Communicative and linguistic factors influencing language development at 30 months of age in preterm and full-term children: a longitudinal study using the CDI.

Introduction: Previous studies showed that very preterm children have a delay in communicative (gestures) and linguistic development as compared to full-term children. Earlier use of gestures, as well as of word comprehension and production, have been found to be predictive of subsequent word production and/or language delay in both very preterm and full-term children. Not many studies on communicative antecedents of language, however, have been carried out with low-risk preterm children in comparison to full-term children. Methods: In the present study a sample (N = 142) of low-risk preterm children has been followed using the Galician version of the Communicative Development Inventories (CDI) at the ages of 10, 22, and 30 months of age and their results were compared to the results from a sample (N = 49) of full-term children at the same ages. The determinants of language measures (vocabulary and grammar) at 30 months of age have been studied through linear regression analyses. Results: ANOVA results indicate that there were no significant differences between the groups in any of the measures obtained with the CDI at any time, nor were there any differences in lexical or grammatical developmental trajectories between both groups (repeated measures ANOVA). Linear regression analyses showed that the predictors of language at 30 months of age are somewhat different for the full-term than for the preterm group. Discussion: While the use of first communicative gestures at 10 months is a predictor of word production at 30 months of age for the full-term group, participation in games and routines seems to play a significant predictive role for preterm children. Word production at 22 months is the factor with a major incidence on word production at the age of 30 months for both groups. Previous specific measures of grammatical development have a clear determinant role in grammar measures at 30 months of age for the full-term children, while in the case of preterm children previous lexical development seems to be more relevant.

Effect of biomedical complications on very and extremely preterm children's language.

Introduction: Very and extremely preterm children have been found to show delays in the development of language in early years. In some investigations, however, a rigorous control of biomedical complications, such as Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL), Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) or Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), does not always exist. For that reason, a confounding effect of low gestational age and biomedical complications may lead to erroneous conclusions about the effect of gestational age. Methods: In this investigation we compare language development [use of words, sentence complexity and mean length of the three longest utterances (MLU3)] of three groups of Chilean children at 24 months of age (corrected age for preterm children). The first group was composed of 42 healthy full-term children (Full term group: FT), the second group of 60 preterm children born below 32 gestational weeks without medical complications (low risk preterm group: LRPT), and the third group was composed of 64 children below 32 gestational weeks who had medical complications (High risk preterm group: HRPT). The three groups were similar in terms of gender distribution, maternal education, and socio-economic environment. The instrument used to assess language was the Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). In addition, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) was also used to assess other developmental dimensions. Results: The results indicate that HRPT and LRPT children obtained significantly lower results than the FT group in the three language measures obtained through the CDI. No significant differences were observed between the HRPT and the LRPT groups, although the HRPT obtained the lowest results in the three CDI measures. The results obtained through the administration of the ASQ-3 confirm the delay of both preterm groups in communicative development when compared to the FT group. No significant differences between the FT and the PT groups were observed in gross motor, fine motor and problem solving dimensions of the ASQ-3. The LRPT group obtained results that were significantly higher than those of the FT group and the HRPT group in gross motor development. Discussion: These results seem to indicate that the area of language development is particularly influenced by very or extremely low gestational age.

Introduction to Language Development in Children: Description to Detect and Prevent Language Difficulties.

The present Special Issue focuses on studies of language acquisition in children [...].

Capacity of the CCC-2 to Discriminate ASD from Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

The Children's Communication Checklist (CCC-2) has demonstrated its usefulness as an instrument to assess discrepancies between the use of structural dimensions of language and the pragmatic and sociointeractive uses of language. The aims of the present paper are: (1) to test the capacity of the Galician adaptation of the CCC-2 to discriminate the linguistic profiles of children with different disorders and (2) to test whether the capacity of the CCC-2 to discriminate the linguistic abilities of children with different disorders is the same at different ages: earlier development and later development. The sample is of 117 children previously diagnosed with different disorders: autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental language disorder (DLD), attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Down syndrome children (DS) and typically developing children (TD). The children were divided into two different age groups: from 4 to 6 and from 7 to 16 years of age. The results indicate that the Galician CCC-2 (1) accurately identified children with and without communicative impairments, (2) distinguished between profiles with a predominance of pragmatic (ASD and ADHD) and structural disorders (DS and DLD) and (3) distinguished between different profiles of pragmatic impairment. The CCC-2 equally identified these profiles at both earlier and later ages. The Galician CCC-2 seems to be a useful instrument for differentiating among different clinical groups and for assessing pragmatic disorders from an early age, which can be valuable for planning early intervention.

Prevalence of Language Delay among Healthy Preterm Children, Language Outcomes and Predictive Factors.

Language delay (LD) and its relationship with later language impairment in preterm children is a topic of major concern. Previous studies comparing LD in preterm (PT) and full-term (FT) children were mainly carried out with samples of extremely preterm and very preterm children (sometimes with additional medical problems). Very few of them were longitudinal studies, which is essential to understand developmental relationships between LD and later language impairment. In this study, we compare the prevalence of LD in low-risk preterm children to that of FT children in a longitudinal design ranging from 10 to 60 months of age. We also analyze which variables are related to a higher risk of LD at 22, 30 and 60 months of age. Different language tests were administered to three groups of preterm children of different gestational ages and to one group of full-term children from the ages of 10 to 60 months. ANOVA comparisons between groups and logistic regression analyses to identify possible predictors of language delay at 22, 30 and 60 months of age were performed. The results found indicate that there were practically no differences between gestational age groups. Healthy PT children, therefore, do not have, in general terms, a higher risk of language delay than FT children. Previous language delay and cognitive delay are the strongest and longest-lasting predictors of later language impairment. Other factors, such as a scarce use of gestures at 10 months or male gender, affect early LD at 22 months of age, although their effect disappears as children grow older. Low maternal education appears to have a late effect. Gestational age does not have any significant effect on the appearance of LD.

Longitudinal Relationships Between Reading Abilities, Phonological Awareness, Language Abilities and Executive Functions: Comparison of Low Risk Preterm and Full-Term Children.

Different investigations have found that very or extremely (high risk) preterm children show global or specific difficulties in phonological awareness (PA) and reading abilities. Do low risk preterm children, however, exhibit this pattern? Phonological awareness has been considered an important predictor of literacy. Certain executive functions (EFs), and language abilities in turn, have been found to predict PA. The aims of this study are (1) to compare reading abilities of low risk preterm children of different gestational age (GA) groups to those of full-term children, (2) to compare the performance of low risk preterm children of different GA groups to that of full-term children in different EFs, language measures and PA, and (3) to perform a path analysis in order to test a longitudinal model of the relationships between EFs, language abilities, PA and reading. The participants were 108 low risk 4- year-old preterm children, classified into 3 groups of different GAs, and 34 full-term children. The children's EFs (rapid automatized naming task (RAN), working memory, and inhibition) were assessed at 4 and 5 years of age. Vocabulary comprehension, morphosyntactic production and grammar reception were assessed when the children were 5 years of age, as well as phonemic awareness and syllabic awareness. Finally, reading abilities were assessed when the children were 9 years old. No significant difference between gestational age groups was found on any of the measures taken on EFs, language abilities, phonological awareness, or reading abilities. The path analysis model demonstrates the direct effect of working memory, certain linguistic skills governed by rules (grammar, morphology) and phonological awareness on reading abilities at 9 years of age. The model also shows the mediating role that PA has on the relationship between EFs and language abilities with reading abilities.

A Follow-Up Study of Cognitive Development in Low Risk Preterm Children.

The results of a longitudinal study on the cognitive development of one group of full-term and three groups of low risk preterm children with different gestational ages (GA) are presented. The 181 participants were divided into four GA groups of similar size. The aims were: 1) To check if there are differences in cognitive development (measured through the Batelle scale) among the GA groups. 2) To establish the predictive factors of cognitive development at 22 and 60 months of age, taking into account biomedical, environmental and individual factors. The results of the repeated measures ANOVA performed at 22 and 60 months of age indicated that the cognitive trajectories of the four GA groups were similar. Linear regression analyses showed that the effect of the different predictors changed in relation to the time of measurement of cognitive development. Biological factors and the quality of home environment had a moderate effect on the cognitive development at 22 months of age. Cognitive results obtained at 22 months of age, and, to a lesser extent, working memory had the greatest effect on cognitive development at 60 months. GA does not predict cognitive development. Preterm children do not show cognitive delay if they are healthy.

Do healthy preterm children have behavior problems? / ¿Los niños prematuros saludables tienen problemas de conducta?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: In this study, the behavior problems of healthy preterm and full-term children will be compared. The effect of environmental and neonatal conditions on the rate of behavior problems, with special attention to maternal depression and parental stress, will also be studied. Previous studies found significantly higher prevalence rates of total problems in preterm children. Most of these studies were carried out with preterm children under 32 weeks of gestational age. In contrast, some studies carried out with moderately preterm children found no significant difference. Method. We assessed 108 low risk preterm children and 33 full-term children through the Child Behavior Checklist when they were 5 years-old. Their mothers` stress and depression were also assessed. RESULTS: No significant difference was found between the preterm and the full-term groups for overall, internalizing or externalizing behavior problems, or for more fine-grained behavior problems such as anxiety, attention or aggression problems. No effect of gestational age on the rate of behavior problems was found. In contrast maternal stress, but not maternal depression, was a strong predictor of behavior problems. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that behavior problems are not characteristic of preterm children as a group, but only of very or extremely preterm children

OBJETIVO: En este estudio, se compararán los problemas de comportamiento de los niños prematuros sanos y a término. También se estudiará el efecto de las condiciones ambientales y neonatales en la tasa de problemas de comportamiento, prestando especial atención a la depresión materna y al estrés de los padres. Estudios anteriores encontraron tasas de prevalencia significativamente mayores de problemas totales en niños prematuros. La mayoría de estos estudios se llevaron a cabo con niños prematuros menor es de 32 semanas de edad gestacional. En contraste, algunos estudios realizados con niños moderadamente prematuros no encontraron diferencias significativas. MÉTODO: Evaluamos 108 niños prematuros de bajo riesgo y 33 niños de término completo a través del Child Behavior Checklist cuando tenían 5 años de edad. El estrés y la depresión de sus madres también fueron evaluados. RESULTADOS: No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos prematuros y los de término completo en cuanto

Pragmatic abilities in children with ASD, ADHD, Down syndrome and typical development through the Galician version of the CCC-2 / Habilidades pragmáticas en niños con TEA, TDAH, síndrome de Down y desarrollo típico según la versión gallega del CCC-2

Background: pragmatics is an area of language that may be impaired in a wide variety of disorders. However, there is a dearth of instruments for the assessment of pragmatic abilities. The Children's Communication Checklist (CCC-2) is the most widespread test, although more adaptations of this instrument to other languages are necessary. Aims: in this paper we (1) develop a pilot study to adapt the CCC-2 to the Galician language, (2) check the capacity of this version to assess communicative difficulties in Galician speakers from 4 to 16 years of age, and (3) we also check its capacity to discriminate the linguistic profiles of different disorders. Method: the reference profile of the Galician CCC-2 was established with a sample of 48 schoolchildren. Comparisons of the scores obtained by children with ASD (n=11), ADHD (n=10), Down Syndrome (DS) (n=9) and Typical Development (n=10) were carried out. Results: the Galician CCC-2 (1) accurately identified children with and without communicative impairments, (2) distinguished between profiles with predominance of pragmatic (ASD and ADHD) and structural disorders (DS), and (3) distinguished between different profiles with predominance of pragmatic impairment. Conclusions: the Galician CCC-2 seems to be a useful instrument to assess pragmatic disorders and to differentiate among different clinical groups

Introducción: la pragmática es un área del lenguaje que puede verse afectada en una amplia variedad de trastornos. Sin embargo, hay una escasez de instrumentos para la evaluación de las habilidades pragmáticas. El Children's Communication Checklist (CCC-2) es la prueba más utilizada, aunque se necesitan más adaptaciones de este instrumento a otros idiomas. Objetivos: en este documento 1)desarrollamos un estudio piloto para adaptar el CCC-2 al gallego; 2)comprobamos la capacidad de esta versión para evaluar las dificultades comunicativas en hablantes de gallego de 4 a 16años, y 3)también comprobamos su capacidad para discriminar perfiles lingüísticos de diferentes trastornos. Método: el perfil de referencia del CCC-2 gallego se estableció con una muestra de 48 escolares. Se realizaron comparaciones de las puntuaciones obtenidas por los niños con TEA (n=11), TDAH (n=10), síndrome de Down (SD; n=9) y desarrollo normal (n=10). Resultados: el CCC-2 gallego 1)identificó con precisión a los niños con trastornos comunicativos y sin ellos; 2)distinguió entre los perfiles con predominio de trastornos pragmáticos (TEA y TDAH) y estructurales (SD), y 3)distinguió entre los diferentes perfiles con predominio del deterioro pragmático. Conclusiones: parece que el CCC-2 gallego es un instrumento útil para evaluar trastornos pragmáticos y para diferenciar entre diferentes grupos clínicos

Does temperament influence language development? Evidence from preterm and full-term children.

The aims of this study are: (1) to describe language and temperament characteristics of one group of low risk preterm (PR) children and a group of full-term (FT) children and (2) to identify those factors which can predict language outcomes at 30 months of age, with special attention on temperament. There is evidence of differences between very or extremely PR and FT children in relation to characteristics of temperament and language development. However, not many studies have been carried out with healthy PR children. The participants were 142 low risk PR children (mean gestational age (GA): 32.60 weeks) and 49 FT children (mean GA 39.84 weeks). The temperament of the children was assessed at 10 months of age through the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R). At 22 months of age the cognitive development of the children was assessed through the Spanish adaptation of the Batelle Developmental Inventory (BDI). In order to assess the children's language development the Galician adaptation of the MacArthur-Bates CDI was applied at 30 months of age. In addition, socio-demographic information about the children and their families was gathered at birth. The results indicate that there were no significant differences in the language measures of interest (word production, MLU3, and sentence complexity) between groups. The only differences found between the PR and the FT children in the IBQ-R were restricted to the smiling and laughter and the fear subscales. Hierarchical regression analyses performed indicate that GA did not have any predictive effect on language measures taken at 30 months. Cognitive scores were an important predictor of language measures, although certain temperament subscales contributed in a significant way to the variance of language measures, particularly low intensity pleasure, approach, high intensity pleasure, sadness, and vocal reactivity. Therefore, extroverted (positive affectivity) temperament seems to be beneficial for language development.

Language development of low risk preterm infants up to the age of 30 months.

PURPOSE: To compare the lexical and grammatical development of a group of low risk preterm children with a group of full-term children at 10, 22, and 30 months of corrected age. In addition, the effect of possible determinant factors on linguistic development was investigated. METHOD: An initial group of 150 low-risk PR children (mean GA: 32.62) and 49 FT children (mean GA: 39.70) recruited at birth were assessed at 10, 22, and 30 months of age. Communicative and linguistic abilities were measured at these three points in time through the CDI. Cognitive development and quality of family environment of the children, among other variables, were also assessed at 22 months of age. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed in order to test those factors which may contribute to prediction of language outcomes. RESULTS: There was no significant delay in communicative, lexical or grammatical development of PR children. Even when comparisons were performed between fullterm and very preterm children, differences were not significant. Regression analyses indicate that gestures and early word comprehension predict very early word production development, but their effect disappears with time. The most important factors which predict language development at 30 months of age are previous cognitive scores and word production at 22 months of age. The results coming from group comparisons and from hierarchical regression analyses indicate that GA does not significantly affect language development from 10 to 30 months of age. CONCLUSIONS: Low risk preterm toddlers do not seem to be delayed in their linguistic development.

Academic effects of the Prestige oil spill disaster.

The effect of a large scale oil spill disaster on the academic achievement and classroom behavior of children and adolescents who lived on the Galician coast (Spain) is studied from an ecological perspective. 430 participants divided into three age groups of 5, 10, and 15 years of age, were studied. The participants came from three areas differently affected by the disaster. Dependent variables were academic achievement and classroom behavior of the participants after the Prestige disaster. Degree of exposure and other protective or risk factors were investigated as well. Repeated measures ANOVA to assess the main effects of the oil spill and hierarchical regression analyses to assess the contribution of the protective/vulnerability factors were performed. The results indicate that the effects of the disaster were relatively scarce. Some protective factors accounted for a certain degree of variance of different schoolroom behaviors. These results point to the intervention of protective factors in the adaptation to the disaster.

Academic effects of the prestige oil spill disaster

The effect of a large scale oil spill disaster on the academic achievement and classroom behavior of children and adolescents who lived on the Galician coast (Spain) is studied from an ecological perspective. 430 participants divided into three age groups of 5, 10, and 15 years of age, were studied. The participants came from three areas differently affected by the disaster. Dependent variables were academic achievement and classroom behavior of the participants after the Prestige disaster. Degree of exposure and other protective or risk factors were investigated as well. Repeated measures ANOVA to assess the main effects of the oil spill and hierarchical regression analyses to assess the contribution of the protective/vulnerability factors were performed. The results indicate that the effects of the disaster were relatively scarce. Some protective factors accounted for a certain degree of variance of different schoolroom behaviors. These results point to the intervention of protective factors in the adaptation to the disaster (AU)

Se estudia desde una perspectiva ecológica el efecto que el desastre provocado por un gigantesco vertido de petróleo ha tenido sobre el rendimiento académico y la conducta en el aula de niños y adolescentes que vivían en la costa de Galicia (España). Se estudiaron 430 participantes divididos en tres grupos de, 5, 10 y 15 años. Los participantes provenían de tres áreas que fueron afectadas en grado diferente por el desastre. Las variables dependientes estudiadas fueron el rendimiento académico y el comportamiento en el aula de los participantes después del desastre del Prestige. El grado de exposición y otros factores de riesgo o protectores fueron también investigados. Se realizaron análisis de varianza (ANOVA) de medidas repetidas para evaluar los efectos más importantes del vertido de petróleo y análisis de regresión jerárquica para evaluar la contribución de los factores protectores o de vulnerabilidad. Los resultados indican que los efectos del desastre fueron relativamente escasos. Algunos factores protectores explicaron un cierto grado de varianza de diferentes comportamientos en el aula. Estos resultados señalan la intervención de factores protectores en la adaptación al desastre (AU)

Differences between girls and boys in emerging language skills: evidence from 10 language communities.

The present study explored gender differences in emerging language skills in 13,783 European children from 10 non-English language communities. It was based on a synthesis of published data assessed with adapted versions of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDIs) from age 0.08 to 2.06. The results showed that girls are slightly ahead of boys in early communicative gestures, in productive vocabulary, and in combining words. The difference increased with age. Boys were not found to be more variable than girls. Despite extensive variation in language skills between language communities, the difference between girls and boys remained. This suggests that the difference is caused by robust factors that do not change between language communities.

Desarrollo lingüístico y comunicativo temprano de niños prematuros / First language and communication development of preterm children

Esta investigación intenta: a) comparar el primer desarrollo lingüístico y comunicativo de niños prematuros (PR) con el de niños nacidos a término (NT), y b) investigar las posibles relaciones entre antecedentes biológicos, ambientales y personales y los resultados del desarrollo del lenguaje a los 10 meses. La investigación se llevó a cabo con 150 niños prematuros y un grupo control de 49 niños nacidos a término. Se estudió a los participantes cuando tenían 15 días de edad y, nuevamente, cuando tenían 10 meses (edades corregidas para los prematuros). A los 15 días se aplicó la escala Brazelton y se recogió información biomédica y de las características del ambiente. A los 10 meses se aplicó la versión gallega de los inventarios MacArthur-Bates (IDHC) (Pérez-Pereira y García, 2003; Pérez-Pereira y Resches, 2011) para evaluar su primer desarrollo lingüístico y comunicativo. Además, se han aplicado el CES-D y el IBQ-R para evaluar la depresión materna y el temperamento de los niños, respectivamente. No se han encontrado diferencias en las medidas del IDHC a los 10 meses de edad en relación con la edad gestacional o el peso al nacer. Se han hallado diferencias en el desarrollo comunicativo y lingüístico de los niños PR en relación con algunas variables, como la puntuación Apgar, la duración de la estancia en la unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI) o la necesidad de atención psiquiátrica o psicológica de las madres. Otras variables, como el sexo o el orden de nacimiento, no parecen haber tenido ningún efecto en las puntuaciones en el IDHC. Los análisis de regresión lineal indican que el estado de salud y la educación materna parecen tener un mayor efecto predictivo en los niños PR que en los NT. Distintos factores de temperamento entran también en juego para los niños PR y NT como predictores de las habilidades lingüísticas y comunicativas (AU)

The present study intends: a) to compare first linguistic and communicative development of preterm (PR) children to that of full term (FT) children, and b) also to investigate possible relationships between biological, environmental and personal antecedents and language development outcomes at 10 months of age. The study has been carried out with 150 preterm children and a control group of 49 full term children. Participants were studied when they were 15 days old, and, again, when they were 10 months of age (corrected age for premature children). Neurobehavioral assessment and information on children's biomedical and environmental characteristics were gathered at 15 days of age. The Galician version of the MacArthur-Bates inventories (IDHC) (Pérez-Pereira & García, 2003; Pérez-Pereira & Resches, 2011) was applied when the children were 10 months of age to assess first linguistic and communicative development of the children. In addition, the CES-D and the IBQ-R were applied in order to assess the mothers' depression and children's temperament. No differences in any of the IDHC measures were found at 10 months of age in relation to birth weight and gestational age. Differences in communicative and language development of PR children were found in relation to a few variables such as Apgar scores, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) or mothers receiving (or not) psychiatric attention. Gender and birth order do not seem to have any effect on IDHC scores. Linear regression analyses indicate that PR and FT children's results on the IDHC are predicted by different factors. Health and maternal education seem to have a greater predictive effect on PR children than FT children. Different temperament factors are also in play for PR and FT children as predictors of linguistic and communicative abilities (AU)

Concurrent and predictive validity of the Galician CDI.

This paper explores the concurrent and predictive validity of the long and short forms of the Galician version of the MacArthur-Bates CDI (IDHC). Forty-two Galician-speaking children were longitudinally evaluated at age 1 ; 6, 2 ; 0 and 4 ; 0. On the first two occasions, the subjects' vocabulary and grammar skills were assessed through the IDHC. Simultaneously, lexical and grammatical measures were obtained from spontaneous speech samples. Standardized measures of general cognitive abilities (WPPSI-R) and receptive and expressive language (RDLS-III) were obtained at age 4 ; 0. Results showed high and significant levels of concurrent and short-term validity of the IDHC. Strong associations were found between lexical development at age 2 ; 0 and language scores two years later. These results coincide with those obtained with other CDI versions, and suggest that the IDHC is an effective and reliable tool.

Referential communication abilities and Theory of Mind development in preschool children.

This work aims to analyse the specific contribution of social abilities (here considered as the capacity for attributing knowledge to others) in a particular communicative context. 74 normally developing children (aged 3;4 to 5;9, M = 4.6) were given two Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks, which are considered to assess increasing complexity levels of epistemic state attribution: Attribution of knowledge-ignorance (Pillow, 1989; adapted by Welch-Ross, 1997) and Understanding of False-belief (Baron Cohen, Leslie & Frith, 1985). Subjects were paired according to their age and level of performance in ToM tasks. These dyads participated in a referential communication task specially designed for this research. The resulting communicative interchanges were analysed using a three-level category system (pragmatic functions, descriptive accuracy, and ambiguity of messages). The results showed significant differences among subjects with different levels of social comprehension regarding the type of communicative resources used by them in every category level. In particular, understanding of false belief seems to be the most powerful predictor of changes in the children's development of communicative competence.

El diagnóstico del desarrollo comunicativo en la primera infancia:adaptación de las escalas MacArthur al gallego / The assessment of communicative development in the early years: Adaptation of the MacArthur scales to Galician

Los inventarios del desarrollo comunicativo MacArthur constituyen un instrumento válido y fiable para la evaluación del desarrollo comunicativo y lingüístico de los niños pequeños. Este artículo proporciona datos que provienen de la adaptación de las escalas MacArthur al gallego y su aplicación a una muestra de 722 niños gallegoparlantes entre 8 y 30 meses de edad. Se proporcionan las puntuaciones medias y desviaciones típicas para las diferentes partes de la escala. También se lleva a cabo un análisis de los resultados obtenidos y un análisis preliminar del tipo de vocabulario empleado en diferentes puntos del desarrollo. Finalmente, se proporcionan datos sobre la fiabilidad de las escalas (AU)

The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories are a valid and reliable instrument for assessing young children’s communicative and linguistic development. The present paper offers data coming from the adaptation of the MacArthur scales to Galician and their application to a sample of 722 Galician-speaking children between 8 and 30 months of age. Means and standard deviations scores for the different parts of the scale are offered. An analysis of the results obtained is carried out. An initial analysis is offered of the type of vocabulary used at different points in development. Finally data on reliability of the scales are given (AU)