Mean length of utterance levels in 6-month intervals for children 3 to 9 years with and without language impairments

0350590 - PSÚ 2011 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Rice, M.L. - Smolík, Filip - Perpich, D. - Thompson, T. - Rytting, N. - Blossom, M.
Mean length of utterance levels in 6-month intervals for children 3 to 9 years with and without language impairments.
Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research. Roč. 53, č. 2 (2010), s. 333-349. ISSN 1092-4388. E-ISSN 1558-9102
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70250504
Keywords : preschool-children * speech * disorders
Subject RIV: AN - Psychology
Impact factor: 2.147, year: 2010

This study reports age-referenced mean length of utterance (MLU) data from children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children without language impairments. Of the 306 child participants drawn from a data archive, ages 2; 6-9; 0 (years; months), 170 were in the SLI group and 136 were in the control group. There were 1,564 spontaneous language samples collected, and these were transcribed and analyzed for sample size and MLU in words and morphemes. Means, standard deviations, and effect sizes for group differences are reported for MLUs, along with concurrent language and nonverbal intelligence assessments, per 6-month intervals. The results support the reliability and validity of MLU as an index of normative language acquisition and a marker of language impairment. The findings can be used for clinical benchmarking of deficits and language intervention outcomes as well as for comparisons across research samples.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0190551