Core language skill stable from infancy to adolescence

(HealthDay)—A core language skill, extracted from multiple measures, is stable from infancy to adolescence in children, including atypically developing children, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in Science Advances.

Marc H. Bornstein, Ph.D., from the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues examined two types of stability of core language skill in 5,036 typically developing and 1,056 atypically developing children (preterm, dyslexic, autistic, and hearing-impaired) using 15-year prospective longitudinal data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents. At multiple ages, a single core language skill was extracted from multiple measures.

The researchers found that in all groups, the core language skill proved stable from infancy to adolescence, even after they accounted for child nonverbal intelligence and sociability and maternal age and education. They noted these results indicate that addressing delayed language skills early in development is beneficial.

Source: Read Full Article