Understanding complex syntax is a significant challenge for children with Down syndrome (DS). A recent study, "The understanding of complex syntax in children with Down syndrome" (Frizelle et al., 2019), sheds light on this issue and provides valuable insights for speech-language pathologists. This blog will discuss the study's findings and offer practical advice on how to incorporate these insights into your therapy sessions.
Key Findings from the Research
The study involved three groups of children: those with DS, children with cognitive impairment of unknown origin (CI), and typically developing (TD) children. The children were assessed on their understanding of relative clauses, complement clauses, and adverbial clauses using a novel animation task designed to minimize non-linguistic demands.
- Children with DS performed significantly lower than both control groups, especially on complex sentences.
- Memory skills (both forward and backward digit recall) were strongly predictive of performance, but DS status also made an independent contribution, indicating a specific deficit in understanding syntax.
- Children with DS showed a better understanding of intransitive subject relative clauses compared to other types.
Implications for Practice
Given these findings, speech-language pathologists can take several steps to enhance therapy for children with DS:
1. Focus on Specific Clause Types
Since children with DS demonstrated better comprehension of intransitive subject relative clauses, it might be beneficial to start with these types of sentences. Gradually introduce other complex sentences as the child becomes more comfortable.
2. Use Animation and Visual Aids
The study utilized an animation task to assess comprehension, which helped reduce cognitive load. Incorporating visual aids and animations in therapy can help children with DS better understand complex syntax.
3. Emphasize Memory Skills
Strengthening memory skills, particularly verbal short-term memory, can have a positive impact on language comprehension. Incorporate memory exercises and games into your sessions to support this development.
4. Tailor Assessment Methods
Traditional multiple-choice tasks may not accurately reflect the comprehension abilities of children with DS due to their high cognitive demands. Consider using sentence verification tasks or other methods that minimize these demands.
Encouraging Further Research
While this study provides valuable insights, further research is essential to fully understand the complexities of language comprehension in children with DS. Practitioners are encouraged to stay updated with the latest research and incorporate new findings into their practice.
To read the original research paper, please follow this link: The understanding of complex syntax in children with Down syndrome.
