| 1. |
- Dahlgren, Sven-Olof, 1956, et al.
(författare)
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Theory of mind in Children with Severe Speech and Physical Impairments
- 2010
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Ingår i: Research in Developmental Disabilities. ; 31, s. 617-624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The development of a person's ability to understand other's thoughts and feelings, so called "theory of mind" (ToM), is subject to study. Children with communicative disabilities have exhibited problems in this respect, highlighting the role of language in the development of ToM. In this study, ToM was studied in children with cerebral palsy and severe speech impairments. Two tasks, differently dependent on verbal abilities, were used. The results were compared to those of a mental age matched group. The groups differed significantly on the verbally dependent task while difference in performance did not reach significance on the less verbally dependent one. The results are discussed in terms of a delayed development of ToM in children with severe speech and physical impairments, dependent on verbal abilities.
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| 2. |
- Dahlgren Sandberg, Annika, 1946, et al.
(författare)
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An analysis of reading and spelling abilities in children who use AAC: understanding a continuum of competence
- 2010
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Ingår i: Augmentative and Alternative Communication. - 0743-4618. ; 26:3, s. 191-202
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The over-representation of reading and spelling difficulties in children with complex communication needs has been well documented. However, most of the studies reported have indicated that at least some children using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can achieve and demonstrate effective literacy skills, highlighting the heterogeneity of this group. This paper presents findings from a cross-linguistic study of 14 Swedish and 14 Irish children with cerebral palsy who use AAC, outlining their performance on a range of phonological awareness, reading and spelling tasks developed for the purposes of the study. All participants were referred to the study as functioning in the average range of intellectual ability. Of the 28 participants, 8 were classified as good readers, on the basis of their success on tasks involving connected text, while 10 presented with single word reading skills, and 10 were categorized as non-readers. This paper explores the similarities and differences within and across these groups, in terms of associated skills and experiences. While analyses of group data suggest some common abilities and difficulties, exploration of individual profiles highlights the heterogeneity of the profiles of the participants, suggesting a need for detailed individual assessment and interventions.
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| 3. |
- Dahlgren Sandberg, Annika, 1946, et al.
(författare)
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Communication and development of theory of mind in children with severe speech and physical impairment
- 2004
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Ingår i: In Proceedings of the 11th Biennial Conference of ISAAC, the International Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Natal, Brazil, CD-ROM.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Results from research on deaf children, who have acquired a sign language late in life, have revealed difficulties in the development of theory of mind, highlighting the role of communication in this development. From this perspective, the development of theory of mind in children with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI) is most interesting. Findings from our research suggest that the children follow a normal pattern of development but with severe delay compared to children without disability. These results will be discussed in terms of early social and communicative experience as well as in terms of verbal ability and memory capacity.
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| 4. |
- Dahlgren Sandberg, Annika, 1946, et al.
(författare)
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Early linguistic experiences and development of theory of mind in children with severe speech and physical impairments
- 2006
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Ingår i: Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Theory of mind (ToM) refers to our ability to attribute thoughts, beliefs and feelings to ourselves and to other people, and to our understanding that our actions are governed by these thoughts, beliefs and feelings. This ability is crucial in social interaction and communication. The question of how to explain the development of ToM is still unsettled. Early exposure to communication is one possible prerequisite. If this is the case, then one would expect development of ToM to be affected in children with different communicative impairments. In accordance with this expectation, recent studies have in fact shown that deaf children without early exposure to sign language (Peterson & Siegal, 1999) have difficulties in solving tasks requiring a ToM. Other examples are children with developmental language delay. From this perspective, the development of theory of mind in children with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI) is most interesting, considering the problems experienced by children with SSPI within the area of early social experience and communication. Methods: In three studies 14, 6 and 16 participants with severe speech and physical impairments participated. Also participating was a group of children, matched to the focus group for mental and linguistic age. They were presented a range of tasks to track the development of ToM: pretend play, perceptual tasks, 1st and 2nd order false belief tasks (so called Change of location tasks) and an Unexpected content task. Results: Findings from our research suggest that the children have difficulties solving the ToM-tasks, but that they follow a normal pattern of development with severe delay compared to children without disability. Conclusions: There are different possible explanations to the childrens early failure to solve ToM-tasks: 1.Limited linguistic and conversational competence 2.Memory problems 3.Lack of experiences, e.g. pretend play 4.Lack of opportunities to take other persons perspectives The ability to take someone elses perspective is crucial in social interaction and communication. Interpersonal communication enhances this ability. It is therefore important not only to provide children with SSPI with appropriate and sufficient communication aids, such as Bliss for example, but also to provide experiences and the tools with which to use communication aids in an efficient manner. References: Peterson, C. C., & Siegal, M. (1999). Representing Inner Worlds: Theory of mind in Autistic, Deaf, and Normal Hearing Children. Psychological Science, 10, 126-129.
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| 5. |
- Larsson, Maria, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Early reading and spelling abilities in children with severe speech and physical impairment: A cross-linguistic comparison.
- 2009
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Ingår i: Research in developmental disabilities. - : Elsevier BV. - 0891-4222. ; 30, s. 70-95
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Early reading and spelling abilities in children from Ireland and Sweden with severe speech and physical impairment (SSPI) were studied and compared. The aim was to look for similarities as well as for differences that could be related to the different linguistic environments. Both group consisted of 15 children, and were matched on linguistic age. Reading and spelling as well as phonological awareness and memory were tested. Both groups performed fairly well on the phonological awareness tasks, but the Swedish children did not seem to manage to use this ability successfully for reading and spelling. Overall the Irish children showed a slightly stronger performance, and were significantly better at the reading tasks. There were some signs that children were affected by the structure of their individual languages. The Irish children revealed the greatest problems with pseudoword spelling which is in line with results from speaking children with English as their mother tongue and could be a result of using a strategy based on larger linguistic units. The Swedish children had particular problems with tasks presented without oral support, which may be an effect of memory problems due to their lack of articulatory ability.
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| 6. |
- Larsson, Maria, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Memory ability in children with complex communication needs.
- 2008
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Ingår i: Augmentative and Alternative Communication. ; 24:2, s. 139-148
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Phonological memory is central to language and reading and writing skills. Many children with complex communication needs (CCN) experience problems with reading and writing acquisition. The reason could be because of the absence of articulatory ability, which might have a negative affect on phonological memory. Phonological and visuo-spatial short-term memory and working memory were tested in 15 children with CCN, aged 5 – 12 years, and compared to children with natural speech matched for gender, and mental and linguistic age. Results indicated weaker phonological STM and visuo-spatial STM and WM in children with CCN. The lack of articulatory ability could be assumed to affect subvocal rehearsal and, therefore, phonological memory which, in turn, may affect reading and writing acquisition. Weak visuo-spatial memory could also complicate the use of Bliss symbols and other types of augmentative and alternative communication.
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| 7. |
- Larsson, Maria, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Phonological awareness in “Swedish-speaking” children with complex communication needs
- 2008
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Ingår i: Jourmal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability. ; 33:1, s. 22-35
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Children with complex communication needs (CCN) often experience problems achieving literacy. The aim of this project was to study phonological awareness, a central predictor for literacy achievement, in children with CCN, and to compare their performance to a group of children with natural speech. Method One group of 15 Swedish children with CCN and cerebral palsy (CP), and one group of 15 children with natural speech, matched for gender, linguistic age and mental age, were administered nine phonological awareness tasks, testing onset/rime and phonemic awareness. Results Overall, children with CCN showed good levels of phonological awareness. However, on the one task that did not include any verbal support from the experimenter, the children with CCN performed at a significantly lower level. Conclusion Phonological awareness does not seem to depend on overt articulation, although the lack of speech might affect the children’s ability to manipulate linguistic material that is not verbally presented.
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| 8. |
- Larsson, Maria, 1969, et al.
(författare)
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Reading and Spelling in Children with Severe Speech and Physical Impairments
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. ; 21:5, s. 369-392
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present paper was to study literacy skills in children with severe speech and physical impairment (SSPI), and compare their performance to typically developing children. The children with SSPI and the comparison group, both groups with 28 children, were matched on receptive vocabulary and assessed on measures of reading, spelling, rhyming, phoneme awareness and memory. The comparison group achieved significantly higher scores on reading, spelling, and rhyme awareness, but no differences were found on phoneme awareness or memory. Regression analyses, with reading and spelling as dependent variables and phoneme awareness, rhyming, and memory as independent variables, revealed that phoneme awareness was the strongest predictor of both reading and spelling in both groups. Rhyming seemed more important to reading and spelling for the children with SSPI than for their speaking peers. The children with SSPI were at an earlier literacy stage and therefore more dependent on rhyming ability than children in the comparison group who drew on their phoneme awareness. Although both groups performed similarly on phoneme awareness, the comparison group showed stronger reading and spelling abilities, suggesting a different relationship between phoneme awareness and reading and spelling in children with SPPI.
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| 9. |
- Smith, Martine, et al.
(författare)
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Reading and spelling in children with severe speech and physical impairments: A comparative study.
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders. - : Wiley. - 1368-2822 .- 1460-6984. ; 44:6, s. 864-882
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Effective literacy skills are crucial in supporting communication for children with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI). Reading and spelling difficulties are reported to be over-represented in this group, even where language and cognitive skills are age appropriate. Aims: To compare the performance of children with SSPI on a range of language, reading and spelling tasks with that of their typically developing peers matched for receptive vocabulary and mental age. Methods & Procedures: A wide range of tasks was developed as part of a larger study exploring phonological awareness, reading and spelling skills. All tasks were accessible to children with severe physical impairments. Two groups of primary school-aged children were recruited, children with SSPI of average intelligence, and naturally speaking peers, matched for receptive vocabulary. Children were assessed individually on language, non-verbal cognition, phonological awareness, reading and spelling tasks. Outcomes & Results: Sixteen children with SSPI were recruited. Their performance was compared with that of 15 naturally speaking peers, matched for receptive vocabulary scores. The children with SSPI achieved significantly lower scores on reading and spelling measures relative to their naturally speaking peers. However, at least one participant with SSPI scored at ceiling on each task, indicating that SSPI do not preclude the development of reading and spelling, at least in the early stages of literacy development. Conclusions & Implications: This study indicates that some children with severe speech impairments can develop phonological awareness, reading and spelling skills. However, the data suggest that phonological awareness may not be as good a predictor of reading and spelling abilities in this group of children as in typically developing children. Further research is needed to track development of reading and spelling, as well as the instructional support needed to scaffold more effective skills in these areas.
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