The Complex Relation between Executive Functions and Language in Preschoolers with Developmental Language Disorders

Andrea Marini, Barbara Piccolo, Livia Taverna, Moira Berginc and Martina Ozbič
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Andrea Marini: Department of Languages, Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine 33100, Italy
Barbara Piccolo: Struttura Complessa Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina, Trieste 34139, Italy
Livia Taverna: Faculty of Education, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen, Bolzano 39100, Italy
Moira Berginc: Ambulatorio per il trattamento riabilitativo della prima infanzia, Casa della sanità di Capodistria/Zdravsteni Dom Koper, Koper 6000, Slovenia
Martina Ozbič: Scientific Institute IRCCS “Eugenio Medea”, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone 33078, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: Backgrounds : The relationship between linguistic difficulties and cognitive impairments in children with developmental language disorders (DLDs) is receiving growing interest in international research. Executive functions (EF) appear to be weak in these children. The current investigation aims at exploring the relationship between difficulties in two components of EF (i.e., updating and inhibition) and the linguistic and narrative skills of 16 DLD preschoolers matched with 24 typically developing peers. Methods : Updating skills were tested by administering the forward and backward digit recall subtests of the Wechsler Scales, while children’s inhibition abilities were assessed by completion of Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment (NEPSY-II) inhibition tasks. Information on the linguistic skills of the participants was collected through a set of subtests included in the Batteria per la Valutazione del Linguaggio in bambini dai 4 ai 12 anni (Batteria per la Valutazione del Linguaggio; BVL_4-12), assessing articulatory and phonological discrimination skills, lexical production/comprehension, grammatical production/comprehension, and narrative production skills. Results : Findings revealed that DLD children performed significantly lower than their peers on both updating and inhibitory tasks. Linguistic difficulties were found in the DLD group on articulatory/phonological skills, grammatical production/comprehension, and lexical informativeness on narrative production. Measures of EF correlated with linguistic and narrative measures. Conclusion : The current study confirms a significant association between DLD’s performances on EF and displayed linguistic skills, suggesting the need to include the assessment of executive functions to target early intervention rehabilitation programs for children with DLDs.

Keywords: developmental language disorders; executive functions; phonological working memory; developmental neuropsychology; neurolinguistics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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