The Language Environment at Home of Children With (a Suspicion of) a Developmental LanguagDisorder and Relations With Standardized Language Measures

Abstract

Purpose: This study compares the home language environments of childrwith (a suspicion of) developmental language disorder (DLD) with that children with typical development (TD). It does so by adopting new technolothat automatically provides metrics about children’s language environmen(Language ENvironment Analysis [LENA]). In addition, relationships betweeLENA metrics and standardized language tests are explored in the DLD grouMethod: Ninety-nine 2-to 4-year-old toddlers participated: 59 with (a suspicioof) DLD and 40 with TD. LENA metrics on adult word count, conversational count, and child vocalization count were obtained. For all children, data parental education and multilingualism were available. In the DLD group, dawere collected on receptive and expressive vocabulary and grammar, and nonverbal intelligence, using standardized tests. Results: We found lower adult word count, conversational turn count, and cvocalization count in the DLD group, independent of multilingualism but not parental education. In the DLD group, receptive vocabulary was related to cversational turn count and child vocalization count, but not to adult word coExpressive vocabulary, receptive grammar, and expressive grammar were norelated to LENA metrics. Conclusions: Toddlers with (a suspicion of) DLD vocalize less at home thchildren with TD. They also hear fewer adult words and experience fewer cversational turns. Children with DLD’s language outcomes are to a limitextent related to language environment at home. Conversational turns and chvocalizations are in this respect more important than adult words, in line findings for TD populations.