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Verbal mediation of cognition in children with specific language impairment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2012

Jane S. M. Lidstone ,
Elizabeth Meins  and
Charles Fernyhough
Jane S. M. Lidstone*
Affiliation:
Durham University
Elizabeth Meins
Affiliation:
Durham University
Charles Fernyhough
Affiliation:
Durham University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Jane Lidstone, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK; E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Private speech (PS) and inner speech (IS) are thought to be functionally important for children's and adults’ cognition, but they have not been studied systematically in children with specific language impairment (SLI). Participants were 21 children with SLI (7–11 years, expressive or receptive verbal IQ ≤ 75, nonverbal IQ ≥ 84) and 21 age- and nonverbal IQ-matched controls. Participants completed three sets of Tower of London problems: one with no dual task (PS condition), one with articulatory suppression, and one while foot tapping (control condition). Participants also completed a digit span task. There was no group difference in the susceptibility of Tower of London performance to articulatory suppression, but the PS of the SLI group was less internalized than that of the controls on both tasks. The findings suggest that children with SLI experience a significant delay in the development of PS/IS, but that their PS/IS is effective for Tower of London performance in middle childhood. Findings are discussed with reference to the interpretation of the nonlinguistic deficits associated with SLI, and in terms of clinical implications.

Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , May 2012 , pp. 651 - 660
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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