Language and social competence in typically developing children and late talkers between 18 and 35 months of age

Abstract

The present study examined the relation between language and social ability in a sample of 268 preschoolers aged 18–35 months. Expressive language was assessed with the Italian adaptation of the Language Development Survey (LDS), and Social Competence was assessed with the Questionnaire on Peer Interactions in the Kindergarten (QPI). Results showed that language measures (LDS Vocabulary, LDS MLU and the opportunity scores of the LDS category of People Words) predicted social competence (Total QPI score and the standardised scores of the ‘Popularity’, ‘Prosociality’, ‘Aggressiveness’, ‘Adult Dependence', and ‘Isolation’ factors), above and beyond the proportion of variance explained by age. In addition, children with delayed language development (who were older than 24 months and produced fewer than 50 words) exhibited lower social abilities, compared to age-matched children. These findings support the conclusion that language skills play a critical role for social adjustment.

Keywords:

• language
• social competence
• kindergarten children
• late talkers

Notes on contributors

Emiddia Longobardi, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. Her main topics of research relate to language development, gestural communication, pragmatic abilities, adult–child interaction, text composition, language assessment, and theory of mind.

Pietro Spataro is a Ph.D. researcher at Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. His research interests concern language development, gestural communication, and theory of mind.

Alessandra Frigerio is a Ph.D. researcher in Child Psychopathology at IRCCS Medea, Italy. Her research interests focus on the mechanisms involved in risk for psychopathology, with special attention on the interplay between social and biological factors in children's development.

Leslie Rescorla, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College, USA. Her research interests are in the areas of language delay, empirically based assessment of emotional and behaviour problems in children, adolescents, and adults, and autism spectrum disorders.