Receptive vocabulary, memory span, and speech articulation in Pakistani children with developmental language disorders

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to find the association of receptive vocabulary in the development of speech and language among school-going children (4–13 years) with language disorders. On the basis of non-verbal receptive vocabulary and percentage correct consonants (PCC) scores, children from public schools in Punjab, Pakistan with speech and language issues were separated into three groups; Speech sound disordered (SSD, N = 15), Language Impaired (LI) comorbid with SSD (N = 42) and typically developed (TD, N = 15). Urdu version of Peabody picture vocabulary test, fourth edition (U-PPVT-4), Digit memory test (DMT), and Test for assessment of articulation and phonology in Urdu (TAAPU) were used to assess non-verbal receptive vocabulary, Short-term memory (STM), Working memory (WM), and SSD. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to find the association of receptive vocabulary with other measures used. Receptive vocabulary, STM, WM, omission, substitution, and PCC scores were significantly different (p < 0.01) when compared among LI+SSD, SSD, and TD groups. Regression analysis showed that receptive vocabulary was significantly associated with STM and WM in the LI+SSD group. A positive correlation was found between the U-PPVT-4 standard score with STM and WM for LI+SSD and SSD groups. Our findings in Urdu-speaking children suggested that STM and WM were less developed in children with speech and language impairments. Moreover, children with speech and language deficits not only had weaker receptive vocabulary but also attention should be given to improving STM and WM that contribute to LI.

KEYWORDS:

• Language impairment
• receptive vocabulary
• Short Term Memory
• test for assessment of articulation and phonology in Urdu
• working memory

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Acknowledgement

We are thankful to Ms. Sadaf Noveen, a Speech and Language Pathologist for providing the TAAPU test and word list to evaluate the articulation of participants. We must thank the school teachers, participants, and their parents for their cooperation in conducting this study. Aatika Sadia provided help in data collection. University of the Punjab and Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, and Child Language Doctoral Program, University of Kansas have provided their support for this study.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

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Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.