SeeHearSpeak Podcast Episode 54: Executive Functioning in Children with Developmental Language Disorder with Leah Kapa
Jul 21, 2023
Leah Kapa discusses executive functioning in children with developmental language disorder. They explore the definition of executive function, measuring attention and sustained attention, the confusion between SLI and DLD definitions, complexity of interventions, bridging the gap between parent and teacher records, and favorite childhood books.
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DLD vs. SLI
- The definition of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) allows for comorbidities like ADHD, unlike the previous Specific Language Impairment (SLI) definition.
- However, many past SLI studies often included children with ADHD and used similar IQ criteria, so the practical difference isn't as significant.
Executive Function in DLD
- Children with DLD exhibit lower executive function abilities than their typically developing peers, even on nonverbal tasks.
- However, the differences are more pronounced on verbal tasks, highlighting the interaction between language impairment and executive function.
Visual Support vs. Verbal Labeling
- Leah Kapa conducted a study with children who have DLD, using a card-sorting task to improve performance, similar to experiments on typically developing three-year-olds.
- Providing visual support by covering card boxes improved shifting in DLD, whereas verbal labeling had no effect.