In Infants' Hands: Identification of Preverbal Infants at Risk for Primary Language Delay

Early identification of primary language delay is crucial to implement effective prevention programs. Available screening instruments are based on parents' reports and have only insufficient predictive validity. This study employed observational measures of preverbal infants' gestural comm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child development 2017-03, Vol.88 (2), p.484-492
Main Authors: Lüke, Carina, Grimminger, Angela, Rohlfing, Katharina J., Liszkowski, Ulf, Ritterfeld, Ute
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
At risk
At Risk Persons
Babies
Child development
Child psychology
Child, Preschool
Coding
Communication
Developmental Delays
EMPIRICAL REPORTS
Experiments
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Foreign Countries
Gestures
Humans
Identification
Infant
Infants
Language
Language acquisition
Language Development
Language Development Disorders - diagnosis
Language disorders
Language Impairments
Language proficiency
Language Skills
Language Tests
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical screening
Nonverbal Communication
Predictive Validity
Prevention programs
Regression (Statistics)
Scores
Screening Tests
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Summary:Early identification of primary language delay is crucial to implement effective prevention programs. Available screening instruments are based on parents' reports and have only insufficient predictive validity. This study employed observational measures of preverbal infants' gestural communication to test its predictive validity for identifying later language delays. Pointing behavior of fifty-nine 12-month-old infants was analyzed and related to their language skills 1 year later. Results confirm predictive validity of preverbal communication for language skills with the hand shape of pointing being superior compared to the underlying motives for pointing (imperative vs. declarative). Twelve-month-olds who pointed only with their open hand but never with their index finger were at risk for primary language delay at 2 years of age.
ISSN:0009-3920
1467-8624
DOI:10.1111/cdev.12610