Investigation of the Relationship between Semantic Information and Verbal Working Memory in Children with Typical Developing, Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Year 2022, Volume: 51 Issue: 1, 410 - 442, 27.04.2022

Tüba Küçük , Funda Acarlar

https://doi.org/10.14812/cuefd.946702

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between semantic knowledge and verbal working memory (VWM) in children with typical development (TD), Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).Descriptive research and relational research methods were used in the design of the research.Children in the study group were matched with the Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test according to their non-verbal intelligence score.The study group of the study consisted of 17 TD children aged 4-5 years and 14 DS and 15 ASD children whose nonverbal intelligence ages are between 4-5 years.Semantic knowledge was evaluated in the dimensions of vocabulary breath and vocabulary depth.The language sample collected in narrative context was used to evaluate of vocabulary breath. Vocabulary Depth Test (VDT) was used to assess vocabulary depth.VWM was assessed with the Nonsense Word Repetition Test (NWR).The results of the research revealed that all groups showed significant differences in vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth and VWM performances.It was found that there was a significant and positive relationship between vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth and VWM in all groups.VMW predicted vocabulary breadth and vocabulary depth in children with TD and DS.Vocabulary breadth was found to predict vocabulary depth in children with TD and ASD.However, VMW did not predict vocabulary breadth and depth in ASD.The results obtained from the study show that the results differ in the two different diagnostic groups.While the results were discussed regarding the contribution of verbal working memory in the acquisition of semantic knowledge in DS, the importance of word width in the acquisition of word depth in ASD was discussed. In addition, it has been suggested to examine different variables that may be effective in the development of semantic knowledge in both diagnostic groups.

Keywords

Semantic Knowledge, Vocabulary Breath, Vocabulary Depth, Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Supporting Institution

-

Project Number

-

Thanks

-

Semantik Bilgi ile Sözel Çalışma Belleği İlişkisinin Tipik Gelişim Gösteren, Down Sendromu Olan ve Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Bulunan Çocuklarda İncelenmesi

Abstract

Bu araştırmanın amacı tipik gelişim gösteren (TGG), Down sendromu (DS) olan ve otizm spektrum bozukluğu (OSB) bulunan çocuklarda semantik bilgi ile sözel çalışma belleği (SÇB) arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmaktır. Araştırmanın desenlenmesinde betimsel araştırma ve ilişkisel araştırma yöntemlerinden yararlanılmıştır. Çalışma grubunda yer alan çocuklar Raven Renkli Progresif Matrisler Testi ile sözel olmayan zekâ puanına göre eşleştirilmişlerdir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu 4–5 yaşlarındaki TGG 17 ve sözel olmayan zekâ puanları 4-5 yaş arasında olan 14 DS, 15 OSB tanılı bireyden oluşmaktadır. Semantik bilgi sözcük genişliği ve sözcük derinliği boyutlarında değerlendirilmiştir. Sözcük genişliğinin değerlendirilmesinde öyküleme bağlamında alınan dil örneğindenyararlanılmıştır. Sözcük derinliğinin değerlendirilmesinde Sözcük Derinliği Testi (SDT) kullanılmıştır. SÇB ise Anlamsız Sözcük Tekrarı Testi (AST) ile değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları tüm grupların sözcük genişliği, sözcük derinliği ve SÇB performanslarında anlamlı farklılık gösterdiğini ortaya çıkarmıştır. Tüm gruplarda sözcük genişliği, sözcük derinliği ve SÇB arasında anlamlı ve pozitif bir ilişki olduğu bulunmuştur. TGG ve DS olan çocuklarda sözel çalışma belleği sözcük genişliği ve sözcük derinliğini yordamıştır. Sözcük genişliğinin TGG ve OSB olan çocuklarda sözcük derinliğini yordadığı bulunmuştur. Ancak OSB’de sözel çalışma belleği sözcük genişliği ve derinliğini yordamamıştır. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgular iki farklı tanı grubunda sonuçların farklılaştığını göstermektedir. Sonuçlar DS’de semantik bilginin ediniminde sözel çalışma belleğinin sağladığı katkıya yönelik ele alınırken, OSB’de sözcük derinliğinin ediniminde sözcük genişliğinin önemine yönelik tartışılmıştır. Buna ek olarak her iki tanı grubunda da semantik bilginin gelişiminde etkili olabilecek farklı değişkenlerin incelenmesi önerilmiştir.

Keywords

Semantik Bilgi, Sözcük Genişliği, Sözcük Derinliği, Down Sendromu, Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu.

Project Number

-

References

• Abbeduto, L., Warren, S. F., & Conners, F. A. (2007). Language development in Down syndrome: From the prelinguistic period to the acquisition of literacy. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13, 247–261. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrdd.20158
• Acarlar, F. (2006). Language development in children and adults with down syndrome. Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Journal of Special Education, 7(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1501/Ozlegt_0000000095
• Acarlar, F., Miller, J. F., & Johnston, J. R. (2006). Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT), Turkish (Version 9)[Computer Software]. Language Analysis Lab.
• Akoğlu, G.,& Acarlar, F. (2009). Investigation of Turkish nonword repetition list for 3-9 years children. Education and Science, 39, 173, 13-24. https://doi.org/10.21565/ozelegitimdergisi.365076
• Akoğlu, G.,& Acarlar, F. (2014). Relationship between syntax comprehension and verbal working memory of children with developmental language disorders. Turkish Journal of Psychology, 29(73), 89 -103.
• Alt, M.,& Plante, E. (2006). Factors that influence lexical and semantic fast mapping of young children with specific language impairment. Journal of Speech and Language Hearing Research, 49(5), 941 - 54. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2006/068)
• Andreou, G.,& Katsarou, D. (2016). Semantic processing in children with Down Syndrome. [Sözlü Bildiri] Selected Papers of the 21st International Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (ISTAL 21), 59-66.
• Asher, R. E. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics. Journal of Linguistics, 30(2), 551-555. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022226700016789
• Avons, S. E., Wragg, C. A., Cupples, L., & Lovegrove, W. J. (1998). Measures of phonological short-term memory and their relationship to vocabulary development. Applied Psycholinguistics, 19(4), 583-601. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716400010377
• Baddeley, A. (2000). The episodic buffer: A new component of working memory. Trends in Cognitive Science, 4(1), 417-423. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01538-2
• Baddeley, A. (2003). Working memory and language: An overview. Journal of Communication Disorders, 36, 189-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9924(03)00019-4
• Battaglia, D. (2013). Word assocsation and semantic priming in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Dissertation Abstracts International, 74, i – 99.
• Bildiren, A., Kargın, T., & Korkmaz, M. (2017). Reliability and validity of colored progressive matrices for 4-6 age children. Turkish Journal of Giftedness and Education, 7(1), 19-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211046945
• Boucher, J., Bigham, S., Mayes, A., & Muskett, T. (2008). Recognition and language in low functioning autism. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 38, 1259 – 1269.
• Bowey, J. A. (1996). On the association between phonological memory and receptive vocabulary in five-year-olds. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 63(1), 44-78. https://doi.org/10.1006/jecp.1996.0042
• Brown, A. N. (1975). The development of memory: Knowing, knowing about knowing and knowing how to know. Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 10, 103-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2407(08)60009-9
• Cardosa - Martins, C., Mervis, C. B., & Mervis, C. A. (1985). Early vocabulary acquisition by children with Down syndrome. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 90, 177-184.
• Chapman, R. S., Kay-Raining Bird, E., & Schwartz, S. E. (1990). Fast mapping of words in event contexts by children with Down syndrome. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 55, 761-770. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshd.5504.761
• Chapman, R. S., Seung, H. K., Schwartz, S. E., & Kay-Raining Bird, E. (1998). Language skills of children and adolescents with Down syndrome: II. Production deficits. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 41(4), 861- 882. https://doi.org/10.1044/jshr.3405.1106
• Charman, T., Drew, A., Baird, C., & Baird, G. (2003). Measuring early language development in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder using MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (Infant Form). Journal of Child Language, 30(1), 213-236. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0305000902005482
• Cronin, V. (2002). The syntagmatic–paradigmatic shift and reading development. Journal of Child Language, 29, 189-204. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000901004998
• Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135-168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
• Dunn, M., Gomes, H., & Sebastian, M. J. (199). Prototypicality of responses of autistic, language disordered, and normal children in a word fluency task. Child Neuropsychology, 2(2), 99-108. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049608401355
• Entwisle, D. R., Forsyth, D. F., & Muuss. (1964). The syntagmatic-paradigmatic shift in children's word associations. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 3, 19-29. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.84.1.93
• Facon, B., Grubar, J. C., & Gardez, C. (1998). Chronological age and receptive vocabulary of persons with Down syndrome. Psychological Reports, 82, 723-726. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1998.82.3.723
• Farvardin, M. T.,& Koosha, M. (2011). The role of vocabulary knowledge in Iranian EFL students’ reading comprehension performance: Breadth or depth? Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 1(11), 1575-1580. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.1.11.1575-1580
• Figueras, B., Edwards, L., & Langdon, D. (2008). Executive function and language in deaf children. The Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 13(1), 362-377. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/enm067
• Gabig, C. (2008). Verbal working memory and story retelling in school-age children with autism. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 39, 498-511. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2008/07-0023)
• Gathercole, S. E., Pickering, S. J., Knight, C., & Stegman, Z. (2004). Working memory skills and educational attainment: Evidence from national curriculum assessments at 7 and 14 years of age. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 18, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.934
• Gathercole, S. E., Hitch, G. J., Service, E., & Martin, A. J. (1997). Phonological short-term memory and new word learning in children. Developmental Psychology, 33(6), 966-979. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.33.6.966
• Gathercole, S. E., Willis, C. S., Emslie, H., & Baddeley, A. (1992). Phonological memory and vocabulary development during the early school years-a longitudinal study. Developmental Psycology, 28, 887-898. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.28.5.887
• Glenn, S.,& Cunningham, C. (2005). Performance of young people with Down syndrome on the Leiter-R and British picture vocabulary scales. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 49, 239-244. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2005.00643.x
• Goldstein, E. B. (2013). Bilişsel psikoloji (O. Gündüz, Çev.). Kaknüs Yayınları.
• Entwisle, D. R. (1966). Form class and children's word associations. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 5, 558-565. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(66)80091-9
• Grela, B. G. (2002). Lexical verb diversity in children with Down syndrome. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 16(4), 251-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699200210131987
• Hackman, D. A.,& Farah, M. J. (2009). Socioeconomic status and the developing brain. Trends Cognition Science,13(2), 65-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2008.11.003
• Haebig, E., Kaushanskaya, M., & Weismer, S. E. (2015). Lexical processing in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder and children with specific language impairment: The role of semantics. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorder, 45, 4109-4123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2534-2
• Jarrold C., Thorn A. S. C., & Stephens E. (2009). The relationships among verbal short-term memory, phonological awareness, and new word learning: Evidence from typical development and Down syndrome. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 102, 196-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2008.07.001
• Jones, M. N., Willits J., & Dennis, S. (2015). Models of semantic memory. In J. R. Busemeyer and J. T. Townsend (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Mathematical and Computational Psychology.(pp.232-254).
• Karbach, J.,& Kray, J. (2009). How useful is executive control training? Age differences in near and far transfer of task-switching training. Developmental Science 12, 978-990. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00846.x
• Keçeli-Kaysılı, B. (2013). Theory of mind: A comparison of children with autism spectrum disorders and typically developing children. Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Journal of Special Education, 14(1), 83-103.
• Kelley, E., Paul, J. J., Fein, D., & Naigles, L. R. (2006). Residual language deficits in optimal outcome children with a history of autism. Journal of Autism Development Disorder, 36(6), 807-828. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0111-44
• Keith, M.,& Nicoladis, E. (2013). The role of within-language vocabulary size in children's semantic development: Evidence from bilingual children. Journal of Child Language, 40(4), 873-884. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000912000268
• Kopp, C .B. (1989). Regulation of distress and negative emotions: A developmental view. Developmental Psychology, 25(3), 343-354. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.25.3.343
• Kover, S. T., McDuffie, A. S., Hagerman, R. J., & Abbeduto, L. (2013). Receptive vocabulary in boys with autism spectrum disorder: Cross-sectional developmental trajectories. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders, 43(11), 2696-2709. https://10.1007/s10803-013-1823-x
• Küçük Doğaroğlu, T.,& Acarlar, F. (2019). Development of vocabulary depth test for children in group of age between 4-6. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 35(1), 210-221 https://doi.org/10.16986/HUJE.2019049974
• Laws, G., Briscoe, J., Ang, S. Y., Brown, H., Hermena, E., & Kapikian, A. (2015). Receptive vocabulary and semantic knowledge in children with SLI and children with Down syndrome. Child Neuropsychology, 21(4), 490-508. https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2014.917619
• Laws, G.,& Gunn, D. (2004). Phonological memory as a predictor of language comprehension in Down syndrome: A five year follow-up study. Journal of Child Pschology and Pschiatry, 45(2), 326-337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00224.xLewis, M. (1993). The lexical approach: The state of ELT and the way forward. Language Teaching Publications.
• Loveland, K. A., McEvoy, R. E., Tunalı, B., & Kelley, M. L. (1990). Narrative story telling in autism and Down’s syndrome. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 8, 9-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-835X.1990.tb00818.x
• Luyster, R., Lopez, K., & Lord, C. (2007). Characterizing communicative development in children referred for autism spectrum disorders using the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI). Journal of Child Language, 34(3), 623-654. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000907008094
• McClelland, J. L., Rumelhart, D., E., & Hinton, G. E. (1986). The Appeal of Parallel Distributed Processing, In A General Framework for Parallel Distributed Processing Parallel distributed processing: explorations in the microstructure of cognition (pp. 45-76), MIT Press Cambridge, MA, USA.
• Mervis, C. B.,& Robinson, B. F. (2000). Expressive vocabulary ability of toddlers with Williams syndrome or Down syndrome: A comparison. Developmental Neuropsychology, 17(1), 111-126. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326942DN1701_07
• Miller, J. F. (1991). Research on child language disorders: A decade of progress. Pro-Ed.
• Montgomery, J. W., Magimairaj, B. M., & Finney, M. (2010). Working memory and specific language impairment: An update on the relation and perspectives on assessment and treatment. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 19, 78-94. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2009/09-0028)
• Nash, H. M.,& Snowling, M. J. (2008). Semantic and phonological fluency in children with down sydrome: Atypical organization of language or less efficient retrieval strategies? Cognitive Neuropsychology, 25(5), 690-703. https://doi.org/10.1080/02643290802274064
• Nelson, K. (1977). The sytagmatic-paradigmatic shift revisited: Review of research and theory. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 93-116. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.84.1.93
• Ozonoff, S.,& Strayer, D. L. (2011). Inhibitory function in nonretarded children with autism. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorder, 27(1), 59-77. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025821222046
• Rogers, T. T.,& McClelland, J. L. (2006). Semantic cognition. MIT Press.
• Service, E.,& Kohonen, V. (1995). Is the relation between phonological memory and foreign language learning accounted for by vocabulary acquisition? Applied Psycholinguistics, 16(2), 155-172. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716400007062
• Storkel, H. L. (2001). Learning new words: phonotactic probability in language development. Journal of Speech and Language Hearing Research, 44(6), 1321-1337. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2001/103)
• Smith, E.,& Jarrold, C. (2014). Grouping, semantis relation and imagery effects in ındividuals with down syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 3162-3174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.07.061
• Qian, D. D. (1998). Depth of vocabulary knowledge: Assessing its role in adults' reading comprehension in English as a second language. (Unpublished doctoral disseration). University of Toronto, Canada.
• Raven, J., Raven, J. C., & Court, H. (1998). Coloured progressive matices1998 Edition. Harcourt Assesment.
• Schneider, P., Dubé, R. V., & Hayward, D. (2005, January 6). The Edmonton Narrative Norms Instrument. Retrieved from University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. https://rehabmed.ualberta.ca/spa/ennı
• Sheng, L., Pena, E. D., Bedore, L. M., & Fiestas, E. (2012). Semantic deficits in spanish – english bilingual children with language impairment. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 55 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2011/10-0254)
• Smith, E.,& Jarrold, C. (2014). Grouping, semantis relation and imagery effects in individuals with down syndrome, Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 31623174. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2014.07.061
• Tager-Flusberg, H. (1991). Semantic processing in the free recall of autistic children: Further evidence for a cognitive deficit. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9, 417-430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.11.011
• Tager-Flusberg, H., Calkins, S., Nolin, T., Baumberger, T., Anderson, M., & Chadwick-Dias, A. (1990). A longitudinal study of language acquisition in autisticand down syndrome children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 20(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02206853
• Vicker, B. (2009, November 14). Social communication and language characteristics associated with high functioning, verbal children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Bloomington, IN: Indiana Resource Center for Autism. https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/pages/Social-Communication-and-Language-Characteristics-Associated-with-High-Functioning-Verbal-Children-and-Adults-with-ASD.
• Williams, D. L., Goldstein, G., Carpenter, P. A., & Minshew, N. J. (2005). Verbal and spatial working memory in autism. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorder, 35(6), 747-756. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0021-x