RESUMEN
PURPOSE: Research shows that monolingual children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) have a higher incidence of cognitive-linguistic deficits, but it is not clear whether bilingual preschool children with CLP are especially vulnerable because they need to acquire 2 languages. We tested the hypothesis that bilingual children with CLP score lower than bilingual children with typical development (TD) on receptive vocabulary, verbal memory, and visuospatial memory. METHOD: Participants were 86 bilingual CLP children and 100 TD children 3-6 years of age, dominant in English or Mandarin. Each child completed assessments of English and Mandarin vocabulary, verbal and visuospatial short-term and working memory, hearing, and articulation. RESULTS: With analysis of covariance controlling for age and dominant language, no group differences were found between the CLP and TD bilingual children, although a correlational analysis indicated discrepancies in the relationship between variables. CONCLUSIONS: The findings do not support the hypothesis that preschool children with CLP score lower than preschool children with TD on receptive vocabulary and memory measures. Longitudinal research examining literacy skill development is needed to establish whether the deficits reported for school-age monolingual children with CLP become more obvious in bilingual children in later years, especially when the medium of instruction is the child's nondominant language.
Asunto(s)
Labio Leporino/fisiopatología , Fisura del Paladar/fisiopatología , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/fisiopatología , Memoria a Corto Plazo/fisiología , Multilingüismo , Audiometría del Habla , Niño , Lenguaje Infantil , Preescolar , Labio Leporino/epidemiología , Fisura del Paladar/epidemiología , Trastornos del Conocimiento/epidemiología , Trastornos del Conocimiento/fisiopatología , Femenino , Audición/fisiología , Humanos , Desarrollo del Lenguaje , Trastornos del Desarrollo del Lenguaje/epidemiología , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Factores de Riesgo , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Habla/fisiología , Pruebas de Articulación del Habla , Aprendizaje Verbal/fisiología , VocabularioRESUMEN
The main aim of the study was to ascertain whether parents of children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate (P-CLP) perform differently than parents of children without CLP (P-control) on a nonword repetition (NWR) test. Given that children with CLP frequently demonstrate communication and cognitive difficulties, a link between NWR performance and group would lend support to a familial risk factor in nonsyndromic CLP. The NWR test, a well-documented assessment to identify language and cognitive impairment, was used, together with a parent questionnaire to gather demographic data and family history information on medical, communication, and/or cognitive difficulties for 260 parents. Group differences on NWR performance and family history of communication and cognition difficulties were not demonstrated. Also, no significant difference on NWR score was seen in the P-CLP group based on child's CLP type. Correlation analysis showed that having more years of schooling, English as the dominant language, living in private housing, and being in skilled occupations were positively correlated to NWR score. Controlling for these known background variables did not alter NWR performance between P-CLP and P-control, however, only years of schooling significantly and consistently predicted NWR performance. Having significantly fewer years of schooling in the P-CLP group could be suggestive of an increased risk of communication and cognitive difficulties these parents face, and the potential difficulties their children with CLP may encounter. These results may inform early and rigorous intervention strategies for children with CLP.