TY - JOUR
T1 - A Longitudinal Study of Parent-Child Interactions and Language Outcomes in Fragile X Syndrome and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
AU - Bush, Lauren
AU - Martin, Gary E.
AU - Landau, Emily
AU - Losh, Molly
N1 - Funding Information:
We greatly appreciate John Sideris for his consultation with data analysis, Chun Liang Chan for his help with the data infrastructure system, and all data collectors. We also acknowledge the Research Participant Registry Core of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, Grant P30 HD03110, as well as the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. Finally, we recognize the late Joanne Roberts, who was awarded the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development grants that supported the early phases of this research, and the children and families who participated.
Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD38819 and R01HD044935), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01DC010191), and the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH091131).
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Bush, Martin, Landau and Losh.
PY - 2021/11/8
Y1 - 2021/11/8
N2 - Difficulties with pragmatic language (i.e., language in social contexts, such as conversational ability) are a noted characteristic of the language profiles of both fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), conditions which show significant phenotypic overlap. Understanding the origins and developmental course of pragmatic language problems in FXS and other developmental conditions associated with language impairment is a critical step for the development of targeted interventions to promote communicative competence across the lifespan. This study examined pragmatic language in the context of parent-child interactions in school-age children with FXS (who did and did not meet ASD criteria on the ADOS; n = 85), idiopathic ASD (n = 32), Down syndrome (DS; n = 38), and typical development (TD; n = 39), and their parents. Parent-child communicative interactions were examined across multiple contexts, across groups, and in relationship to pragmatic language outcomes assessed 2 years later. Results showed both overlapping and divergent patterns across the FXS-ASD and idiopathic ASD child and parent groups, and also highlighted key differences in pragmatic profiles based on situational context, with more pragmatic language difficulties occurring for both ASD groups in less structured interactions. Differences in parental language styles during parent-child interactions were associated with child language outcomes, likely reflecting the complex interplay of discourse style inherent to a parent, with the inevitable influence of child characteristics on parent language as well. Together, findings help delineate the dynamic and multifactorial nature of impaired pragmatic skills among children with FXS and other neurodevelopmental disorders associated with language impairment, with potential implications for the development of targeted interventions for pragmatic communication skills.
AB - Difficulties with pragmatic language (i.e., language in social contexts, such as conversational ability) are a noted characteristic of the language profiles of both fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), conditions which show significant phenotypic overlap. Understanding the origins and developmental course of pragmatic language problems in FXS and other developmental conditions associated with language impairment is a critical step for the development of targeted interventions to promote communicative competence across the lifespan. This study examined pragmatic language in the context of parent-child interactions in school-age children with FXS (who did and did not meet ASD criteria on the ADOS; n = 85), idiopathic ASD (n = 32), Down syndrome (DS; n = 38), and typical development (TD; n = 39), and their parents. Parent-child communicative interactions were examined across multiple contexts, across groups, and in relationship to pragmatic language outcomes assessed 2 years later. Results showed both overlapping and divergent patterns across the FXS-ASD and idiopathic ASD child and parent groups, and also highlighted key differences in pragmatic profiles based on situational context, with more pragmatic language difficulties occurring for both ASD groups in less structured interactions. Differences in parental language styles during parent-child interactions were associated with child language outcomes, likely reflecting the complex interplay of discourse style inherent to a parent, with the inevitable influence of child characteristics on parent language as well. Together, findings help delineate the dynamic and multifactorial nature of impaired pragmatic skills among children with FXS and other neurodevelopmental disorders associated with language impairment, with potential implications for the development of targeted interventions for pragmatic communication skills.
KW - autism spectrum disorder
KW - broad autism phenotype
KW - fragile X syndrome
KW - longitudinal outcomes
KW - parent-child interaction
KW - pragmatic language
KW - social communication
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U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718572
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.718572
M3 - Article
C2 - 34819882
AN - SCOPUS:85119583221
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 718572
ER -
