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How we measure language skills of children at scale: A call to move beyond domain-specific tests as a proxy for language

The aim of this research note is to encourage child language researchers and clinicians to give careful consideration to the use of domain-specific tests as a proxy for language; particularly in the context of large-scale studies and for the identification of language disorder in clinical practice.

The Utility of Natural Language Samples for Assessing Communication and Language in Infants Referred with Early Signs of Autism

Natural Language Sampling (NLS) offers clear potential for communication and language assessment, where other data might be difficult to interpret. We leveraged existing primary data for 18-month-olds showing early signs of autism, to examine the reliability and concurrent construct validity of NLS-derived measures coded from video-of child language, parent linguistic input, and dyadic balance of communicative interaction-against standardised assessment scores. Using Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts (SALT) software and coding conventions, masked coders achieved good-to-excellent inter-rater agreement across all measures.

The prevalence of and potential risk factors for Developmental Language Disorder at 10 years in the Raine Study

This study sought to determine the prevalence of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in Australian school-aged children and associated potential risk factors for DLD at 10 years.

Adolescent education outcomes and maltreatment: The role of pre-existing adversity, level of child protection involvement, and school attendance

Maltreated children are at high risk for low educational achievement, however few studies have accounted for confounding risk factors that commonly co-occur (including child, family and neighbourhood risk factors) and results have been mixed, particularly for adolescents.

Heritability of Specific Language Impairment and Nonspecific Language Impairment at Ages 4 and 6 Years Across Phenotypes of Speech, Language, and Nonverbal Cognition

Nonverbal IQ is not on the same causal pathway as language impairments

Predicting language difficulties in middle childhood from early developmental milestones: A comparison of traditional regression and machine learning techniques

The current study provides preliminary evidence that machine learning algorithms provide equivalent predictive accuracy to traditional methods for language difficulties in middle childhood

Late talkers and later language outcomes: Predicting the different language trajectories

The aim of the current study was to investigate the risk factors present at 2 years for children who showed language difficulties that persisted

Patterns of multiple risk exposures for low receptive vocabulary growth 4-8 years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

Our results demonstrate a range of multiple risk profiles in a population-representative sample of Australian children and highlight the mix of risk factors faced by children

Barriers to Parent–Child Book Reading in Early Childhood

Parent–child book reading interventions alone are unlikely to meet needs of children and families for whom the absence of reading is psychosocial risk factor

Patterns and Predictors of Language and Literacy Abilities 4-10 Years in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

This research focuses on three questions 1) What are the patterns of stability & change; 2) what are the predictors of this progression, and; 3) what is the...