SRCLD Presentation Details
  Title  
       
    Auditory temporal integration in children with language impairment  
Author(s)
Janis Oram Cardy - University of Western Ontario
Michaela Hamel - University of Western Ontario
David Purcell - University of Western Ontario
Marc Joanisse - University of Western Ontario
Lisa Archibald - University of Western Ontario

SRCLD Info
SRCLD Year: 2012
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Poster Number:
Presentation Time: (na)
Categories
- Cognition/Language
- Language Impairment, School Age
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that impaired auditory temporal integration (ATI) may contribute to impaired language development. We used a simple and quick computerized task to estimate the ATI threshold in children with a developmental Language Impairment (LI) and with typical development (TD). Children with LI and TD aged 6-11 years completed standardized tests of oral language, reading, and intelligence, followed by the “Bird” task, in which they identified which of two birds paused between its chirps. An adaptive procedure adjusted the size of the gap based on the child’s accuracy, yielding an ATI threshold reflecting the smallest gap that child was able to identify. Results revealed that children with LI had significantly longer ATI thresholds than children with TD. ATI threshold was significantly correlated with phonological awareness, reading and nonverbal IQ, but not oral language function. These findings suggest that impairments in processing basic auditory stimuli may contribute to difficulties that children with LI experience in their phonological and reading abilities. This work was supported by grants from the NSERC, SRCF, and UWO.