LOOKING at Language

LOOKING at Language

A child's ability to communicate is one of the most important developmental accomplishments and builds the foundation for success at school and beyond. Language difficulties can limit a child's educational achievement and their social, civic, and economic participation.

The LOOKING at Language study aims to understand why some children have difficulty developing language and later in learning to read. Most children with normal hearing, normal intelligence and no other developmental problems develop language with remarkable ease, however an estimated 7% of children do not - and we need to know why.

About Us

Professors Rice, Zubrick and Taylor

LOOKING at Language is a joint initiative between the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Curtin University and the USA's University of Kansas and University of Nebraska Medical Center. The 10-year study (2002-2012) is funded by the USA National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders Award 2R01DC05226.

LOOKING at Language addresses two priority areas for language development in children:

1. Determining factors that contribute to or cause normal and disordered communication; and
2. Developing and refining diagnostic criteria to facilitate early diagnosis of communication disorders.

Knowledge about genetic and environmental pathways to language disorders and reading disorders will translate to improved early identification of children at risk for language and reading disorders and improved service provision for children in the health and education sectors.

Our Research

LAL Study Team (L-R): Alani Morgan, Virginia Muniandy,
Alicia Watkins and Elke Scheepers

LOOKING at Language began as a 5-year study (2002-2007) of language development from 2-6 years of age, funded by the USA National Institutes of Health. In July 2007, the study was funded by the USA National Institutes of Health for a further 5 years (2007 - 2012), allowing us to study children from 2-9 years. The additional funding enables us to continue our study into the vital early years of school and to begin molecular genetic studies of language, speech and reading disorders. The project conducts in-depth and comprehensive assessments of language development at 2, 4, 6 and 9 years and literacy skills at 6 and 9 years. These ages are benchmarked to the critical early learning years between kindergarten and Year 3.

Results so far for single-born children, point toward characteristics of the child as important predictors of language delay at 2 years and away from characteristics of the child's family environment, such as the mother's level of education, income or parenting style. One family factor that was important was whether or not anyone else in the family had a history of language delay. Our results show that most children (80%) with early language delay catch up by school age. However, 20% of the children we studied did not catch up. Our research will help explain why some children struggle with language development and later with reading.

Who is taking part in the study?
We are collecting information from a population-based sample of Western Australian twins, single-born children and their parents and brothers and sisters. There are over 1000 WA families taking part in the study. We are following the children at 2, 4, 6 and 9 years. Our study sample is complete and we cannot enrol any new participants in the study.

Face-to-face assessments:
We collect information about language and related abilities using a hearing test, a nonverbal abilities test, language tests and reading tests (for children 6 years and over). The tests involve answering questions, following instructions and reading (for children 6 years and over). The test materials include pictures, objects and written words.

Questionnaires:
We collect information about children, parents and families through written questionnaires that are completed when each child is 6 years and 9 years.

DNA samples from saliva:
We are collecting samples of genetic material (DNA) so we can find out more about how genes influence language and language-related abilities, such as reading. We are using a new non-invasive method of collecting DNA from saliva.

Media Releases

Mixed results for late talking toddlers

(14 May 2008)

Late talking toddlers: new results debunk the myths (12 July 2006)

Newsletters

FirstWord

Twins