Learning of Grammar-Like Sequences by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: An Electrophysiological Examination
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| Title: | Learning of Grammar-Like Sequences by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: An Electrophysiological Examination |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Ziyi Cao (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 2026 69(3):1033-1052. |
| Availability: | American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 20 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (DHHS/NIH) |
| Contract Number: | R01DC018295 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Children, Developmental Disabilities, Language Impairments, Grammar, Language Acquisition, Cognitive Processes, Brain, Individual Differences |
| Geographic Terms: | Massachusetts |
| Assessment and Survey Identifiers: | Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals |
| DOI: | 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00107 |
| ISSN: | 1092-4388 1558-9102 |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 7% of children in the United States. One notable characteristic of DLD is difficulty in mastering nonadjacent dependencies, such as the third-person singular "-s" or passive construction "be -ed." This study examines behavioral and electrophysiological measures of nonadjacent dependencies learning in children with DLD in the context of a visual grammar-like learning paradigm. Method: Fifty-one children (22 DLD, 29 typical language development [TD]) aged 8;0-12;4 (years;months) completed an aXb/cXd grammar learning task, followed by an immediate and 1-week follow-up test. Neurophysiological responses to grammatical and nongrammatical stimuli were measured by recording electroencephalography during the immediate test. Results: Children with and without DLD performed similarly and above chance level during the immediate test. Performance on the follow-up test indicated improved accuracy in children with TD. The DLD group, on the other hand, no longer exhibited above chance-level performance, pointing to limited consolidation. Event-related potentials extracted in relation to the grammaticality of the test items highlighted processing differences in responses to grammatical violations between the two groups (TD and DLD). While a P600 was found sensitive to grammatical violations in the TD group, a frontal N400-like activation was found sensitive to violations in the DLD group. These findings are interpreted to suggest familiarity-based associative learning rather than rule-based processing in children with DLD. Conclusion: Children with DLD achieved comparable scores on the immediate behavioral test as their TD peers but did not show evidence of rule abstraction and long-term retention. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1499709 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition that affects approximately 7% of children in the United States. One notable characteristic of DLD is difficulty in mastering nonadjacent dependencies, such as the third-person singular "-s" or passive construction "be -ed." This study examines behavioral and electrophysiological measures of nonadjacent dependencies learning in children with DLD in the context of a visual grammar-like learning paradigm. Method: Fifty-one children (22 DLD, 29 typical language development [TD]) aged 8;0-12;4 (years;months) completed an aXb/cXd grammar learning task, followed by an immediate and 1-week follow-up test. Neurophysiological responses to grammatical and nongrammatical stimuli were measured by recording electroencephalography during the immediate test. Results: Children with and without DLD performed similarly and above chance level during the immediate test. Performance on the follow-up test indicated improved accuracy in children with TD. The DLD group, on the other hand, no longer exhibited above chance-level performance, pointing to limited consolidation. Event-related potentials extracted in relation to the grammaticality of the test items highlighted processing differences in responses to grammatical violations between the two groups (TD and DLD). While a P600 was found sensitive to grammatical violations in the TD group, a frontal N400-like activation was found sensitive to violations in the DLD group. These findings are interpreted to suggest familiarity-based associative learning rather than rule-based processing in children with DLD. Conclusion: Children with DLD achieved comparable scores on the immediate behavioral test as their TD peers but did not show evidence of rule abstraction and long-term retention. |
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| ISSN: | 1092-4388 1558-9102 |
| DOI: | 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00107 |
