View in EDS PDF Full Text

Learning of Grammar-Like Sequences by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: An Electrophysiological Examination

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Learning of Grammar-Like Sequences by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: An Electrophysiological Examination
Language: English
Authors: Ziyi Cao (ORCID 0009-0008-0117-9969), Kelsey Black, Asiya Gul (ORCID 0000-0001-6743-598X), Lauren S. Baron (ORCID 0000-0002-4068-6479), Shivani Patel, Annika Lynn Schafer, Yael Arbel (ORCID 0000-0002-5749-393X)
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
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
    Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwHaNlDp2DCxMsva5eKaSrFfAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDI4uY4UUnW3KLfNFKQIBEICBmzJcFTwuhv-OKtHBmrStAXm4rYq1LG8EJUc7xFK4C4fv3bUtXpeqJTEaUeOtJfIyw_mwhFDG1Xii2xR-6YFsQ2JxNgx1TM7ZQLnMzNrWwR9rIfBI1BXIhu19KtkDKvIbpzem099oFomeJb4lBuoF_JtFmBusu77ikT6V2IkZN_cNmMxTFRX8TGbroVTOJoKZtBVnPO3-Cawfj3wW
Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1499709
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Learning of Grammar-Like Sequences by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: An Electrophysiological Examination
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ziyi+Cao%22">Ziyi Cao</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0117-9969">0009-0008-0117-9969</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kelsey+Black%22">Kelsey Black</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Asiya+Gul%22">Asiya Gul</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6743-598X">0000-0001-6743-598X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lauren+S%2E+Baron%22">Lauren S. Baron</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4068-6479">0000-0002-4068-6479</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shivani+Patel%22">Shivani Patel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annika+Lynn+Schafer%22">Annika Lynn Schafer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Yael+Arbel%22">Yael Arbel</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5749-393X">0000-0002-5749-393X</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Speech%2C+Language%2C+and+Hearing+Research%22"><i>Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research</i></searchLink>. 2026 69(3):1033-1052.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: 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
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 20
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) (DHHS/NIH)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: R01DC018295
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Developmental+Disabilities%22">Developmental Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Impairments%22">Language Impairments</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grammar%22">Grammar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+Acquisition%22">Language Acquisition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cognitive+Processes%22">Cognitive Processes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Brain%22">Brain</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Individual+Differences%22">Individual Differences</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Massachusetts%22">Massachusetts</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Kaufman+Brief+Intelligence+Test%22">Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Clinical+Evaluation+of+Language+Fundamentals%22">Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00107
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1092-4388<br />1558-9102
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1499709
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1499709
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1044/2025_JSLHR-25-00107
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 20
        StartPage: 1033
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Developmental Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Impairments
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grammar
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Language Acquisition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cognitive Processes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Brain
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Individual Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Massachusetts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Learning of Grammar-Like Sequences by Children with Developmental Language Disorder: An Electrophysiological Examination
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ziyi Cao
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kelsey Black
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Asiya Gul
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Lauren S. Baron
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Shivani Patel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Annika Lynn Schafer
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Yael Arbel
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1092-4388
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1558-9102
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 69
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
              Type: main
ResultId 1