Do children with Williams syndrome really have good vocabulary knowledge? Methods for comparing cognitive and linguistic abilities in developmental disorders

Citation

Brock J, Jarrold C, Farran EK, Laws G & Riby D (2007) Do children with Williams syndrome really have good vocabulary knowledge? Methods for comparing cognitive and linguistic abilities in developmental disorders. Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics, 21 (9), pp. 673-688. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699200701541433

Abstract
The comparison of cognitive and linguistic skills in individuals with developmental disorders is fraught with methodological and psychometric difficulties. In this paper, we illustrate some of these issues by comparing the receptive vocabulary knowledge and non-verbal reasoning abilities of 41 children with Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder in which language abilities are often claimed to be relatively strong. Data from this group were compared with data from typically developing children, children with Down syndrome, and children with non-specific learning difficulties using a number of approaches including comparison of age-equivalent scores, matching, analysis of covariance, and regression-based standardization. Across these analyses children with Williams syndrome consistently demonstrated relatively good receptive vocabulary knowledge, although this effect appeared strongest in the oldest children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts)

Keywords
3; ABILITY; ABSTRACTS; ACCURACY; analysis; Children; CHILDREN with disabilities -- Language; cognitive abilities; COGNITIVE ability; cognitive skills; Communication; Copyright; data; developmental disorders; DIFFICULTIES; DISABILITIES; Disability; Disorders; DOWN syndrome; email; genetic; GENETIC disorders; GENETIC disorders in children; graph; INDIVIDUALS; Information; INTERPERSONAL communication in children; ISSUES; knowledge; language; LANGUAGE & languages -- Glossaries,vocabularies,etc.; Languages; Law; Laws; Learning; learning difficulties; Learning disabilities; learning disability; Linguistics; LINGUISTICS -- Research; LTD; method; Methodology; methods; NUMBER; properties; Reasoning; receptive vocabulary; Research; SITES; Skills; standardization; Vocabulary; Williams syndrome

Journal
Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics: Volume 21, Issue 9