Spoken and written language are two important ways in which individuals communicate with and learn about the world around them. However, individuals with Down syndrome are known to have unique patterns of strengths and difficulties in language and literacy across the lifespan (Abbeduto et al., 2007). Understanding these patterns, as well as individual differences and underlying predictors of success, can help identify important targets for intervention at different points in development. In typical development, executive function skills are one of those underlying predictors, known to contribute to language and literacy development (Nouwens et al., 2021). Despite a well-documented and unique executive function profile of relative strengths (e.g., organization of materials) and difficulties (e.g., working memory) in individuals with Down syndrome (Tungate & Conners, 2021), the relation between executive function and language and literacy has not been well-documented in this population. Thus, the focus of this symposium is to bring together recent research on the language and literacy skills of individuals with Down syndrome across different developmental periods and discuss if and how executive functions intersect with these abilities.
References
Abbeduto, L., Warren, S. F., & Conners, F. A. (2007). Language development in Down syndrome: From the prelinguistic period to the acquisition of literacy. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13(3), 247-261.
Nouwens, S., Groen, M. A., Kleemans, T., & Verhoeven, L. (2021). How executive functions contribute to reading comprehension. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 91(1), 169-192.
Tungate, A. S., & Conners, F. A. (2021). Executive function in Down syndrome: A meta-analysis. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 108, 103802.
Chair: Susan Loveall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
Discussant: Nancy Raitano Lee, Drexel University
First Presentation: Language Heterogeneity and Executive Function Links in Children with Down Syndrome
Hannah Grosman, Drexel University, K. Bottrill, University of Arizona
A. J. Thurman, UC Davis Health System
L. Abbeduto, UC Davis Health System
J. Edgin, Virginia Tech University
N.R. Lee, Drexel University
Second Presentation: Reading Comprehension Skills of Students with Down Syndrome: Testing an Extended Model of the Simple View of Reading
Susan Loveall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Frances A. Conners, University of Alabama
Xin Dang, University of Mississippi
Third Presentation: Effects of Parent-delivered Early Language Intervention on Language, Literacy, and Executive Function in Children with Down Syndrome: Outcomes from a Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
Kelly Burgoyne, University of Manchester,
Fourth Presentation: Supporting Continued Reading Development in Young Adults with Down Syndrome: Functional Reading Activities to Motivate and Engage
Alison Prahl, Baylor University, Kaitlynn Fraze, Baylor University
Anupama Kannan, Baylor University
Rodney Sturdivant, Baylor University