Spoken and written language skills are critical for educational inclusion and academic outcomes, occupational and economic opportunities, independence in adulthood, social participation, emotional wellbeing, and mental health. Individuals with Down syndrome often experience difficulties in speech and language development from infancy to adult life. These difficulties can negatively impact early development, including parenting, family life, and peer interactions, and have cascading effects on later academic achievement, social and emotional development, community inclusion, and behavior over time. Thus, research examining speech, language, and literacy in this group of learners is imperative to understand the profile of strengths and weaknesses in these domains, underlying causes for difficulties, and how speech, language, and literacy skills interact with other aspects of development and are shaped by the environment in which individuals develop. This work has important implications for general theories of speech, language, and literacy development and important practical implications for education and intervention.
Through research over the last 30-40 years has led to advances in our understanding of speech, language, and literacy in people with Down syndrome, common misunderstandings about learners with Down syndrome persist. These misconceptions are likely to limit opportunities provided to them for development and thus the potential outcomes that they may achieve. Furthermore, many questions about how these skills develop and why they are impaired in individuals with Down syndrome are yet to be addressed. This Research Topic aims to integrate recent research in speech, language, and literacy in individuals with Down syndrome, provide an up-to-date overview of evidence for researchers, academics, and practitioners, and identify important avenues for future research. By synthesizing recent advances in the field, we aim to improve our understanding of Down syndrome, challenge outdated views, and highlight the most important questions to be addressed in future research.
Contributions are invited which examine speech, language, and/or literacy skills in individuals with Down syndrome. We welcome original research (e.g., correlational, experimental, or/and longitudinal designs) with individuals with Down syndrome of all ages. Review articles, meta-analyses, and contributions dealing with more practical issues are also encouraged. Research that considers how the development of speech, language, and/or literacy is intertwined with other aspects of development (e.g., cognition; motor skills) and the environment (e.g. play and social interaction) is particularly encouraged, as is research that examines teaching methods/interventions designed to support speech, language, and literacy development. Authors are encouraged to consider individual differences alongside knowledge of the phenotype, draw out practical implications where possible, and suggest directions for future research. Articles on genetics, medical/health research, and/or basic articles studying the brain will not be considered for this topic.
Spoken and written language skills are critical for educational inclusion and academic outcomes, occupational and economic opportunities, independence in adulthood, social participation, emotional wellbeing, and mental health. Individuals with Down syndrome often experience difficulties in speech and language development from infancy to adult life. These difficulties can negatively impact early development, including parenting, family life, and peer interactions, and have cascading effects on later academic achievement, social and emotional development, community inclusion, and behavior over time. Thus, research examining speech, language, and literacy in this group of learners is imperative to understand the profile of strengths and weaknesses in these domains, underlying causes for difficulties, and how speech, language, and literacy skills interact with other aspects of development and are shaped by the environment in which individuals develop. This work has important implications for general theories of speech, language, and literacy development and important practical implications for education and intervention.
Through research over the last 30-40 years has led to advances in our understanding of speech, language, and literacy in people with Down syndrome, common misunderstandings about learners with Down syndrome persist. These misconceptions are likely to limit opportunities provided to them for development and thus the potential outcomes that they may achieve. Furthermore, many questions about how these skills develop and why they are impaired in individuals with Down syndrome are yet to be addressed. This Research Topic aims to integrate recent research in speech, language, and literacy in individuals with Down syndrome, provide an up-to-date overview of evidence for researchers, academics, and practitioners, and identify important avenues for future research. By synthesizing recent advances in the field, we aim to improve our understanding of Down syndrome, challenge outdated views, and highlight the most important questions to be addressed in future research.
Contributions are invited which examine speech, language, and/or literacy skills in individuals with Down syndrome. We welcome original research (e.g., correlational, experimental, or/and longitudinal designs) with individuals with Down syndrome of all ages. Review articles, meta-analyses, and contributions dealing with more practical issues are also encouraged. Research that considers how the development of speech, language, and/or literacy is intertwined with other aspects of development (e.g., cognition; motor skills) and the environment (e.g. play and social interaction) is particularly encouraged, as is research that examines teaching methods/interventions designed to support speech, language, and literacy development. Authors are encouraged to consider individual differences alongside knowledge of the phenotype, draw out practical implications where possible, and suggest directions for future research. Articles on genetics, medical/health research, and/or basic articles studying the brain will not be considered for this topic.