DICHOTIC VERBAL PROCESSING IN DOWNS-SYNDROME CHILDREN HAVING QUALITATIVELY DIFFERENT SPEECH AND LANGUAGE-SKILLS

Abstract

A dichotic word task was used to contrast the speech-perceptual functioning of 2 groups of Down''s syndrome children having qualitatively different speech and language skills to that of nonretarded subjects [Ss]. Although the 20 nonretarded Ss showed an average 23% right-ear effect on the task, the average ear effect for 29 Down''s syndrome Ss was essentially 0. The pattern of phonemic processing of 15 Down''s syndrome Ss having better speech and language resembled that of the nonretarded Ss; the pattern of 14 Down''s syndrome Ss having poorer speech and language was atypical. Place of articulation and voicing of phonemes frequently had different effects in the latter group in the determination of which dichotic words were reported. Although the group having better speech and language had slightly higher MA [mental age] and IQ than the poorer group, MA and IQ were not related to ear-preference scores.