Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Assessing Language Delay in Twins: Low Gesture Use and Birth History Factors

Abstract

Identification of language disorders in children younger than 3 years remains challenging despite agreement that early intervention improves outcomes. This study of twin language and gesture development substantiated the twinning effect, an unexplained lag in expressive and receptive language seen in twins, for a group of 88, 16- to 18-month-old twins who did not present with extreme perinatal risk. A valid, parent-report measure revealed word production ≤10th percentile for 15 twins. Pregnancy complications, but not a positive family history of speech, language or learning disorders or other case history factors, significantly increased the odds of this early expressive delay. The twinning effect was more pronounced for gesture than spoken vocabulary: 29 twins fell below gesture norms. This was unexpected. Because gesture signals early communicative intentionality, twins with early expressive delay who present with limited gestures, with or without additional risk factors, warrant priority consideration for early intervention.

Publication Date

2021

Comments

This is the peer-reviewed version of the following article: Foran, L. G., Evans, K., & Beverly, B. L. (2021). Assessing language delay in twins: low gesture use and birth history factors. Infants and Young Children 34(4), 324-336., which is published in its final form at https://doi.org/10.1097/IYC.0000000000000202. This article may not be used commercially or be enhanced, enriched, or transformed in any way without permission from the authors and publishers.

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