The predictive role of preverbal gestural communication for the development of language and preschool skills: A longitudinal study emphasizing language delay and bilingualism

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Continuation of an already DFG funded grant to conduct a longitudinal study with children between 12 and 30 months is proposed up to an age of 6 years in order to a) further validate hints on the possibility to identify language disorders at a preverbal age; b) investigate determinants on the association of gestural and linguistic skills in more detail; and c) validate results within a bilingual sample. Further testing of children includes development of more complex gestural and linguistic skills as well as preschool abilities such as basic mathematical skills, working memory, and phonological awareness. Continuation of the longitudinal approach is feasible through unconditional agreement of most (43 out of 46) participating families (Dortmund) to continue in the study, through funding from one of the applicants (Ritterfeld) that already bridges the two grant parts, and through the connection to another ongoing grant project funded by BMBF (Liszkowski). Moreover, we plan to conduct additional analyses of the already collected date (Rohlfing).