Understanding sign-augmented language learning in parent-child dyads: what can we learn from the embodied experiences of young children with Down synd

智力残疾通常与语言迟缓有关，语言迟缓通常出现在生命早期，但对早期干预有反应。有很多证据表明，增加与手势的交流，如马卡顿，可以促进有智力障碍的幼儿表达性语言的发展。然而，尽管手语增强交流在这一群体中有明显的好处和广泛的使用，但目前对其发展中涉及的具体学习过程的研究有限。语言的发展本质上是一个社会过程。头戴式眼动追踪技术具有变革性，它使我们能够捕捉到孩子在日常互动中每时每刻的目光，父母是他们的主要社交伙伴。除了了解儿童在日常社交活动中看向哪里之外，人们还清楚地认识到，有必要了解运动活动如何促进社交活动。孩子们不是被动地接受来自环境的输入，而是主动地产生输入。例如，拿着或伸手去拿一个物体可以使它进入孩子的视线，同时为父母提供一个明显的线索，让他们知道孩子的注意力在哪里。对正常发育儿童的研究在亲子互动中使用头戴式眼动追踪来确定注意力和运动模式何时以及如何交叉以创造理想的口语学习时刻，目前正在对患有神经发育障碍的儿童进行研究。然而，到目前为止，这项研究忽略了手语增强语言，尽管它在智力残疾儿童中普遍使用。因此，我的博士项目是通过在亲子互动中使用头戴式眼动追踪来研究智力残疾儿童习得手语增强语言的注意和运动过程。这项研究将特别关注患有唐氏综合症的儿童，这是与智力残疾相关的最常见的遗传综合征。通过了解手语增强语言的发展过程，我们希望为家长和从业者提供如何更好地支持儿童语言学习的信息。

Intellectual disability is often associated with language delay, which commonly emerges early in life but is responsive to early intervention. There is much evidence to suggest that augmenting communication with manual signs, such as Makaton, can facilitate expressive language development in young children with intellectual disability. However, despite the evidential benefits and popular usage of sign-augmented communication within this group, there is currently limited research on the specific learning processes involved in its development.Language development is an inherently social process. Head-mounted eye-tracking has been transformative in enabling us to capture the moment-by-moment gaze of children in their everyday interactions with their parents as their main social partners. Beyond understanding where children are looking during their everyday social interactions, there has been a clear recognition of the need to understand how motor activity contributes to social interaction. Children do not passively receive input from their environment, but actively generate it. For instance, holding or reaching for an object can bring it into the child's line of vision, while simultaneously provide a salient cue to their parent as to where their attention lies. Research with typically developing children has used head-mounted eye-tracking during parent-child interaction to identify when and how attentional and motor patterns intersect to create ideal spoken-word learning moments, and this is currently being examined in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the research has so far omitted sign-augmented language, despite its prevalent usage by children with intellectual disability.My PhD project is therefore interested in the attentional and motor processes involved in the acquisition of sign-augmented language in young children with intellectual disability, using head-mounted eye-tracking during parent-child interaction. This research will specifically focus on children with Down syndrome, as the most common known genetic syndrome associated with intellectual disability. Through understanding more about how sign-augmented language develops moment-by moment, we hope to provide parents and practitioners with information on how to better support children's language learning.