EARLY DEVELOPMENT: WILLIAMS OR DOWN SYNDROME CHILDREN

拟议研究的总体目标是描述 语言与认知的发展关系。 研究 将集中于三个小组的早期语言和认知发展 儿童：威廉综合征儿童，唐氏综合征儿童 综合征，正常发育的儿童。 以前的研究人员已经 认为患有威廉姆斯综合征的儿童具有语言技能， 超越他们的认知能力，而患有唐氏综合症的儿童 比语言技能更先进的认知技能; 一般来说，正常发育的儿童有相当水平的 语言和认知技能。 由于不同的 语言与认知关系的一般性质 三个人群，在一项研究中纳入所有三个人群， 调查普遍性或非普遍性的独特机会 语言和认知之间的特殊关系。 拟议 研究包括一项为期五年的纵向研究， 在特定发展阶段进行的研究。 两个观测 将使用实验方法。 有四个具体的 目标. 第一，一系列一般和具体的关系， 语言和认知将被检查。 第二，参考 儿童的最早的话将探索，使用观察，准- 实验和实验程序。 第三，发展和 智力迟钝儿童对词汇操作原则的运用 将被考虑。 最后，儿童发展的一般问题 威廉姆斯综合征和唐氏综合征的患者。 研究 将对这一关系的理论模型 语言和认知之间的关系，以及早期认知和 对发育障碍儿童进行语言干预。

The general objective of the proposed research is to delineate the developmental relations between language and cognition. The research will focus on early linguistic and cognitive development by three groups of children: children with William syndrome, children with Down syndrome, and normally developing children. Previous researchers have argued that children with Williams syndrome have language skills that exceed their cognitive skills, whereas children with Down syndrome have cognitive skills that are more advanced than their language skills; in general, normally developing children have equivalent levels of linguistic and cognitive skills. Because of the differences in the general nature of the relations between language and cognition for the three populations, inclusion of all three in a single study provides a unique opportunity to investigate the universality or non-universality of specific relations among language and cognition. The proposed research consists of a five year longitudinal study with supplemental studies conducted at specific points in development. Both observational and experimental methodologies will be used. There are four specific objectives. First, a series of general and specific relations between language and cognition will be examined. Second, the reference of children's earliest words will be explored, using observational, quasi- experimental, and experimental procedures. Third, the development and use of lexical operating principles by children with mental retardation will be considered. Finally, general issues of development by children with Williams syndrome and Down syndrome will be addressed. The research will have implications both for theoretical models of the relation between language and cognition and for the design of early cognitive and language intervention for children with developmental disabilities.