Attentional Control in Preschoolers With and Without SLI

描述（由申请人提供）：本申请由一个理论框架指导，该框架假定具有典型语言技能的儿童应用一般认知资源（如注意力）来促进语言习得，这些过程中的限制可能导致语言技能低下。从这个角度来看，对表现出语言困难的儿童的注意功能的研究，对于充实这一理论和理解这种障碍的性质都有价值。然而，关于特殊语言障碍儿童（SLI）注意功能的研究很少，而且只有少数几个方面的注意得到了解决。此外，虽然学龄儿童与SLI已被研究，与SLI学龄前儿童的注意功能的评估没有。这很可能是用于评估年轻人注意力技能的方法固有的局限性的结果。本申请的目的是扩展以前成功地用于学龄前儿童的方法，以研究注意力控制的选定方面，包括分心，抑制控制和错误监控。这项工作，沿着与以前的研究持续的注意力，旨在确定是否特定的子组件的注意力薄弱的SLI儿童。这项工作是一个长期的目标，解决如何注意可能会影响语言习得的SLI的先决条件。此外，所提出的方法有可能提供改进的程序，在早期诊断注意力的困难，无论语言状态。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is guided by a theoretical framework positing that children with typical language skills apply general cognitive resources, such as attention, to facilitate language acquisition, and limitations in these processes may contribute to poor language skills. From this perspective, the study of attentional functioning of children who exhibit difficulty with language would have value for both informing this theory and for understanding the nature of the disorder. However, research on attentional functioning of children with specific language impairment (SLI) is scarce, and only a few facets of attention have been addressed at all. In addition, although school-age children with SLI have been studied, the assessment of attentional functioning in preschoolers with SLI has not. This is likely the result the limitations inherent to the methods used for evaluating attentional skills at younger ages. The purpose of this application is to extend a method previously used successfully with preschool children to study selected aspects of attentional control including distractibility, inhibitory control, and error monitoring. This work, along with a previous study on sustained attention, is intended to determine whether specific subcomponents of attention are weak for children with SLI. This work is a prerequisite for a long term goal of addressing how attention may affect language acquisition in SLI. Furthermore, the methodology proposed has the potential to offer improved procedures for diagnosing attentional difficulties at an early age, regardless of language status.