Understanding developmental language disorder - the Helsinki longitudinal SLI study (HelSLI): a study protocol

Marja Laasonen, Sini Smolander, Pekka Lahti-Nuuttila, Miika Leminen, Hanna-Reetta Lajunen, Kati Heinonen, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, Todd M Bailey, Emmanuel M Pothos, Teija Kujala, Paavo H T Leppänen, Christopher W Bartlett, Ahmed Geneid, Leena Lauronen, Elisabet Service, Sari Kunnari, Eva Arkkila, Marja Laasonen, Sini Smolander, Pekka Lahti-Nuuttila, Miika Leminen, Hanna-Reetta Lajunen, Kati Heinonen, Anu-Katriina Pesonen, Todd M Bailey, Emmanuel M Pothos, Teija Kujala, Paavo H T Leppänen, Christopher W Bartlett, Ahmed Geneid, Leena Lauronen, Elisabet Service, Sari Kunnari, Eva Arkkila

Abstract

Background: Developmental language disorder (DLD, also called specific language impairment, SLI) is a common developmental disorder comprising the largest disability group in pre-school-aged children. Approximately 7% of the population is expected to have developmental language difficulties. However, the specific etiological factors leading to DLD are not yet known and even the typical linguistic features appear to vary by language. We present here a project that investigates DLD at multiple levels of analysis and aims to make the reliable prediction and early identification of the difficulties possible. Following the multiple deficit model of developmental disorders, we investigate the DLD phenomenon at the etiological, neural, cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial levels, in a longitudinal study of preschool children.

Methods: In January 2013, we launched the Helsinki Longitudinal SLI study (HelSLI) at the Helsinki University Hospital ( http://tiny.cc/HelSLI ). We will study 227 children aged 3-6 years with suspected DLD and their 160 typically developing peers. Five subprojects will determine how the child's psychological characteristics and environment correlate with DLD and how the child's well-being relates to DLD, the characteristics of DLD in monolingual versus bilingual children, nonlinguistic cognitive correlates of DLD, electrophysiological underpinnings of DLD, and the role of genetic risk factors. Methods include saliva samples, EEG, computerized cognitive tasks, neuropsychological and speech and language assessments, video-observations, and questionnaires.

Discussion: The project aims to increase our understanding of the multiple interactive risk and protective factors that affect the developing heterogeneous cognitive and behavioral profile of DLD, including factors affecting literacy development. This accumulated knowledge will form a heuristic basis for the development of new interventions targeting linguistic and non-linguistic aspects of DLD.

Keywords: (Nonverbal) short-term memory; Artificial grammar learning; Child behavior; Child temperament; Clinical EEG; Developmental language disorder; Event-related potentials; Genetics; Language acquisition; Sequential bilingualism; Specific language impairment.

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical clearance has been received for all subprojects of HelSLI from the ethical board of Helsinki University Hospital (approval reference number: § 248/2012). This clearance required an extensive written ethical evaluation by the principal investigator (M. Laasonen), which included a data management plan. Also, a research permit has been cleared by Helsinki University Hospital and the cities of Espoo, Helsinki, and Vantaa. A written consent to participate has been obtained from the parents.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Levels of the study and description of HelSLI subprojects

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