A comparison of the expressive communication skills of triplet, twin and singleton children

Author(s): Dodd, B.

Journal/Book: Eur J Disorder Commun. 1997; 32: 19B Compton Terrace, London, England N1 2UN. Whurr Publishers Ltd. 328-345.

Abstract: Few studies have focused on the language acquisition of higher multiple birth sets. In this study, the communication skills of 51 triplet children are described. The measures used were: mean length of utterance; type-token ratio; conversational nets; phoneme repertoire; and number of different types of phonological processes used. The data gained were used to compare the communication skills of triplets with those of twins, singletons and normative data available in the literature. Siblings within triplet sets were also compared using language samples obtained from adult-child interactions and when the three children were playing together. The results indicated that the triplets' early communication skills were different from those of both singletons and twins. The triplets' difficulties included delayed syntactic development, limited use of different language functions and delayed phonological development. In contrast, twins' communication profile is characterised by disordered phonological development.

Note: Article Dodd B, Univ Newcastle upon Tyne, Dept Speech, King George VIth Bldg, Newcastle Tyne NE1 7RU, Tyne & Wear, ENGLAND

Keyword(s): children; comparison; expressive communication skills; INVITRO FERTILIZATION; LANGUAGE; 2-YEAR-OLD; SPEECH

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