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In:Typical and Impaired Processing in Morphosyntax
Edited by Vincent Torrens
[Language Acquisition and Language Disorders 64] 2020
► pp. 209–238

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Language impairment in an Italian child with Trisomy X

Assessment and intervention

 | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
 | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
Published online: 21 October 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lald.64.10lan
This study deals with the case of Emma, an Italian 8-year-old girl affected by a sex chromosome anomaly called Trisomy X and diagnosed with Expressive Language Impairment. Language assessment of both comprehension and production was conducted through standardized and non-standardized, experimental tests. Passive, cleft, wh-sentences, and relative clauses with manipulation of number features were tested, in addition to clitic pronouns. Her spontaneous production was also assessed. Emma has problems with functional words realizing the highest portion of nominal structure: articles, prepositions, and clitic pronouns. Given her very good cognitive abilities, Emma was administered a tailor-made language intervention focused on functional elements, namely determiners and prepositions, aimed at enhancing her language awareness. During language intervention, use of Italian Sign Language (LIS) was crucial to boost lexical retrieval of functional prepositions and pluri-syllabic lexical words.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.State of the art on Trisomy X
    • 2.1The syndrome
    • 2.2Physical characteristics
    • 2.3Cognitive and psychological characteristics
    • 2.4Linguistic characteristics
  • 3.The participant
  • 4.Profiles of the tests
  • 5.Tests before treatment
    • 5.1Comprehension
    • 5.2Production and repetition
    • 5.3Grammaticality judgements
    • 5.4Working memory and auditory discrimination
  • 6.Language intervention
    • 6.1The “holes” metaphor
    • 6.2The support of Italian Sign Language
  • 7.Results after treatment
    • 7.1Comprehension
    • 7.2Production and repetition
    • 7.3Grammaticality judgements
    • 7.4Working memory and auditory discrimination
    • 7.5Production of articles
    • 7.6Production of prepositions
  • 8.Discussion
  • 9.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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