Continuity of language abilities: An exploratory study of late‐ and early‐talking toddlers

Abstract

Three exploratory studies were carried out to determine if there was continuity in the development of language in young children at the upper and lower extremes of the normal continuum, and if it was possible to use variables from an early assessment to predict their language status at a later date. Studies 1 and 2 examined continuity over 6-month period (from approximately 20 to 26 and 13 to 20 months of age, respectively); Study 3 examined continuity from 8 to 30 months of age. Results provided solid evidence for continuity at the group level but no evidence of ability to predict outcome for individual children using the vocabulary production, vocabulary comprehension, and gesture production variables included in this study.