Madrid (EFE).- A study by the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) shows that the limitations derived from the covid-19 pandemic have altered the early social interactions of children born during it, affecting their language development , which is “slower” than that of those born before the “covid-19 crisis”.
The study, published in the “Journal of Logopedia, Phoniatrics and Audiology”, has been developed by the research team Multimodal Communication and Human Development” (Comdeh) of the UAM.
As part of their analysis, the researchers examined vocabulary development data as well as morphosyntax (such as the ability to produce increasingly complex sentences) of 153 boys and girls between 18 and 31 months of age, according to the Autonomous in a note.
The team compared data from two groups that were matched in the age and educational level of the mothers and that studied in similar kindergartens; and that they were divided into pre groups, of children born and evaluated before the pandemic, and post, with children born between October 2019 and December 2020.
The conclusions point out that the restrictions arising from the pandemic have limited the social interactions and relationship contexts of the children in the post group, and it abounds that the linguistic stimuli they have received “have been affected” both by the reduction in variety and frequency of social interactions.
They have also been affected, they add, by the use of masks, which “make it difficult to understand and prevent them from taking advantage of visual information when learning language.”
According to the results, these circumstances could have contributed to a “slower” language development in this group, compared to children of the same age who lived their first two years before the pandemic.
Early detection
The results obtained show lower scores in vocabulary and morphosyntactic development for the post group compared to the pre group, evaluated through the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventory (CDI).
These findings demonstrate the sensitivity of communication and language development to the social context, and highlight the importance of “closely monitoring” language development in this group, especially those children who may be at higher risk for difficulties.
They also add that early detection of any difficulties in communication and linguistic development “facilitates early intervention, thus improving the prognosis,” the authors add.
