Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Supervisor

Dr. Janis Oram Cardy

Abstract

It has been proposed that impairment in auditory temporal integration (ATI) may be related to impaired language development in children, although results have been inconsistent. We investigated the relation between ATI and language development and whether it is domain-specific (i.e., isolated to the auditory system) or domain-general (i.e., part of a larger, global processing system) using behavioural measures. We measured ATI and global processing speed using experimental tasks, and language and intelligence using standardized tests, in 26 5-6 year old children with typical development. Results revealed no significant relations between ATI and language, between ATI and global processing speed, or between global processing speed and intelligence. Although the correlations between our experimental and standardized tasks were not significant, further research using a larger sample with a broader range of language abilities and intelligence may offer more insight into these relations.

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