Motor skills and motor skill learning : their relationship to language in late-talking children

Background: Late Talking (LT) points to delays in expressive language development. Research suggests a strong association between language and action, as brain areas involved in language functions are also engaged in motor tasks. Studies have highlighted difficulties in motor skill acquisition among children with speech and language disorders. This study examines the associations between language development, communication skills, motor skills, and motor learning in two-to-three-year-olds diagnosed with LT.

Method: The study included 37 Hebrew-speaking LTs (n=16) and typical development (TDs) (n=21) between 24 and 36 months of age. Language was assessed by the Hebrew Communicative Development Inventory (HCDI). Communication and motor skills were evaluated using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Motor learning was assessed using a nonsymmetrical block insertion task practiced for two consecutive days and assessed one week later for retention. Each testing day involved three sessions. Transfer to another asymmetrical block was assessed at retention testing.

Results: LTs scored lower than their TD peers on the ASQ fine motor skills and problem-solving subtests, whereby the latter was used as a measure of cognitive ability. The difference in fine motor skills was eliminated when problem-solving scores were used as a covariate. In the motor skill learning task, both groups improved in performance times from the first to the second day. Moreover, results indicated a decrease in error rate in both groups from the beginning of the training to the end of the retention session one week later. However, the analysis revealed overall more errors in LTs and an increase in error rate in the transfer task that followed the training, especially in the group of LTs, beyond problem-solving scores.

Conclusion: The study revealed a group difference in motor skills. Low-accuracy performance in motor learning tasks can be improved by consistent practice, parental involvement, and feedback on performance. These findings contribute to our understanding of the complex relationship between language, communication, motor skills, and motor learning in early childhood, with implications for clinical practice.

Keywords: child development; developmental language disorder; late talking; motor skills; motor learning; speech