遲語兒幼兒期至學齡前期的語言發展型態：兩年縱貫研究

Late-talking Children's Language Development Pattern in the Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Study for Two Years

遲語兒在兩歲時的表達性語言能力落後一般兒童，而先前研究顯示遲語兒日後語言發展迥異，即 出現語言障礙，抑或僅是語言晚熟。但是，這兩群遲語兒從二到四歲的語言發展型態有哪些差異？ 本研究目的探究這兩類遲語兒在這期間的語言發展型態。本研究追蹤遲語兒（《 = 35)及對照兒 童（《 = 34)二到四歲的語言表現，總共蒐集三波資料（兩歲、三歲及四歲），遲語兒在四歲時按 語言能力區分成語言「障礙組」（《 = 12)與「晚熟組」（《 = 20)。結果發現：（1)三組兒童在二 到四歲的語言發展類型互異，而且在控制母親教育程度、語言療育和幼兒教育之後，他們在此期 間的語言發展曲線亦仍各不同（2)在此期間接受語言療育與幼兒教育期間較長的遲語兒，和對 照兒童的語言落差呈現隨年齡增加而遞減的趨勢。總結來說，雖然四歲才能確診遲語兒為語言障 礙或僅是語言晚熟，但這兩類遲語兒自兩歲開始已展現迥異的語言發展型態。

The purpose of this study was to examine the language development of late-talkers with language-impairment and late-bloomer from toddlerhood to the preschooler stage. A total of 35 LTs and 34 typically-developing toddlers (TD) provided 3 waves of data at annual intervals beginning at age 2. The LTs were distinguished as those with language disorder (LD， n = 12) and the late bloomers (LB， n = 20) based on their language abilities at age 4. The three groups of children were compared with their language abilities at each time point， and also their language development trajectories from age 2 to age 4. This study had two major findings. First of all， ANOVA analyses the cross-sectional data and HLM analysis the longitudinal data showed that the TDs had better language performance than the LBs， while both groups outperformed the LDs. These findings have verified the proposal of Language Endowment Spectrum. Secondly， the language levels of LT children with LD and LB will improve with early language intervention and kindergarten education. To sum up， the children with LT or LB already show different language development patterns from toddlerhood to the preschooler hood.