title: Consideration of alternative accounts of gender-linked speech patterns in individuals with mental retardation.
abstract: Several preliminary reports have reported the existence of gender influences on the communication patterns of individuals with mental retardation. This study considers two alternative hypotheses to the conclusion that the reported effects were attributable to gender. Two studies extend a previous analysis by further exploration of the original transcripts (Study 1) and addition of participants (Study 2). In Study 1, the possibility of influences from adult partners is analyzed. In Study 2, the association of syntactic development and gender-linked effects is examined. Both alternatives are rejected on the basis of these extended analyses.
authors.affiliation: E. K. Shriver Center for Mental Retardation, Waltham, MA 02452, USA. kwilkinson@shriver.org
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bakeman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004495:Education of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D012660:Semantics; D014705:Verbal Behavior