title: [Characterisation of a Collective of Children with Early Language Delay, 'Late Talkers'].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  By considering their general development, 2-year-old children with delayed speech development (late -talkers, LT) were examined and described with respect to linguistic competence and hearing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initially, 50 monolingual German speaking LT (age: 23-28 months) were recruited. In addition to audiological tests (impedance testing, otoacoustic emissions, reaction audiometry), language development status test was performed (clinical impression during examination, expressive vocabulary: FRAKIS, receptive competence: SETK-2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After exclusion of 10 children with general retarded development (3 premature infants, 2 children with suspicion of autism and 2 children with infantile brain damage) 33 LTs with normal hearing were included. The expressive vocabulary (FRAKIS) of 82% of these 33 LTs were below the normal range. 39% showed deficits in language comprehension tests (SETK-2) although parental reports mentioned language comprehension problems in only 3 LT. No correlation was found between vocabulary (FRAKIS) and language comprehension (SETK-2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical collective in this study showed severely affected children with a high percentage of other abnormalities and speech perception problems in many cases. Despite normal hearing, vocabulary and especially speech comprehension should also be tested. LT with language comprehension problems require early developmental psychological investigation in order to prevent language and general developmental limitations. Only in this way, remedial instruction adapted to the develop-mental level can be initiated.
authors.affiliation: Sektion für Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, HNO-Univ.-Klinik Ulm, Ulm.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Sektion für Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, HNO-Univ.-Klinik Ulm, Ulm.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gütinger
authors.affiliation: ZNL Transfer Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften und Lernen, Beim Alten Fritz 2, Ulm.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Budde-Spengler
authors.affiliation: Sektion für Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, HNO-Univ.-Klinik Ulm, Ulm.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.affiliation: ZNL Transfer Zentrum für Neurowissenschaften und Lernen, Beim Alten Fritz 2, Ulm.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Attenberger
authors.affiliation: Sektion für Phoniatrie und Pädaudiologie, HNO-Univ.-Klinik Ulm, Ulm.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brosch
authors.affiliation: Institut für Psychologie, Pädagogische Hochschule, Heidelberg.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sachse
mesh_terms: D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception; D014825:Vocabulary