Specific Language Impairment in a 8-year-old girl with Trisomy X: speech and language analysis before and after language intervention

Abstract

This study investigates one of the Sex Chromosome Trisomies: the Trisomy X. Females affected by the Trisomy X present an extra X chromosome and are therefore characterized by a 47,XXX genetic karyotype. This thesis discusses the linguistic competence of a girl born with Trisomy X and diagnosed with SLI. At the beginning of the intervention she was 8;0, she could not read and write, and her way of speaking was restricted to few unconnected words and short sentences, while her linguistic comprehension was preserved. She was diagnosed a pervasive SLI, which apparently involved all linguistic modules and prevented the girl from communicating as her peers do. The assessment of her language with standardized and non-standardized tests show that she omits most functional morphemes and words. A program of explicit teaching of articles and prepositions has been set, using the support of written language, which she has been introduced to by the speech therapist, and Italian Sign Language. Her reaction to the Sign Language was very positive. Her speech improved significantly and provides evidence to the hypothesis that her language problems are not due to a deficit inlexical retrieval. Data elicited through standardized and non-standardized tests and spontaneous oral productions are analysed in order to describe the characteristics of her language and compare it with data from the literature.