Speech, language and communication abilities in genetic conditions
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An outpatient study of speech, language and communication abilities in children with genetic conditions
IRAS ID
312316
Contact name
Alisdair McNeill
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Communication is complex with lots of different components: production of speech sounds, use/selection of correct words, non-verbal aspects (body language) and social communication (eye contact, turn-taking when speaking). Communication is often impaired in children with genetic causes of learning difficulties. Indeed, delay to speech development is often the first sign of learning problems. In recent years, sophisticated genetic research projects have identified dozens of new genetic causes of learning problems. However, there is almost no information on how these newly identified genetic conditions affect communication. In this project we will use special questionnaires to assess communication in children with these newly discovered genetic causes of learning problems. These will be completed by researchers during telephone or video calls with parents of the affected children (due to COVID restriction). The results from children with a given genetic condition will be compared with the communication abilities of typically developing children. The information this project produces will help families, doctors/nurses and educators better understand the needs for communication interventions in children affected by these genetic conditions.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/NE/0180
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion