Automated Measurement of Social Networks and Language Development in Inclusive Preschool Classrooms

• In Event: The Ins and Outs of Language Development: Integrating Multiple Measures from Inside and Outside the Laboratory

Abstract

Preschool experiences, including interactions with peers, play a critical role in children’s development (Bulotsky-Shearer et al., 2012), especially for children with disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD; Blazer, 2017). However, it is still unknown how children’s real time peer interactions and role in the classroom social network actively shape their language development, and how these processes differ for children with delayed language abilities, like those with ASD and developmental delay (DD) as compared to their typically developing (TD) peers. Previous studies of classroom networks used subjective measures of child/teacher report (e.g. Chen et al., 2019). Further, prior work has not related findings to specific developmental outcomes. Using multiple measures of language development in the classroom setting can provide novel contributions not found in previous network research. Here, we used objective measures of movement and vocalizations, exploring children’s real-time dyadic vocal interactions, and position in their classroom’s social network to understand their assessed languabe abilities.
Participants included 26 preschoolers (6 female) enrolled in three inclusive classrooms. Ten of the children met eligibility criteria for ASD, seven for DD, and nine were TD. During monthly observations, children wore lightweight vests equipped with Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) to measure vocalizations and two Ubisense tags to measure location. Ubisense measures of proximity/orientation were used to determine social contact, and synchronized to LENA data to assess each child’s social language use (output) with peers. Data were aggregated to create classroom social networks based on frequency of dyadic language-mediated interactions (Figure 1). Social networks yielded measures of each child’s degree centrality to their network, or the social ties children have to their peers, and the modularity, or cohesiveness of diagnosis groups within the class. We also assessed how children’s interactions and role in the classroom network influenced their language abilities over the school year, measured by the Preschool Language Scales (PLS-5).
We found that children were more likley to vocalize to their peers who had previously talked to them, regardless of diagnois, p=.011. However, social network analyses revealed key group and individual differences. Overall, children did not exhibit higher modularity than would be expected by chance (1), but modularity, or the cohesiveness of group ties, was lower for ASD-ASD (M=.72, sd=.40, p=.021) and between-group connections (M=.39, sd=.08, p<.001) than for TD-TD (M=1.13, sd=.33, p=.241) or DD-DD (M=1.06, sd=.17, p=.476) connections. Additionally, TD children and had significanlty higher modularity than children with ASD, and the highest degree centrality. For all children, regarldess of diagnosis, those with higher degree centrality had higher receptive and expressive (ps<.026) language abilites as measured by the PLS-5 (Figure 2).
Together, measures the results suggest a reciprocal pattern of dyadic peer vocal interaction over time and highlight contributions of classroom social networks to children’s developing language abilities. Findings from the current study indicate the importance of studying language as it develops in the real context of preschool classrooms, including whole classroom dynamics, revealing how social networks, peer interactions, and eligibility groups affect language abilities of children with developmental disabilities in inclusion classrooms.

Authors

• Regina Fasano, University of Miami
  Presenting Author

• Lynn K Perry, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yi Zhang, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Laura Vitale, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chaoming Song, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author

• Daniel Messinger, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author