Development of Vocal Behavior in Children with Motor Development Disturbance

—Developmental Relations to Intelligence and Motor—

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate developmental relationship between vocal behavior in pre-verbiage, sensorimotor intelligence (SMI-by Piaget) and motor function.
Subjects were children with Cerebral Palsy (53 cases) and motor retardation (41 cases) in pre-verbiage.
1) Only crying was found on the 1 st stage of SMI while head could not be completely lifted.
2) Vowels appeared on the 2nd stage of SMI while head was able to be sometimes lifted.
3) Some kinds of consonants appeared on the 3rd stage of SMI while children took the on-elbow position.
4) Repetitive vocalization appeared when his body weight was borne with his own one hand on the 3rd stage of SMI.
5) When SMI reached the 4th stage and children took the all-fous position, they began to imitate a word. But this imitation was thought to be only repetitive vocalization for model word. On the other hand, it is most likely that SMI may have reached 5th or 6th stage in this case.
6) The mode of each vocal behavior seemed to appear depeding on characteristic behavior on each stage of SMI and correspond to each motor development.
7) As evaluating vocal behavior in these children, reflexive maturation of central nervous system also must be considered.