Research

The main aim of the study project are is to enhance an understanding on the emergence of language ability of very preterm (VP, born < 32 gestational age) children and the factors associated with it. Special focus is on the early identification and intervention of weak language (WL) in this group. The project has the following main research themes:

• to investigate on how early weak language of VP children can most effectively be identified in clinical setting
• to investigate the effects of early language intervention for VP children with weak language ability at 2 years of corrected age
• to analyse the associations between very early working memory capacity, cognitive development in general and emerging language ability of VP children.
• to explore the interactions between language and social-emotional development of VP children in the light of social factors, such as possible stress and/or depression of mother or father and reflective ability of a parent

Principal investigater: Associate Prof. Suvi Stolt

This multidiciplinary research project will be accomplished in close collaboration with the neonatal intensive care unit at the Helsinki University Hospital.

The Clear Path for the Language Development of Very Preterm Children project has been financed by the Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, by the Foundation for Pediatric Research (Lastentautien tutkimussäätiö), by the Medical Faculty at the University of Helsinki, and by the doctoral program of Cognition, Learning, Instruction and Communication (4-year salaried position for Anna Markkula).

See more about the Clear Path for the Language Development of Very Preterm Children -project: https://www.helsinki.fi/fi/tutkimusryhmat/pikkukeskosen-kielipolku-hanke

The aims of the study:

• to investigate the effect of very early parental language use and parental closeness on the language development during the 2nd year of life in very preterm children
• to investigate the effect of very early parental language use and parental closeness on the language processing skills in very preterm children
• to get further information on the screening methods of the very early language development in very preterm children
• to get further information on the effect of background factors on the language development during the 2nd year of life in very preterm children

Principal Investigators of the APPLE II Study: Prof. Liisa Lehtonen and Associate Prof. Suvi Stolt

The APPLE II Study is conducted in close collaboration with Turku University Hospital and with Tallinn's Children's Hospital.

The research done in the APPLE II project has been funded by the CLIC doctoral program, University of Helsinki (a 4-year salaried position for the doctoral student Eva Ståhlberg-Forsén).

The aims of the study:

• to adapt MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories III into Finnish, to collect the norming group and to validate the method
• to analyse how different domains (lexicon, phonology, morphology, syntax) of language interact with each other during toddler years

Principal investigator: Associate Prof. Suvi Stolt.

This study will be accomplished in collaboration with Norwegian, Estonian and Croatian researchers who are also adapting and validating the CDI III method in their respective languages.

The FinCDI-III Study (LEINIKKI Study) has been financed by Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, and by Finnish Cultural Foundation (personal grant for PhD Student Riikka Mustonen).

The aims of the study:

• to adapt the short form version of the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories into Finnish, to collect the norming data and to validate the method
• to get further information on the early screening methods
• to analyse the longitudinal developmental pathways of different domains (lexicon, phonology, morphology, syntax) of language

Principal investigator: Associate Prof. Suvi Stolt.

The FinCDI-SF Study (Sanaseula Study) has been funded by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation.