Children’s voices in communication: Linking subjective experiences, drawings, and neural measures
Background: Children’s voices and communication experiences are increasingly recognised as central to meaningful paediatric research, particularly for children with communication difficulties. However, little is known about whether children’s subjective experiences of communication are reflected in neurobiological measures.
Aim: Guided by the procedural circuit deficit hypothesis (PDH; Ullman et al., 2020), which focuses on procedural memory regions implicated in language and motor learning, this study examined whether children’s self-reported communication experiences, measured by the Speech Participation and Activity Assessment of Children (SPAA-C), and drawing-based expressions, are associated with neuroimaging outcomes. It also assessed whether these experiential measures differ between children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and typically developing (TD) peers.
Method/approach: Ethical approval was obtained from the university. Nine children (4–5 years old, 4 DLD, 5 TD) completed the SPAA-C and produced drawings reflecting their experiences of communication. SPAA-C responses were analysed for the presence of emotional experiences. Drawings were coded for the presence of themes identified in previous literature. Diffusion MRI was used to derive fractional anisotropy (FA) values from these regions. Bayesian models were used to estimate associations between experiential measures and FA, as well as group differences between TD and DLD children.
Results/findings: Bayesian analyses indicated strong positive associations between SPAA-C scores and FA in the left inferior frontal gyrus. Other regions also demonstrated consistent positive trends, suggesting a broadly aligned pattern across the procedural network. Group comparisons showed strong evidence that TD children expressed more positive communication‑related themes in their drawings than children with DLD. Differences in SPAA-C scores between groups also showed a trend favouring TD children but were accompanied by substantial uncertainty.
Conclusion: These findings provide preliminary evidence linking children’s subjective communication experiences with neural microstructure in PDH-relevant regions. The results highlight the potential value of integrating child-reported and drawing-based measures into neurodevelopmental research and clinical assessment.
Implications for children and families: What you say, feel, and draw can help us better understand how your brain supports talking and connecting with others, and guide us in creating more supportive, meaningful experiences for you and your family.
Implications for practitioners: Self-report and drawings can provide valuable insights into how children engage, helping you tailor interventions that support both communication skills and positive participation in everyday interactions.
Funding: This work was supported by NIH R01DC019337 (PI: Dr Karla N Washington).
Keywords: preschoolers, developmental language disorder, communication experiences, drawings, neuroimaging
This presentation relates to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: