A new longitudinal study published by our team in the Journal of Communication Disorders has explored how inhibitory control develops in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) between the ages of 8 and 16.
Inhibitory control is a key skill for managing attention and behavior. The results show that children with DLD have greater difficulties ignoring distracting stimuli compared to their typically developing peers. However, these differences tend to diminish over time. This suggests that inhibitory difficulties in DLD may reflect a developmental delay rather than a persistent deficit.
Reference
Guirado-Moreno, J.-L., Sanchez-Azanza, V. A., Esteller-Cano, À., Aguilar-Mediavilla, E., & Adrover-Roig, D. (2025). A longitudinal exploration of inhibitory control in children with Developmental Language Disorder. Journal of Communication Disorders, 117, 106561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcomdis.2025.106561