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Little is explored regarding the modality-specific differences in recall abilities of preschool children. Understanding modality-specific differences in the recall at an early age might give an insight into age-linked trends, which can lay a foundation for later development. The current study used a cross-sectional design to investigate the modality-specific differences in recall abilities of preschool children using a story and story stimulus. A total of 20 typically developing children between the ages of 3.6 to 5.5 years were presented with a story followed by a story recall task across auditory, visual, and auditory-visual modalities to determine modality-specific recall abilities. The results were analyzed using mixed ANOVA, which revealed higher recall ability in the auditory-visual modality than in other modalities. The findings are explained based on Dual coding theory, Multimedia effect, Mental imagery skills, Visual superiority effect, Attentional behavior, and Comprehension skill. The study implies the importance of Auditory-Visual modality in facilitating better recall in story-based tasks among preschool children.

Cluttering is a disability in formulating language, causing confused, hurried and slurred diction, due to congenital and constitutional limitation of one's total psychosomatic personality structure. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thoughts/speech, disorganized behavior and apathy. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and co-existence of Cluttering in patients with Schizophrenia. Twelve participants with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia were subjected to a series of linguistic and extralinguistic tasks. A writing sample was also obtained. The responses of all participants on these tasks, coupled with information from their medical charts, were used to complete the Daly's Checklist. The study depicted that majority of the participants had Cluttering -- Stuttering features, a significant proportion exhibited Cluttering and only one participant had no dysfluencies. This highlighted the co-existence of Cluttering and Schizophrenia, owing to its neurophysiological similarities. The linguistic impairments seen in patients with Schizophrenia constitute an independent 'syndrome' and cannot be attributed to their mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to conceptualize and develop a novel context-based working memory (WM) task which would possess the potential to assess the context-based WM in an Indian scenario and incorporate a task-linked metacognitive facet to understand an individual's self-perception of performance., Methods: Employing the ADDIE instructional design model, comprising Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation phases, the present study focused on the initial four phases. In the Analysis-phase, the needs and objectives for creating a context-based WM task were identified. Design-phase included task conceptualization and content validation of the conceptualized context-based WM task. In the Develop-phase, the designed context-based WM task was developed in an animated video format. Five content experts and fifteen lay experts were involved in the content validation process. In the Implementation-phase, a pilot study was done on ten adults to assess the feasibility of the novel context-based WM task., Results: The task obtained good content validation index and understandability scores on the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool. Preliminary data trends from the implementation-phase revealed the task's potential to detect age-related WM differences. Significantly correlated with established WM tasks, the novel Activity Ordering Task (AOT) effectively measured WM-spans. Observed discrepancies between performance and prediction/postdiction spans during metacognitive facet administration highlighted the AOT's utility in evaluating metacognition., Conclusion: Addressing the limitations of context in traditional tasks, the AOT appears to be a promising tool that not only measures WM but also assesses metacognition, thereby enhancing its utility beyond an everyday WM assessment.

Purpose: To address the need for a standardized assessment tool for assessing cognitive-communication abilities among Indian preschoolers, the current study aimed at describing a Delphi based development and validation process for developing one such tool. The objectives of the research were to conceptualize and construct the tool, validate its content, and assess its feasibility through pilot testing., Methods: The study followed a Delphi approach to develop and validate the tool across four phases i.e. conceptualization; construction; content validation; and pilot testing. The first three phases were performed with a panel of six experts including speech-language pathologists and preschool teachers while the pilot testing was done with 20 typically developing preschoolers. A literature review was also conducted with the Delphi rounds to support the developmental process., Results: The first two rounds of the Delphi aided in the construction of a culturally and linguistically suitable story-based cognitive-communication assessment tool with the memory (free recall, recognition, and literary recall) and executive function (reasoning, inhibition, and switching) related tasks relevant for preschoolers. The content validation of the tool was continued with the experts till the revisions were satisfactory and yielded an optimum Content Validity Index. The pilot test of the finalized version confirmed its feasibility and appropriateness to assess developmental changes in the cognitive-communication abilities of preschoolers., Conclusion: The study describes the Delphi-based conceptualization, construction, content validation, and feasibility check of a tool to assess cognitive-communication skills in preschool children.