Oral language skills play an important role in learning, social development, and everyday communication. For children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), difficulties with oral language may create additional challenges in the classroom and in social settings.

A systematic review and meta-analysis by Assistant Professor Yang Hou, Ph.D., DEaR Lab researchers, and colleagues reviewed 44 studies involving 2,479 children and adolescents with NF1, a genetic disorder associated with developmental challenges. 

Findings show on average that individuals with NF1 performed lower than their peers without the condition in overall oral language skills. Differences were also found across several subdomains, including core language skills, expressive language, receptive language and phonological awareness, or the ability to recognize and work with the sounds in spoken words.

The findings highlight the importance of routine language assessment as part of comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations for youth with NF1 and the need for targeted interventions to improve oral language skills among individuals with NF1.