THE EFFECT OF AGE ON LANGUAGE IN PEOPLE WITH DOWNS-SYNDROME

It has been previously suggested, in a small-sized study of 60 people with Down's syndrome, that receptive language skills were lower, the older the individual, whereas expressive language skills did not correlate with age (Carter-Young and Kramer 1991). By assessing language skills on 345 Down's syndrome adults living in Leicestershire (98% of the total population), the present authors have been able to confirm this finding, using the AAMD Adaptive Behaviour Scale. This may have clinical relevance with regard to communication with older people with Down's syndrome, and also for estimation of an individual's skill level when he or she was younger.