Roger Brown and colleagues conducted a study on children with down’s syndrome. They specifically looked at the development of morphemes and ages in which children acquired their language. Three children from middle class American families were selected for this research. The children were examined for two years. Brown concluded that between the ages of two and four children include many different morphemes in their speech. In all three children, there was a similarity in which these morphemes occurred. He studied the fourteen morphemes in which they appeared. The first being the ing affix on verbs. The second being the preposition on and the third is the preposition in. Fourth is the plural form of words, such as dogs. Fifth is the irregular past tense of verbs. Sixth is the possessive form of nouns, seventh is the form of be, and eighth is articles. Ninth is past tense verbs, tenth is third person present tense, and eleventh is the irregular first person present tense verbs. Twelfth is another form of be, thirteenth is the use of abbreviations where possible, and the fourteenth is using abbreviations for the form of be.
The results of this investigation were somewhat predictable. The first six of the morphemes were acquired by the children with down’s syndrome at a much later date. Those children were also producing their first ten words at a later age. Typically, children with down’s syndrome are about twelve months behind children without a retardation. Of the morphemes, the seventh, tenth, and twelfth, were not ever acquired by the children with down’s syndrome. Two out of those three involve the forms of be. These children might not understand the form of be because of how their mother’s speak to them. Mothers tend to speak more directly to children and not really give them the chance to pick up on the different forms. Not acquiring the morphemes as early in life will have a great affect on the children.This study informed us of how children with a retardation learn grammar at a much slower pace.
