Scientists have known that shy toddlers often have delayed speech, but a new study by the University of Colorado Boulder shows that the lag in using words does not mean that the children don't understand what's being said.
The nature of the connection between behavioral inhibitions-such as shyness or fearfulness-and delayed language acquisition has not been well understood.
The new study, published in the journal Child Development, tests four possible explanations for the association: that shy children practice speaking less and so their speech becomes delayed, that children with delayed speech become shy because they have difficulty talking, that shy children understand what's being said but are simply reticent to speak, and that shy children's speech is actually normal while outgoing children's speech is above average.
The research team, from CU-Boulder's Institute for Behavioral Genetics (IBG) and the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, found consistent evidence to support only the hypothesis that shy toddlers were delayed in speaking but not in understanding.
"Behaviorally inhibited children who may not be speaking much shouldn't be underestimated," said Soo Rhee, an author of the study and an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience. "Parents and teachers should be aware that they may need to be encouraged more in their expressive language development."