Dichotic listening of verbal and non verbal material by Down's syndrome children and children of normal intelligence.

In an attempt to resolve the conflicting findings of earlier research on the direction of dichotic ear preferences in Down's Syndrome, two verbal and one nonverbal dichotic tests were administered to a group of Down's Syndrome subjects and a group of nursery school children of similar MA. The expected patterns of ear advantage emerged for the normal sample. Overall levels of lateralisation for the Down's group were not significant but the group was characterised by a high level of subjects with reversed ear advantages for verbal material. This reversal was not found for the nonverbal material. On the basis of earlier findings on the general mentally handicapped population it was concluded that reversal of ear advantage for verbal material was not characteristic of Down's Syndrome but may be associated with level of language ability.