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The “Discontinuity Theory” argues for dissociation between infant vocalizations and mature-adult speech. There is a plethora of research data mentioning a recorded simultaneous co-existence of multi-syllable types of early vocals, in individuals characterized as atypical. The aim of this literature review is to present data arguing for a strong relation between early developmental stages of speech. Studies from early cochlear implanted infants seem proper providing the necessary justification for the existence of strong developmental links among early linguistic milestones. Results support a gradual transition from babbling stages into mature, more complex forms of vocalization that we meet on adult speech. Early speech development is rapid during the first post-implant year. Auditory experience provided from cochlear implants is a crucial factor linked to a wide variety of improved outcomes. Speech pathology analyzing the way that auditory experience affects speech production can argue against “discontinuity”, since hearing access transforms deaf vocalization.

This case study examines the performance of a Greek child with Williams-Beuren syndrome and a group of ten typically developing children whose chronological age is equivalent to the mental age of the WS case. The study concerns the field of pediatrics and linguistics. The comparison among the WS case and the typically developing (TD) children is based on the elicitation Perfective Past Tense Test (PPTT) which examines the distinctions between perfective (simple past) or imperfective (past continuous) forms since the conjugation of simple past involves the existence of the aspectual marker –s as suffix. This distinction is conducted under the model of dual-mechanism account [1] that suggests the existence of marker –s, as result of a rule-based process of participants. This case study brings into effect the assumption that cannot explain the model of “different developmental trajectories” in disordered populations [2]. The present results indicate a clear preference of the WS case to sigmatic forms and an unexpected preference only for Novel non-sigmatic verbs to analogies.

The shear orientation of three polymer-clay gels has been investigated by means of small angle neutron scattering (SANS). The gels have the same polymer and clay concentrations but different polymer molecular weight. The polymer is adsorbed to the clay platelets. While long polymer chains can interconnect several platelets shorter polymer chains cannot. Although the polymer concentration is above c* the polymer chain length and cross linking between clay platelets strongly influence their shear orientation which leads to anisotropy in SANS. Our data suggest that the flow is strong enough to enhance and maintain a continuous increase in the shear orientation of the polymer clay gels only when the polymer chains are long enough to interconnect or strongly entangle between platelets.