Aim: Ten years ago, we published developmental data on a representative group of children (n = 25) with moderate or severe speech and language impairment, who were attending special preschools for children. The aim of this study was to perform a follow-up of these children as teenagers. Methods: Parents of 23 teenagers participated in a clinical interview that requested information on the child's current academic achievement, type of school, previous clinical assessments, and developmental diagnoses. Fifteen children participated in a speech and language evaluation, and 13 participated in a psychological evaluation. Results: Seven of the 23 teenagers had a mild intellectual disability, and another three had borderline intellectual functioning. Nine had symptoms of disorders on the autism spectrum; fve of these had an autism spectrum disorder, and four had clear autistic traits. Six met criteria for attention-defcit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/subthreshold ADHD. Thirteen of 15 teenagers had a moderate or severe language impairment, and 13 of 15 had a moderate or severe reading impairment. Overlapping disorders were frequent. None of the individuals who underwent the clinical evaluation were free from developmental problems. Conclusion: A large number of children with speech and language impairment at preschool age had persistent language problems and/or met the criteria for developmental diagnoses other than speech and language impairment at their follow-up as teenagers. Language impairment in young children is a marker for several developmental disorders, particularly intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. © 2012 Ek et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.
CITATION STYLE
Ek, U., Norrelgen, F., Westerlund, J., Dahlman, A., Hultby, E., & Fernell, E. (2012). Teenage outcomes after speech and language impairment at preschool age. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 8, 221–227. https://doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S30106
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