Teenage outcomes after speech and language impairment at preschool age

17Citations
Citations of this article
99Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

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.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

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

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free