Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T02:58:53.376Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behavioral/emotional profiles of preschool language-impaired children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Paula Tallal ,
Dianne Dukette  and
Susan Curtiss
Paula Tallal*
Affiliation:
Center for Molecular Behavioral Neurosciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ
Dianne Dukette
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego
Susan Curtiss
Affiliation:
Department of Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles
*
Reprint requests should be sent to: Paula Tallal, Ph.D., Co-Director, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences, 305 Boyden Hall, Rutgers University, 195 University Ave., Newark, NJ 07102.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that language-impaired (LI) children have a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders, and conversely, that children being treated for psychiatric disorders have a high incidence of language impairment. To investigate the relationship between developmental language and psychiatric disorders further, the behavioral and emotional status of a large, well-defined group of preschool-age LI and matched control children were evaluated using the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Based on parent report, data were analyzed for broad- as well as narrow-band syndromes. For the broad-band syndromes, results demonstrated significant between-group differences for boys, but not girls. However, for the narrow-band syndromes, unexpectedly few significant between-group differences were found for boys or girls. Only the Immaturity scale for boys and Social Withdrawal scale for girls proved significantly different between groups. Inspection of the items that comprised these two scales revealed a high prevalence of items which relate to attention, perception, and motor functions. As previous research with LI children has demonstrated that highly significant perceptual/motor disorders characterize this population, additional analyses were performed to determine the extent to which attention, perception, and motor items on the CBCL contributed to the significant group differences found. When items classified as assessing attention, perception, or motor functioning were excluded, few significant between-group differences remained. Subsequent analyses demonstrated a high correlation between the CBCL items classified as assessing attention, perception, or motor functions and the performance of LI and normal children on a battery of non-verbal attention, perception, and motor tasks. These results suggest that psychiatric disorders previously identified in LI children may be related primarily to specific neurodevelopmental delay in perceptual/motor functioning.

Type
Research Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 1989 , pp. 51 - 67
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achenbach, T. M. (1979). The child behavior profile: An empirically based system for assessing children's behavioral problems and competencies. International Journal of Mental Health, 7(3–4), 24–42.Google Scholar
Achenbach, T. M. (1980). DSM-III in light of empirical research on the classification of child psychopathology. Journal American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 19, 395–412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Achenbach, T. M., & Edelbrock, C. (1983). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist. Burlington: University of Vermont Press.Google Scholar
Affolter, F., Brubaker, R., & Bischofberger, W. (1974). Comparative studies between normal and language disturbed children based on performance profiles. Acta Oto-Laryngologica (Suppl. 323), 1–32.Google Scholar
Aram, D. M., & Kamhi, A. G. (1982). Perspectives on the relationship between phonological and language disorders. In Seminars of speech and hearing research (pp. 101–114). New York: Thieme-Stratton.Google Scholar
Baker, L., & Cantwell, D. P. (1987a). Comparison of well, emotionally disordered, and behaviorally disordered children with linguistic problems. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(2), 193–196.Google Scholar
Baker, L., & Cantwell, D. P. (1987b). A prospective follow-up of children with speech/language disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(4), 546–553.Google Scholar
Baker, L., Cantwell, D., & Mattison, R. E. (1980). Behavior problems in children with pure speech disorders and in children with combined speech and language disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 8, 245–256.Google Scholar
Beitchman, J. H., Nair, R., Ferguson, M., & Patel, P. G. (1986). Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children with speech and language disorders. Journal American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 528–535.Google Scholar
Butler, N. R., Peckham, C., & Sheridan, M. (1973). Speech defects in children aged seven years: A national study. British Medical Journal, 1, 253–257.Google Scholar
Cantwell, D. P., & Baker, L. (1977). Psychiatric disorder in children with speech and language retardation. Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 583–591.Google Scholar
Cantwell, D. P., Baker, L., & Mattison, R. E. (1979). The prevalence of psychiatric disorder in children with speech and language disorder: An epidemiologic study. Journal American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 18(3), 450–461.Google Scholar
Cantwell, D. P., Baker, L., & Mattison, R. E. (1980). Factors associated with the development of psychiatric disorder in children with speech and language retardation. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 423–426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chess, S., & Rosenberg, M. (1974). Clinical differentiation among children with initial language complaints. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 4, 99–109.Google Scholar
Connors, C. K. (1969). A teacher rating scale for use in drug studies in children. American Journal of Psychiatry, 126, 152–156.Google Scholar
Gersten, M., Coster, W., Schneider-Rosen, K., Carlson, V., & Cicchetti, D. (1986). The socio-emotional basis of communicative functioning: Quality of attachment, language development, and early maltreatment. In Lamb, M. E., Brown, A. L., & Rogoff, B. (Eds.), Advances in developmental psychology: Vol 4 (pp. 105–151). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Griffiths, C. P. S. (1969). A follow up study of children with disorders of speech. British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 4, 45–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grinnell, S. W., Scott-Hartnet, D., & Glasier, J. L. (1983). Language disorders [Letter to the editor]. Journal American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 22, 580–581.Google Scholar
Gualtieri, C. T., Koriath, U., Van Bourgondein, M., & Saleeby, N. (1983). Language disorders in children referred for psychiatric services. Journal American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 22, 165–171.Google Scholar
Hassibi, M., & Brewer, H. Jr (1980). Disordered thinking and communication in children. New York: Plenum.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingram, T. T. S. (1959). Specific developmental disorders of speech in childhood. Brain, 82, 450–467.Google Scholar
Orton, S. T. (1937). Reading, writing and speech problems in children. New York: Norton.Google Scholar
Prutting, C. (1987). The pragmatic dimension: Discourse as a multilevel process. In Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Specific Speech and Language Disabilities in Children (pp. 114–134). Middlesex, England: Association for All Speech Impaired Children.Google Scholar
Rutter, M., Graham, P., & Yule, W. (1970). A neuropsychiatric study in childhood. Lavenham, England: Lavenham.Google Scholar
Silva, P. A. (1980). The prevalence, stability, and significance of developmental language delay in preschool children. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 22, 768–777.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Silva, P. A., Justin, C., McGee, R., & Williams, S. M. (1984). Some developmental and behavioural characteristics of seven-year-old children with delayed speech development. British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 19, 149–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stevenson, J. (1984). Predictive value of speech and language screening. Development Medicine and Child Neurology, 26, 528–538.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stevenson, J., & Richman, N. (1978). Behavior, language and development in three-year-old children. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 8(3), 299–313.Google Scholar
Stevenson, J., Richman, N., & Graham, P. (1985). Behavior problems and language abilities at three years and behavioral deviance at eight years. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 26(2), 215–230.Google Scholar
Tallal, P. (1985). Neuropsychological foundations of specific developmental disorders of speech and language: Implications for theories of hemispheric specialization. In Cavenar, J. O. Jr., (Ed.), Psychiatry (Vol 3, pp. 1–15). Philadelphia: Lippincott.Google Scholar
Tallal, P., & Newcombe, F. (1978). Impairment of auditory perception and language comprehension in dysphasia. Brain and Language, 5(3), 13–24.Google Scholar
Tallal, P., Stark, R., & Mellits, E. D. (1985a). Identification of language impaired children on the basis of rapid perception and production skills. Brain and Language, 25(2), 314–322.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tallal, P., Stark, R., & Mellits, E. D. (1985b). The relationship between auditory temporal analysis and receptive language development: Evidence from studies of developmental language disorder. Neuropsychologia, 23, 527–536.Google Scholar