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Discourse Deficits Associated with Psychiatric Disorders and with Language Impairments in Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 1999

Denise D. Vallance ,
Nancie Im  and
Nancy J. Cohen
Denise D. Vallance
Affiliation:
C. M. Hincks Institute, Canada University of Toronto, Canada
Nancie Im
Affiliation:
C. M. Hincks Institute, Canada York University, Canada
Nancy J. Cohen
Affiliation:
C. M. Hincks Institute, Canada University of Toronto, Canada York University, Canada
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Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether types of discourse deficits were associated differentially with psychiatric disorders (PD) and with language impairments (LI) in children. Discourse analyses examining the occurrence of different types of discourse deficits in language structure, information structure, and flow of information were performed on the spoken narratives of 111 children aged 7 to 12 years who comprised 4 groups: (1) psychiatrically referred children with LI (PD+LI), (2) psychiatrically referred children with normally developing language (PD), (3) nonreferred children with language impairments (LI), and (4) nonreferred children with normally developing language (controls). Discourse deficits in language and information structure characterized children with LI, whereas disruptions in the flow of discourse characterized children with PD. Children with the comorbid condition exhibited deficits associated with both LI and PD; in addition, they displayed distinct deficits related to pronominal reference and causal cohesion. The findings provide a preliminary understanding of the associations among language, discourse, and psychopathology in children.

Keywords

Language disorderpsychiatric disordersnarrativesdiscourse skillssocial behaviourschool childreninternalizing disorderexternalizing disorder
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines , Volume 40 , Issue 5 , July 1999 , pp. 693 - 704
Copyright
© 1999 Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry

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