A follow‐up study of children attending a primary‐age language unit

Abstract

S Twenty‐seven children of normal non‐verbal intelligence and a mean age of 8 years, attending a primary‐age language unit, were assessed on measures of language, reading and behavioural adjustment. Three and a half years later, when many of the children had reached secondary school age, they were re‐assessed using the same measures. Although mean language and reading age scores had improved, they were still well below age level and the gap between chronological age and language and reading ages had increased. There was also some evidence of increasing behavioural and emotional problems. Children who had moved to mainstream education at follow‐up had, on average, higher levels of intelligence and significantly higher scores on language and reading tests than the children who had remained in special education. However, even amongst this group many problems persisted, although few pupils received any additional help in dealing with them. Il s'agit de vingt‐sept enfants d'intelligence non verbale normale, d'un ǎge moyen de 8 ans et qui étaient pris en charge au sein d'une unité scolaire primaire spécialisée dans l'enseignement de la langue. Leurs ajustements du point de vue du langage, de la lecture et du comportement ont été évalués une première fois, puis à nouveau, grǎce aux měmes mesures, trois ans et demie plus tard lorsque beaucoup d'entre eux ont atteint l'ǎge de scolarité secondaire. Des progrès s'étaient manifestés du point de vue des niveaux d'ǎge du langage et de la lecture, mais ces niveaux restaient bien en‐dessous de la normale pour leur ǎge et l'écart entre l'ǎge chronologique et les ǎges du langage et de la lecture s'était accru. L'on pouvait observer aussi des signes d'un accroissement de problèmes émotionnels et du comportement. Ceux qui étaient entrés dans la filière générale de scolarité au moment du suivi de contro˘le étaient le plus souvent d'un niveau d'intelligence supérieur à celui des enfants qui étaient restés dans un enseignement spécialisé et leurs résultats lors de tests de langage et de lecture étaient significativement plus élevés. Cependant, měme au sein de ce groupe de nombreux problèmes subsistaient, bien que rares étaient les élèves qui recevaient une aide supplémentaire pour les surmonter. Siebenundzwanzig Kinder einer sprachtherapeutischen Einrichtung, von normaler nicthverbaler Intelligent und einem durchschnittlichen Lebensalter von acht Jahren wurden nach ihrer sprachlichen Leistung, ihrem Lesen und ihrem sozialen Verhalten eingestuft. Nach drieinhalb Jahren, als viele der Kinder das Sekundarschulalter erreicht hatten, wurden sie unter Anwendung derselben Beurteilungsmaßstäben ein zweites Mal eingestuft. Obwohl sich die durchschnittliche Sprech‐ und Leseleistung gebessert hatte, lag sie noch weit unter dem üblichen Niveau für die entsprechende Lebensaltersstufe; der Unterschied zwischen Lebensalter und Sprach‐ bzw. Lesealter war sogar größer geworden. Es gab auch Zeichen zunehmender Verhaltensprobleme und emotion...

Predicting Pathways of Specific Language Impairment: What Differentiates Good and Poor Outcome?

“…Hohnen and Stevenson (1999) also found the BS to be an important variable in their examination of genetic heritability for language and literacy ability in normally developing children. A similar follow-up study to the present one by Davison and Howlin (1997) reassessed children who once attended primary language units. It was reported that educational placement in terms of special vs. mainstream education at 1 1 years was best predicted by expressive vocabulary and expressive syntax.…”

Follow-up of children with language delay and features of autism from preschool years to middle childhood

“…Beitchman and colleagues (1996) found that the subset of children with mixed expressive and receptive language delays at age 5 years had poor social competence at 12 years of age. A similar picture emerged from a 3-year follow-up of children who were in school or units for children with language disorder at the age of 8 years (Davison and Howlin 1997). Another study found that a small subset of children (10 out of 242) attending language units at age 7 years presented with behaviours more typical of autism spectrum disorder at age 11 years, in contrast to their initial presentation (Conti-Ramsden et al 2001).…”

Educational attainments of children with specific language impairment at year 6

“…In a follow-up study of 27 children (mean age 11 :11 years) who had primary-age attendance in a language unit, Davison and Howlin (1997) found that over 50% remained in specialist educational provision. Furthermore, a large proportion of the total sample showed continuing dif culties in many aspects of language, with 89% of the sample still found to have inadequate reading skills.…”

“…Much attention in both longitudina l and retrospective studies of outcome has been given to the speci c examination of language, literacy and cognitive skills through psychometric testing (Davison and Howlin, 1997;Grif ths, 1969;Johnson et al, 1999;Paul and Cohen, 1984;Rescorla and Schwartz, 1990;Stothard et al, 1998;Weiner, 1974).…”