Objective
The goal of this paper is to investigate the association between the two most commonly reported parental concerns about young children - disruptive behavior (e.g., irritable, aggressive, and noncompliant behaviors) and language delay in toddlers. To test for salient sub-group differences, individual differences by child sex and family poverty status were examined.
Methods
Participants included 1,259 mothers of children between 18 and 36 months of age. Mothers completed questions about their child’s language development and disruptive behavior. Information regarding poverty status as well as child age and sex were also collected.
Results
Stronger language skills were associated with fewer disruptive behavior for children between 18 and 36 months of age. This negative association was stronger for girls than boys (b = −0.243, t(1251) = −3.555, p < .001) and stronger for children living in poverty than those above the poverty line (b = −2.04, t(1251) = −2.531, p = .011).
Conclusions
Findings from our study suggest a developmental co-occurrence pattern that begins at a very early age. Individual differences suggest that there is substantial heterogeneity in these patterns; longitudinal investigation is needed to uncover causal pathways and underlying mechanisms. Awareness of the association between these two developmental domains about which parents frequently express concerns is critical to maximizing early detection and intervention.