Preschool language intervention: a follow‐up study

Abstract

A follow-up study was undertaken of 38 children who had attended a preschool language unit with detailed assessments of 25 by speech therapists and an educational psychologist. The subjects were assessed in a number of areas (language, learning and social skills) using standardized tests and rating schedules completed by teachers and parents. The initial results are presented in terms of group characteristics. At a mean age of 8.3 years the children were still making progress in all areas of development. Although some 16% of the children were attending specialist schools or classes (language unit, physically handicapped unit, schools for children with severe speech and language problems), the majority (84%) were within the mainstream of education. A continuing language difficulty was apparent on standardized tests. Reading and spelling were slightly depressed, but not significantly so. However, parents and teachers saw the children as differing little from their peers. The conclusion is reached that preschool intervention can prevent later educational failure.

Behaviour in Children with Language Development Disorders

“…The mean age of their patients (8.2 years) was higher than the mean age of ours (4.8 years). This may explain the higher frequency of behavioural problems, since the gap between children with disorders in language development and their normally developing peers tends to widen over time in several areas, such as language abilities (25), and cognitive and academic functioning (26), as well as emotional-social functioning (27). Difficulties in several areas may become more evident as children grow older.…”

Screening for speech and language delay: a systematic review of the literature.

“…These followup studies highlight the adverse consequences for children whose language difficulties do not resolve by school entry. The studies fall into two broad categories: follow-up studies of those children with the most severe specific language delay who attended language units and other specialist provision (Petrie et al, 1975;Cooper et al, 1979;Urwin et al, 1988;Cook et al, 1989;Haynes and Naidoo, 1991) and community-based studies of language-impaired children (e.g. Bishop and Edmundson, 1987).…”

Teachers' Interactions with a Young Child with: Comparing iPad and non-iPad Use

“…However, there are always risk factors in language and communication of children with ASD (Howlin et al, 2000). These difficulties include behavioral issues, attentional issues (Stevenson, Richman, & Graham, 1985) and cognitive and academic delays (Urwin, Cook, & Kelly, 1988).…”