Psychosocial co-morbidities in adolescents and adults with histories of communication disorders

Abstract

Background Few studies have considered the long-term psychosocial outcomes of individuals with histories of early childhood speech sound disorders (SSD). Research on long-term psychosocial outcomes of individuals with language impairment (LI) have frequently failed to consider the effects of co-morbid SSD. The purpose of this study was to compare individuals with histories of SSD with versus without LI on these outcomes and to examine the contributions of other comorbid conditions including reading disorders (RD) and ADHD. Methods Participants were adolescents aged 11–17 years (N = 129) and young adults aged 18–33 years (N =98). Probands with SSD were originally recruited between 4 and 6 years of age and classified into SSD-only and SSD+LI groups. Siblings of these children were also assessed at this time and those without SSD or LI were followed as controls. Outcome measures at adolescence and adulthood included ratings of hyperactivity, inattention, anxiety, and depression, as well as internalizing, externalizing, social, and thought problems. Adult outcomes also included educational and employment status and quality of life ratings. Regression modeling was performed to examine the association of SSD, LI, RD, and ADHD with psychosocial outcomes using Generalized Estimating Equations. Results In the adolescent group, LI was associated with poorer ratings of psychosocial problems on all scales except depression. Histories of SSD-only, RD and ADHD did not independently predict any of the adolescent psychosocial measures. In contrast, LI in the adult sample was not significantly associated with any of the behavior ratings, though RD was related to higher ratings of hyperactivity and inattention and with higher parent ratings of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and thought problems. SSD did not predict any of the adult measures once other comorbid conditions were taken into account. Conclusions Poor adolescent psychosocial outcomes for individuals with early childhood SSD were primarily related to comorbid LI and not to SSD per se. At adulthood comorbid RD and ADHD may influence outcomes more significantly than LI.

Service delivery and intervention intensity for phonology‐based speech sound disorders

“…, Lewis et al . ). When planning intervention for these children, SLTs need to consider and integrate external (i.e., empirical) evidence regarding service delivery, intervention approaches and intervention intensity within their clinical practice.…”

“…The most common subtype of SSD is a phonology-based SSD which involves a difficulty in learning the phonological system of the ambient language (Broomfield and Dodd 2004b). Without the right type and amount of help during the years before a child starts school, children with SSD face an increased risk of academic and socio-emotional difficulties (McCormack et al 2011, Lewis et al 2016. When planning intervention for these children, SLTs need to consider and integrate external (i.e., empirical) evidence regarding service delivery, intervention approaches and intervention intensity within their clinical practice.…”

Theory of Mind Deficits and Social Emotional Functioning in Preschoolers with Specific Language Impairment

“…While behavioral problems appear to decrease during adolescence, emotional problems persist and social problems have even been reported to increase (St Clair et al, 2011). Adolescents and adults with SLI have social emotional problems like low self-esteem and symptoms of anxiety and depression (Howlin et al, 2000; Wadman et al, 2008; Whitehouse et al, 2009; Durkin and Conti-Ramsden, 2010; Conti-Ramsden et al, 2013; Lewis et al, 2016). …”

Οι Ψυχο-Κοινωνικές Επιπτώσεις Των Διαταραχών Του Λόγου Και Της Ομιλίας Στην Παιδική Ηλικία

“…Σε άλλες έρευνες πάλι, όπως αυτές των Sweeting & West (2001) και πιο πρόσφατα των Hitchcock et al, (2015), οι δυσκολίες στην παραγωγή των ήχων της ομιλίας (φωνολογικές και αρθρωτικές διαταραχές) σχετίστηκαν με φαινόμενα πειραγμάτων/ κοροϊδίας (teasing) και σχολικής θυματοποίησης ή εκφοβισμού (bullying). Ωστόσο, βάσει των ευρημάτων της διαμηκούς μελέτης των Lewis et al, (2016), υποστηρίχθηκε πως η εμφάνιση αρνητικών κοινωνικών επιπτώσεων ήταν περισσότερο πιθανή σε παιδιά που είχαν συνδυαστικά γλωσσικά ελλείμματα από ότι σε ομάδες μαθητών με μεμονωμένες δυσκολίες στην παραγωγή των ήχων της ομιλίας Σημαντικά κρίνονται και τα αποτελέσματα ερευνών που εστίασαν σε ομάδες παιδιών, οι οποίες τραύλιζαν. Πιο αναλυτικά, η μελέτη των Karras et al, (2006) σε παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας με και χωρίς τραυλισμό κατέδειξε πως σε σύγκριση με τους τυπικά αναπτυσσόμενους μαθητές, τα παιδιά με τραυλισμό (διαταραχές στη ροή της ομιλίας) ήταν λιγότερο ικανά να ελέγξουν με ευελιξία την προσοχή τους αλλά και να ρυθμίσουν καταλλήλως τα συναισθήματά τους απέναντι σε κοινωνικές καταστάσεις.…”