Longitudinal Follow-Up of Children with Preschool Communication Disorders: Treatment Implications

Abstract

The long term language, academic, social, and behavior adjustment of young children with speech and language disorders is summarized in the present article. The literature reviewed has been drawn from population surveys, current status surveys, follow-up of captive groups, reports of expert clinicians and the few explicitly prospective studies available. Generalizations drawn from the literature, however, are limited by the heterogeneous nature of the groups studied and the frequent failure to report important subject parameters, as well as the wideranging variability in outcome measures reported. Depending on the subjects included and nature of the follow-up measures used, 40%-100% of children with speech and language disorders continue to present language disorders at follow-up, with at least 50%-75%, of these children typically reported as experiencing academic difficulties. Findings pertaining to social and behavioral adjustment are highly variable, although most investigators consider children with speech and language disorders to be at risk for problems in these areas. Among the factors related to prognosis are the level of nonverbal IQ and presence of associated neurological and/or psychiatric disorders. Implications for intervention and long-term planning are reviewed and suggestions for future research are outlined.