Cristina McKean1,2, Sheena Reilly2,3, Edith L Bavin4, Lesley Bretherton2,5,6,7, Eileen Cini2, Laura Conway2,6, Fallon Cook2, Patricia Eadie8, Margot Prior7, Melissa Wake2,5,6, Fiona Mensah2,5,6. 1. Education, Communication and Language Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom; s.reilly@griffith.edu.au. 2. Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. 3. Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia. 4. School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. 5. The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; and. 6. Department of Pediatrics. 7. Psychological Sciences, and. 8. Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine at 7 years the language abilities of children, the salience of early life factors and language scores as predictors of language outcome, and co-occurring difficulties METHODS: A longitudinal cohort study of 1910 infants recruited at age 8 to 10 months. Exposures included early life factors (sex, prematurity, birth weight/order, twin birth, socioeconomic status, non-English speaking background,family history of speech/language difficulties); maternal factors (mental health, vocabulary, education, and age); and child language ability at 2 and 4 years. Outcomes were 7-year standardized receptive or expressive language scores (low language: ≥1.25 SD below the mean), and co-occurring difficulties (autism, literacy, social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment, and health-related quality of life). RESULTS: Almost 19% of children (22/1204;18.9%) met criteria for low language at 7 years. Early life factors explained 9-13% of variation in language scores, increasing to 39-58% when child language scores at ages 2 and 4 were included. Early life factors moderately discriminated between children with and without low language (area under the curve: 0.68-0.72), strengthening to good discrimination with language scores at ages 2 and 4 (area under the curve: 0.85-0.94). Low language at age 7 was associated with concurrent difficulties in literacy, social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, and limitations in school and psychosocial functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Child language ability at 4 years more accurately predicted low language at 7 than a range of early child, family, and environmental factors. Low language at 7 years was associated with a higher prevalence of co-occurring difficulties.
OBJECTIVE: To examine at 7 years the language abilities of children, the salience of early life factors and language scores as predictors of language outcome, and co-occurring difficulties METHODS: A longitudinal cohort study of 1910 infants recruited at age 8 to 10 months. Exposures included early life factors (sex, prematurity, birth weight/order, twin birth, socioeconomic status, non-English speaking background,family history of speech/language difficulties); maternal factors (mental health, vocabulary, education, and age); and child language ability at 2 and 4 years. Outcomes were 7-year standardized receptive or expressive language scores (low language: ≥1.25 SD below the mean), and co-occurring difficulties (autism, literacy, social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment, and health-related quality of life). RESULTS: Almost 19% of children (22/1204;18.9%) met criteria for low language at 7 years. Early life factors explained 9-13% of variation in language scores, increasing to 39-58% when child language scores at ages 2 and 4 were included. Early life factors moderately discriminated between children with and without low language (area under the curve: 0.68-0.72), strengthening to good discrimination with language scores at ages 2 and 4 (area under the curve: 0.85-0.94). Low language at age 7 was associated with concurrent difficulties in literacy, social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, and limitations in school and psychosocial functioning. CONCLUSIONS:Child language ability at 4 years more accurately predicted low language at 7 than a range of early child, family, and environmental factors. Low language at 7 years was associated with a higher prevalence of co-occurring difficulties.
Authors: Camille C Cioffi; Amanda M Griffin; Misaki N Natsuaki; Daniel S Shaw; David Reiss; Jody M Ganiban; Jenae M Neiderhiser; Leslie D Leve Journal: Dev Psychol Date: 2021-02-11
Authors: Elisabet Serrat-Sellabona; Eva Aguilar-Mediavilla; Mònica Sanz-Torrent; Llorenç Andreu; Anna Amadó; Miquel Serra Journal: Children (Basel) Date: 2021-03-09