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Profiles of Problem Behavior in Children With Varying Language Ability
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between language behavior in students with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. School-age students in K-4th grade (N = 300, 76% male) were sampled across three school districts. Students were grouped based on oral language ability and measured on teacher-rated subscales of problem behavior and direct observation of classroom behavior. Profile analyses revealed that language ability was associated with direct observation measures of classroom behaviors. Lower language was associated with higher rates of aggression, and higher language was associated with higher rates of academic engagement. Incongruent results relative to teacher-rated and directly observed behavior, limitations, and implications for future research are discussed.
... As children develop into school-age, they gain more sophisticated self-regulation and communication skills, which reduces the frequency of disruptive behavior used for a child to express their wants and needs (Brownell et al., 2007). However, if disruptive behavior persists from toddlerhood into later childhood it is associated with lower language, communication, and academic skills, and increases the risk for co-occurring disruptive behavior disorders (e.g., oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder [CD]) (Ashburner et al., 2008;Chow & Wehby, 2019;Kaat & Bearss, 2020). Therefore, early evaluation of clinically salient disruptive behavior is critical for timely referral to additional screenings, diagnostic evaluation, behavioral services, and facilitating optimal developmental outcomes (Krogh-Jespersen et al., 2021). ...
... Furthermore, we see a small R 2 in our MAP-DB-IT temper loss and noncompliance Bayesian moderation models which may suggest that each of these models do a poor job of explaining the variance in our dependent variables. Previous research has found an association between child characteristics (i.e., ADOS-2 severity and language level) and child disruptive behavior; as such, more research investigating this association is needed (Chow & Wehby, 2019;Matson et al., 2008). ...
... Disruptive behavior is common in autistic toddlers, however clinically significant levels of disruptive behavior can lead to negative long-term outcomes (Ashburner et al., 2008;Chow & Wehby, 2019;Kaat & Bearss, 2020 ...
Objective
Early measurement of atypical disruptive behavior within autistic children is critical for later referrals to behavioral screenings, diagnoses, and services. Disruptive behavior in autistic toddlers is often measured using a categorical approach and identifies the presence or absence of behavior. In contrast, dimensional approaches evaluate behavior on a spectrum of typical to atypical by measuring the clinical salience of disruptive behavior. We sought to assess the validity of the Infant/Toddler version of the multidimensional assessment profile of disruptive behavior (MAP‐DB‐IT), a dimensional approach measurement tool, in a sample of autistic toddlers.
Methods
Autistic toddlers (n = 82, Mage = 33.2 months, SD = 6.28 months) and their mothers received 8 weeks of caregiver‐mediated social communication intervention. Mothers completed the MAP‐DB‐IT and the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) across three timepoints: before intervention, immediately after intervention, and at 3 months post‐intervention follow‐up. The MAP‐DB‐IT provided scores for three subdomains: temper loss, noncompliance, and aggression (generically or specifically with siblings). Ratings on the MAP‐DB‐IT were compared to the ITSEA using several analytic strategies such as evaluating (a) the internal consistency of the MAP‐DB‐IT domain scores; (b) the convergent validity between the two measures; and (c) its convergent change due to intervention and if this varied by child characteristics.
Results
The MAP‐DB‐IT demonstrated excellent internal consistency across all four subdomains. We evaluated convergent validity and found positive correlations between the (a) ITSEA externalizing and MAP‐DB‐IT aggression domain, (b) ITSEA externalizing and MAP‐DB‐IT aggression with siblings domain, and (c) ITSEA dysregulation and MAP‐DB‐IT temper loss domain.
Conclusion
The MAP‐DB‐IT is a valid measurement tool for disruptive behavior in autistic toddlers. Clinicians should consider the use of the MAP‐DB‐IT for young autistic clients presenting with disruptive behavior to (a) discriminate between early developmentally appropriate tantrums from clinically salient dysregulation, and (b) refer to additional behavioral evaluations and services.
... There is a growing body of literature that has identified language and communicative ability as an important factor in the development of maladaptive classroom behavior Yew & O'Kearney, 2013). Children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) often present low and clinically significant language performance (Benner, Nelson, & Epstein, 2002;Chow & Wehby, 2017), and these language deficits are often under-identified (Hollo, Wehby, & Oliver, 2014), which carries important implications for researchers and practitioners alike. If children with EBD who also have clinically significant language problems are regularly going through school without their problems addressed, it is likely that their educational performance will continue to suffer regardless of the success of behavioral interventions. ...
... As teachers provide more opportunities for children to engage in language interactions, they reduce the opportunities for children with EBD to disengage from instruction. This is important, as language skills predict general engagement in students with EBD, and providing more opportunities to actively respond to teacher instruction buffers the negative impacts low language skills have on the classroom performance of children with EBD (Chow & Wehby, 2017). ...
... The use of these strategies provides conversational support for children, which increases the likelihood of multi-turn conversations occurring (Pentimonti et al., 2017). The more conversations that occur, the more exposure children have to complex language, diversity of vocabulary, and novel words, which can improve vocabulary development and oral language which are both associated with higher academic engagement and lower rates of aggression in children with EBD (Chow & Wehby, 2017). ...
The present chapter introduces an interaction-centered model of language and behavioral development that draws on ecological and transactional theory to provide guidance and recommendations for conceptualizing research and practice on issues related to language and behavior in classroom settings. We argue that these two constructs co-develop, and thus must be considered in tandem when designing and implementing supportive teaching practices. We identify effective classroom management and promoting language-rich instructional environments as primary mechanisms within the model, provide details of each component, and discuss next steps for research and practice.
... In addition, communicative functions of problem behavior have long been recognized (Carr & Durand, 1985). Researchers have recently called for an aligned research agenda focused on the implications of language skills for intervention that targets behavior problems (Chow & Wehby, 2017;Salmon, O'Kearney, Reese, & Fortune, 2016). Thus, the purposes of this perspectives paper are to (a) overview the prevalence and co-occurrence of language and behavior problems, (b) highlight a descriptive and experimental study from two different child populations that focus on this important issue, (c) overview current theoretical models presented in the literature, and (d) provide recommendations to the field for future work. ...
... This framework aligns with the notion that social cognition and self-regulation can provide explanatory pathways through which language influences the development of behavior in children (Salmon et al., 2016). Because improving parent-child language interactions significantly reduced later behavior problems (Curtis et al., 2017), and early low language skills predict concurrent (Chow & Wehby, 2017 and later behavior problems Yew et al., 2013), a primary focus on improving children's language skills and language environments is warranted. ...
... These are important questions and are particularly relevant to populations of students with comorbid difficulties. For example, in the report by Chow and Wehby (2017), their sample of students with or at risk for EBDs consisted of 85% minority students, 88% of whom qualified for free or reduced lunch. We also know very little about how interactions relate to gender. ...
Children and youth rely on language skills to navigate environments, many of which are multifaceted and complex. In a society in which successful interactions involve language and prosocial behavior, children who struggle with language or classroom behavior are predisposed to failure. The present perspectives article (a) summarizes the comorbidity of and relations between language skills and behavior problems, (b) provides examples of recent descriptive and experimental studies on these relations, (c) overviews current theoretical frameworks for situating empirical research in this area, and (d) recommends directions for future research.
... Comorbid ADHD is a potential shared factor between externalizing behavior and reading, particularly the characteristics of ADHD, attention and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Attention is a known predictor of language and literacy achievement (Chow & Wehby, 2019;Rabiner et al., 2000;Rabine et al., 2016) and is important for academic success in general (Rabiner et al., 2016a). Inattention has been linked to deficits in reading comprehension (Cain & Bignell, 2014) and poor academic outcomes in students with ADHD (Jaekel et al., 2013). ...
... There has also been substantial research that documents the relation between oral language and externalizing behavior (e.g., . Oral language ability influences how students engage and behave in the classroom (Chow & Wehby, 2019) and the correlation between oral language and externalizing behavior is significant and negative (Chow & Wehby, 2018). Because oral language is closely linked to both behavior and reading comprehension, it was expected that there would be differences between whether children were assessed on word reading or reading comprehension. ...
Reading proficiency is important because it has life-long consequences and influences success in other academic areas. Many students with behavior problems are poor readers and many students with learning disabilities have more behavior problems than their typical peers. We conducted a correlational meta-analysis to examine the association between reading and externalizing behavior in students ages 5–12. We identified 33 studies that reported 88 effect sizes. Using a random-effects linear regression model with robust variance estimation, we found a significant, negative correlation ( r = −0.1698, SE = 0.01, p < 0.0001) between reading and externalizing behavior. We tested several moderators related to measurement and sample characteristics. We found that rater type, behavior dimension (e.g., aggression), time between longitudinal measurement points, age of the sample, and percentage male of the sample moderated the relation between reading and behavior. Whether the reading assessment measured comprehension or word reading and socioeconomic status of the sample did not moderate the relation. Understanding the association between reading and externalizing behavior has implications for disability identification and intervention practices for children in elementary school. Future research should examine shared cognitive factors and environmental influences that explain the relation between the constructs.
... διάρκεια της παιδικής και εφηβικής ηλικίας (Beitchman et al., 1986. Cantwell et al., 1991. El Sady et al., 2013 αλλά και αυξημένα ποσοστά διαταραχών της διαγωγής -ιδιαίτερα τα αγόρια (Hinshaw, 1992. Lynam et al., 1993. Επίσης, εμφανίζουν συχνότερα από τα παιδιά με τυπική γλωσσική ανάπτυξη συνεχιζόμενα προβλήματα συμπεριφοράς (Brownlie et al., 2004. Chow & Wehby, 2017. Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008. Μάλιστα, σύμφωνα με διαχρονικές έρευνες, οι συνέπειες των πρώιμων γλωσσικών ελλειμμάτων σε ποικίλους τομείς της ανάπτυξης ανιχνεύονται ακόμα και κατά την πρώιμη ενήλικη ζωή (Johnson et al., 2010. Young et al., 2002. ...
... παρέχουν ενδείξεις για τον υψηλό βαθμό συννοσηρότητας μεταξύ γλωσσικών καθυστερήσεων και προβλημάτων συμπεριφοράς (Curtis et al., 2017). Αξίζει, ωστόσο, να σημειωθεί ότι τα ευρήματα αυτά αφορούσαν σε παιδιά μεγαλύτερης ηλικίας ή αποκλειστικά παιδιά με κάποια διαγνωσμένη γλωσσική διαταραχή (π.χ. Brownlie et al., 2004. Conti-Ramsden, & Botting, 2008. Chow & Wehby, 2017. Marton et al., 2005. McCabe & Meller, 2004. Ακόμα και κάποιες διαθέσιμες διαχρονικές εργασίες που περιλαμβάνουν στο δείγμα τους παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας (π.χ. Menting et al., 2011) δεν αναφέρουν αναλυτικά τα αποτελέσματα που αφορούν στις ηλικίες αυτές. ...
Language is a powerful tool for interpersonal communication and social interaction but also a critical tool for self-regulation of emotions, behavior, and thought. Although limited in number, studies that investigate the relationship between language development and preschool children’s psychosocial skills have shown that children with language difficulties often experience behavioral and social difficulties as well. The samples of these studies, however, usually include children who have already been referred for language disorders –not, therefore, representing the full range of language difficulties– and often lack comparative data from typically developing children. This study aims to explore the relationship between preschool children’s psychosocial profile and their language competence, as reflected in their expressive vocabulary size. Data were collected from 118 Greek-speaking children who course their first year in Kindergarten (4-5 years old). They were given the standardized Greek version of the Word Finding Vocabulary Test. Their psychosocial profile was assessed with a sociometric test as well as the Emotional Well-being Scale for Preschool Children and the Greek standardized version of the Preschool Behavior Checklist given to their teachers. Results reveal interesting relationships between children’s linguistic competence and their social, emotional, and behavioral profiles.
... For students with EBD, exposure to higher levels of classroom management quality in early elementary school predicted standardized reading scores in third grade for boys with EBD, but not for girls with EBD Cameron et al. (2008) also reported that levels and change in teachers' classroom management predicted literacy scores in first grade. Given the poor literacy outcomes of children with EBD (Chow & Wehby, 2019), and that classroom management predicts positive outcomes in elementary school, this study extends this linkage to preschool children. ...
... Interestingly, neither engagement nor child communication skills were related to the end of the year literacy scores. This was particularly surprising for communication given that prior work that shows communication ability is linked to the development of literacy skills (Catts et al., 2002;Chow, 2018) and a comorbidity of language and behavior problems exists (Chow & Wehby, 2019). This relation may not be present in the current study due to the type of literacy assessment (DIBELS), which were likely taxing child memory (letter naming and sounds) versus communication skills more broadly. ...
The purpose of this study was to better understand the association between teachers’ incoming classroom management skills and end-of-year literacy skills of preschool children with or at risk of emotional and behavioral disorders. Furthermore, we explored the contribution of student’s incoming engagement and communication skills to end-of-year literacy skills. A series of multilevel models revealed that teacher classroom management predicted end-of-year letter sound fluency, but not letter naming fluency, after controlling for other factors. We conclude with a discussion of these preliminary findings and provide suggestions for future research and practice in early intervention settings.
... Second, among studies of children with expressive/receptive language impairments, mental health problems are often present (Benasich et al., 1993;Cantwell & Baker, 1987;Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Redmond & Rice, 1998;Toppelberg & Shapiro, 2000;Willinger et al., 2003). School-age children with language impairments score higher on scales of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems (Benasich et al., 1993;Cantwell & Baker, 1987;Chow & Wehby, 2017;Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Redmond & Rice, 1998;Tervo, 2007;Van Daal, Verhoeven, & Van Balkom, 2007;Willinger et al., 2003). Specifically, children with language impairments tend to show more aggressive behavior (Chow & Wehby, 2017;Van Daal et al., 2007), problem behavior (Benasich et al., 1993;Cantwell & Baker, 1987), socio-emotional problems (Tervo, 2007;Willinger et al., 2003), and anxiety and depression (Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Willinger et al., 2003). ...
... School-age children with language impairments score higher on scales of internalizing and externalizing mental health problems (Benasich et al., 1993;Cantwell & Baker, 1987;Chow & Wehby, 2017;Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Redmond & Rice, 1998;Tervo, 2007;Van Daal, Verhoeven, & Van Balkom, 2007;Willinger et al., 2003). Specifically, children with language impairments tend to show more aggressive behavior (Chow & Wehby, 2017;Van Daal et al., 2007), problem behavior (Benasich et al., 1993;Cantwell & Baker, 1987), socio-emotional problems (Tervo, 2007;Willinger et al., 2003), and anxiety and depression (Conti-Ramsden & Botting, 2008;Willinger et al., 2003). These mental health problems appear to persist into or even worsen in later childhood (Benner et al., 2002). ...
This study examined the frequent clinical observation that toddlers with less expressive language have more severe temper tantrums. A representative sample of 2001 mothers reported on their toddler’s expressive vocabulary and frequency of different temper tantrum behaviors, a prominent feature of irritability and an emergent marker of mental health risk. Results revealed that 12- to 38-month-olds with fewer spoken words demonstrated more severe (frequent and dysregulated) temper tantrums. Toddlers who were late talkers at 24–30 months also had more severe tantrums; their relative risk of having severe tantrums was 1.96 times greater than peers with typical language. These results are the first to show that language and temper tantrums are related, and that this relation is present in the second year of life. These findings point to the importance of assessing both language and mental health risk in order to promote earlier identification and intervention for early childhood disorders.
... Fourth, we test for difference between rating scales and direct measures of language, as well as difference between parent and teacher raters. Because researchers have reported discrepancies between rating scales and direct assessment of language and behavior (Chow & Hollo, 2017;Chow & Wehby, 2017), as well as differences between teacher rating and parent ratings of behavior (Hinshaw, Han, Erhardt, & Huber, 1992), these analyses have implications for diagnosis and intervention. Fifth, and an important function of meta-analysis, several new studies on the longitudinal relations between language and behavior will provide new data for synthesis. ...
... Students may also behave differently in classroom contexts than they do outside school or at home. Furthermore, because (a) oral language significantly predicts directly observed classroom behavior but not teacher-rated problem behavior (Chow & Wehby, 2017), and (b) teachers' ratings of language skills are often discrepant from standardized assessments of language (Antoniazzi, Snow, & Dickson-Swift, 2010;Chow & Hollo, 2017), future studies should also compare the relations between different types of behavior measures (e.g., rating scales, direct observation) and different types of language measures (e.g., teacher-rated, directly assessed). ...
Objective: The purpose of this paper is to estimate the overall weighted mean effect of the relation between early language skills and later behavior problems in school-age children.
Method: A systematic literature search yielded 19,790 unduplicated reports, and a structured search strategy and identification procedure yielded 25 unique datasets with 114 effect sizes for analysis. Eligible reports were then coded and effect sizes were extracted and synthesized via robust variance estimation and random-effects meta-analytic techniques.
Results: The overall correlation between early language and later behavior problems was negative and small (r = -.14, CI [-.16, -.11]), and controlling for demographic variables did not reduce the magnitude of the inverse relationship between language skill and problem behavior (r = -.16). Moderator analyses identified receptive language, parent-reported behavior measures, gender, and age as significant predictors of the association between language and behavior.
Conclusion: This paper corroborates the consistent findings of previous meta-analytic and longitudinal studies and further identifies areas, particularly around measurement, for future research. Further, prospective longitudinal evaluations of the relations between language deficits and behavior problems with different types of measures (teacher/parent-report, direct assessment, classroom observation) is warranted.
... Classroom teachers recognize the significance of ethical and social skills by observing cooperation, following rules, accepting coexistence, self-control among the students. These skills are critical to achieve academic and behavioural success (Chow & Wehby, 2019;Skinner, 2012;Lane, et al., 2003). Students' lack of social skills affected their ability to acquire proper academic achievements. ...
This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of interactive teaching methods in fostering ethical and social skills in students at secondary-level schools for implementing standards-based education in Sindh, Pakistan. Non-participation observation was adopted by using an observation inventory of ethical and social development as the research instrument for data collection. Students enrolled in grade X were targeted for the data collection and randomized into two groups of classroom size. One was taught through the currently practicing teaching methods and the other was taught through the interactive teaching methods. The obtained numerical data was analysed using statistical tools to compare the groups’ mean values to measure the effectiveness of teaching methods in students’ ethical and social development. The findings determined that interactive teaching methods were significantly effective in fostering students’ ethical and social skills and values while teaching them the English language. The findings of the study suggest that using interactive teaching methods possesses more opportunities to follow ethics and interact socially to be groomed while learning the English language.
... For example, autistic children may be less socially engaged in school settings, compared with matched peers (Locke et al., 2016; although some of these differences may also be attributable to the "double empathy" problem; cf. Milton et al., 2022); children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be distractable and have difficulties sustaining attention, which can impact engagement in academic activities (American Psychological Association, 2013); children with behavioral disorders may have interfering behaviors that are incompatible with engagement (Chow & Wehby, 2019); and children with intellectual disabilities are more likely to have attending difficulties than typically developing children (Neece et al., 2011). Thus, given the potential importance of engagement to a variety of academic and social outcomes, and the likelihood of attending difficulties for a wide range of reasons and for many children, exploring engagement outcomes for young children is crucial. ...
Engagement behaviors are crucial for school success and are often targeted for improvement in school-based interventions. It may be helpful for both researchers and school-based practitioners to understand the likely impacts of interventions on engagement behaviors (e.g., to understand the extent to which engagement behaviors might change with treatment). For single-case studies designed to answer demonstration questions (i.e., including a baseline condition) and that were conducted in elementary classroom settings ( N = 131), we calculated log response ratio and within-case standardized mean difference effect sizes for engagement dependent variables to establish benchmarks. We described differences based on study characteristics (functional relation determination, publication status, primacy of outcome), disability status of participants, and implementation characteristics (group size, implementer). Effect sizes (645 A-B comparisons) were heterogenous and varied based on functional relation determination, disability status, and implementation variables. More research is needed about additional variables that might explain heterogenous outcomes, especially for children with autism and behavioral disorders.
... Being reserved can be disabling to the effective use of language for learning. Notably, language is an essential skill important to children's social and academic success (Chow & Wehby, 2019;Dickinson et al., 2010;Hulme et al., 2015). Therefore, children who begin school with language deficiency are likely to be at risk of maladaptive social behaviour and poor academic performance (Baker & Cantwell, 1987;Cohen et al., 1993;Pickles et al., 2016;Tomblin et al., 1997). ...
Background: A few studies have explored the life experiences of people who stutter. Research has shown that stuttering affects a significant number of people in the population. Objectives: The study was designed to explore the experiences of people who stutter and the perception of stuttering in South Africa. Method: Four people who identified as South Africans who stutter participated in this study. The primary investigator conducted semi-structured interviews with each of the participants. In addition, a questionnaire was administered to 20 acquaintances of all the participants. Transcriptions of interviews and results of questionnaires were analysed for major and minor themes. Results: Results of this study suggest different perceptions by those who stutter and those acquainted with them. The findings of the study show that people who stutter experience communication barriers, so they adopt certain strategies to manage and cope with their speech disorder. The findings showed that stuttering has a pervasive impact on the lives of people who stutter and how they view themselves, considering negative societal views. Conclusion: Evaluation of the results from the study reveals that although stuttering is a common speech disorder, many people who are less informed about it harbour various stereotypes and myths that stigmatise stuttering. This study concludes by outlining recommendations for creating awareness of stuttering. It suggests vigorous campaigns aiming at promoting a multilevel approach that extends beyond the mere social and professional understanding of stuttering but addresses the inherent perceptions, myths, and stereotypes around stuttering. Contribution: Experiences of people who stutter and perceptions towards stuttering can help to better understand the speech disorder and overcome myths and stereotyping of stuttering.
... These children may use ADHD-like problem behaviors to avoid academic interactions; when they successfully avoid the academic demand, the problem behavior is reinforced (Kevan, 2003;Sutherland & Morgan, 2003). Similarly, language skills have been found to play a role in self-regulation and active participation during academic activities; children with language disorders may be less engaged during academic instruction, which may be perceived as inattention (Chow & Wehby, 2019). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to find out if children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), particularly those without substantially delayed language, appear to be at risk for overreporting of inattentive and hyperactive behaviors and if attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) measures are influenced by the presence of language-based items, by child language skills, and by child and parent report of fatigue.
Method
This study included 24 children with typical hearing, 13 children with hearing aids (HA), and 16 children with cochlear implants (CI) in second through sixth grade. Parents of children in each group completed a measure reporting on inattentive and hyperactive behaviors, social and academic outcomes, and general fatigue for their child. Children participated in a norm-referenced language assessment and completed a self-report of fatigue.
Results
Analyses revealed an effect of hearing status on overall inattention ratings and social/academic performance: Children with CI had significantly lower ratings of inattention, and children with HA had more social/academic performance deficits. Differences in inattention scores for children with CI remained even when items biased toward language skills were removed from the measure, but differences in performance for children with HA disappeared. Omnibus language scores significantly correlated with academic and social outcomes, whereas parent report of fatigue significantly correlated with inattention and hyperactivity.
Conclusions
Parent report of behaviors linked with ADHD, including inattention and hyperactivity, is likely influenced by child language knowledge and overall fatigue. Comorbid diagnosis of ADHD in children who are DHH must consider these factors.
... The later longitudinal path from vocabulary to nonaggressive DB, where slower vocabulary growth in kindergarten predicted higher nonaggressive DB change scores in 1 st grade, coincides with a period of increasing social expectations for child autonomous respect of rules and collaboration with adults (Chow & Wehby, 2019). Children who did not fully benefit from the learning experiences in kindergarten, which would have allowed them to increase their vocabulary, entered 1 st grade less prepared for the cognitive and social demands that await them: learning to read, gaining autonomy, following rules, etc. ...
This study investigated the transactional relations between vocabulary and disruptive behaviors (DB; physical aggression and opposition/rule breaking/theft and vandalism), during the transition to formal schooling, using a community sample of 572 children. Cross-lagged panel model analyses were used to examine bidirectional relationships, comparing physical aggression to non-aggressive DB. Transactional associations between vocabulary and DB were observed, coinciding with school entry. Lower vocabulary in preschool (60mo.) was predictive of higher physical aggression scores in kindergarten. In turn, higher physical aggression in kindergarten was predictive of lower vocabulary in 1st grade. For non-aggressive DB, recurrent associations were found. Lower verbal skills in preschool (42mo.) and kindergarten predicted higher non-aggressive DB scores later in preschool and in 1st grade respectively. In turn, higher non-aggressive DB in kindergarten predicted lower vocabulary scores in 1st grade. In contrast to transactional paths from vocabulary to DB, transactional paths from DB to vocabulary observed after the transition to elementary school remained significant after controlling for comorbid hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention behaviors, suggesting these links were specific to aggressive and non-aggressive DB. Practical implications for prevention are discussed.
... According to Hollo et al. (2014), 81% of children with behavior disorders have language difficulties that are unidentified. Many of these children struggle with the ability to communicate effectively with their peers, resulting in loneliness, low self-esteem, and increased aggression (Chow & Wehby, 2019;Leung, 2015;Nelson et al., 2005). It has been hypothesized that children with DLD often do not experience successful social interactions, and as a result, their self-esteem and peer status are negatively impacted (Rice et al., 1991). ...
Purpose
It has been well documented that a significant number of children with developmental language disorders (DLDs) also exhibit challenging behaviors. In this study, a new intervention (Play and Language [PAL]) was developed through a research collaboration between a speech-language pathologist and a play therapist. The purpose of this clinical focus article is to describe child play therapy techniques and how these, along with early language intervention techniques, may positively impact preschool children's general communication and behavior.
Method
Students in a communication sciences and disorders program were trained to use a combination of child therapy techniques and language facilitation procedures in the PAL approach. Five preschool children, who displayed DLD and challenging behaviors, participated in a 2-week daily intensive intervention. Pre- and postintervention data for general communication and behavior skills were collected through parent report and language sample data. Student clinician and parent surveys were collected to assess the feasibility of conducting the new intervention and the parent-observed outcomes and satisfaction.
Results
A majority of the children who participated in the study increased their intelligibility and number of different words. Fewer than half increased their sentence length. These same children decreased their challenging behaviors, with 11 of 14 behaviors being reduced to normal levels. All parents reported satisfaction with their child's results. In addition, students trained to provide the intervention reported high levels of satisfaction with the training to implement PAL and that they were confident in providing the intervention techniques.
Conclusion
Together, our exploratory data provide preliminary and limited evidence that combining play therapy and language facilitation techniques may improve general communication skills and decrease challenging behaviors within the same intervention.
Supplemental Material
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16840459
... Difficulties in any of these areas of language development and ability can result in myriad of issues for preschool children. For example, preschool youth who have trouble communicating with peers and caregivers can have difficulty regulating emotions and behaviors resulting in loneliness, low self-esteem, increased aggression, and negative social and academic outcomes (Balch & Ray, 2015;Chow & Wehby, 2019;Howard et al., 2017;Leung, 2015;Roth & Worthington, 2015). Preschool children particularly need opportunities to practice pragmatic language along with social and behavioral aspects through developmentally and contextually familiar means such as play for positive long-term functional outcomes (Boyd et al., 2018;Parsons et al., 2019). ...
Communicating thoughts and needs is one of the most essential components of being human. In the United States, 6.4 million preschool-age children are diagnosed with a language disorder (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2019). Many of these children also exhibit co-morbid behavior issues. Difficulties with effective communication and behavior can result in academic, social, and personal issues for these children (Balch & Ray, 2015). While speech–language pathologists (SLPs) are well versed in providing communication interventions, there is a lack of specific knowledge related to behavioral aspects. Collaborating with play therapists (PTs) who work with preschool youth can enhance this knowledge and potential interventions. For instance, relationship-based play therapy interventions such as Child Teacher Relationship Therapy have proven to be effective at helping to develop positive relationships and behaviors in non-counseling settings (Socarras et al., 2015). When integrated with developmental language strategies, play therapy skills can potentially address communication, social, and behavioral needs of preschool children with comorbid language and behavior issues (Parsons et al., 2019). The purpose of this manuscript is to discuss the development, training, and application of a relationship-based play therapy intervention known as Play and Language Therapy delivered collaboratively by credentialed PTs and SLPs working with preschool children with language disorders and behavioral issues.
... Furthermore, children with language impairments demonstrate more challenging behaviors concurrently (Curtis et al., 2018) and are twice as likely to demonstrate behavior problems later on than their typically developing peers (Yew & O'Kearney, 2013). Because of the significant association between low language skills and behavior problems concurrently and predictively Chow, Walters, & Hollo, 2020), an explicit focus on behavior and behavior management for SLPs is essential, particularly given that children with language impairments are likely to exhibit or develop challenging behaviors (Curtis et al., 2018;Yew & O'Kearney, 2013), and children with behavior disorders are likely to need language intervention (Benner et al., 2002;Chow, 2018;Chow & Wehby, 2019;Hollo et al., 2018). ...
Purpose
Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) experience challenging behaviors during service delivery and also report minimal training in effective behavior management strategies. The purpose of this tutorial is to present low-effort behavior management strategies that SLPs can adopt, adapt, and implement.
Method
After providing an overall rationale for effective behavior management strategies, we present two evidence-based behavior management strategies aimed at improving positive behavior and engagement. We provide descriptions, steps, and applied examples for implementing visual activity schedules and behavior-specific praise. We include three implementation scenarios and resources for SLPs to access specifically tailored to speech-language pathology practice.
Conclusions
Visual activity schedules and behavior-specific praise are two flexible behavior management strategies that can be collaboratively created by SLPs and educators and implemented during a variety of instructional arrangements during speech and language therapy. Implementing evidence-based behavior management strategies may improve students' engagement and achievement in speech and language-focused outcomes.
... While educators, researchers, and policymakers have long advocated for improvement in how we support students with disabilities via the use of evidence-based practices, the demands of effectively supporting students who bring important individual differences to the table is a challenge we have yet to fully solve. What is clear and unfortunate is that in spite of our efforts, children and youth with disabilities are predisposed to poor outcomes and regularly perform more poorly than their classroom peers academically and behaviorally (Chow & Wehby, 2019;Fuchs et al., 2018;Gilmour et al., 2018;Schiller et al., 2008). As such, it is essential to identify mechanisms through which educators and other stakeholders can more effectively support the development, achievement, and well-being of children and youth with disabilities. ...
This special issue on classroom motivation of students with disabilities consists of important, timely work. While educators, researchers, and policymakers have long advocated for improvement in how we support students with disabilities via the use of evidence-based practices, the demands of effectively supporting students who bring important individual differences to the table is a challenge we have yet to fully solve. What is clear and unfortunate is that in spite of our efforts, children and youth with disabilities are predisposed to poor outcomes and regularly perform more poorly than their classroom peers academically and behaviorally (Chow & Wehby, 2019; Fuchs et al., 2018; Gilmour et al., 2018; Schiller et al., 2008). As such, it is essential to identify mechanisms through which educators and other stakeholders can more effectively support the development, achievement, and well-being of children and youth with disabilities. The four investigations in this special issue identify important within-study factors as well as contribute to between-study themes that suggest a more united effort to identify critical risk and protective factors and develop subsequent supports is warranted. Broadly, the articles converge on several points of agreement to which I will refer to as consensus points in this commentary. First, more inclusive research is needed to support outcomes of students with disabilities, and this is particularly important relative to sampling and generalizability. Second, context is essential when considering factors that have positive or negative influences on the motivation, engagement, and achievement of children and youth with disabilities and their families. Third, the dyadic nature of the interactions between teachers and students is particularly important in the development and maintenance of classroom motivation. The articles in this issue also bring important areas for continued growth to the surface, and identify important issues that, taken together, can be incorporated into both broad and specific recommendations for future work at the intersection of classroom motivation and special education. I devote the remainder of this commentary to discussing consensus points and recommendations aimed at increasing and improving interdisciplinary research that supports the outcomes of students with disabilities.
... Students who lack the expressive skills to verbalize complex emotional states may depend on physical rather than verbal means of getting their needs met " For all children and youth, language underpins success in academic, social, and behavioral interactions. (Chow & Wehby, 2019). In our example, Mia can produce speech clearly (has the oral-motor skills needed to articulate speech sounds) and uses verbal language to communicate. ...
For all children and youth, language underpins success in academic, social, and behavioral interactions. For students with language deficits, even seemingly simple tasks can be challenging and frustrating. Perhaps not surprising, children with language deficits often exhibit high rates of problem behavior, and children with behavior disorders tend to have low language ability. Because language and behavior are fundamental to success in school, teachers need to understand the comorbidity of these challenges, recognize signs that a student may be struggling with language delays, and have strategies to support students who struggle with behavior and language. In the present article, we (a) introduce and address co-occurring language and behavioral deficits, (b) overview common types of language difficulties in school, and (c) provide classroom management and instructional strategies to support students with these dual deficits.
... Teachers' training and experience influence their referral practices (Skiba et al., 1993), and there is subjectivity in teacher referrals, especially for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties (Raines et al., 2012). Given the association between low language skills and problem behavior (Chow & Wehby, 2017;Curtis et al., 2018) and the underidentification of language supports needed for children with behavioral challenges (Chow & Hollo, 2018), it is important to know that teachers can screen students' language skills reliably with a structured rating scale and produce ratings that are predictive of students' language skills. It is possible that all students might benefit from a language screener of this nature to inform service delivery and team decision making, though more research is needed. ...
We investigated the associations between teacher-rated and direct assessments of early elementary students’ speech and language skills to explore whether using teachers as primary screeners yielded assessment data that reliably identified young students with language difficulties who many need a more comprehensive evaluation. We assessed first- and second-grade students ( N = 365) on syntax, morphology, and vocabulary, screened for global speech and language development, and analyzed a teacher-completed norm-referenced communication rating scale. Teacher-rated language significantly predicted students’ latent language skills, and teachers’ ratings of students’ communication skills were not influenced by students’ gender, race/ethnicity, English language learner status, or special education status. We conclude with a discussion of implications for school-based research, assessment, and practice.
... Given this common co-occurrence, an explicit focus on behavior management for school-based SLPs is an important area of need and further investigation is warranted. This is of particular importance, given that children with language impairments are likely to exhibit higher rates of problem behaviors than their peers (Curtis et al., 2018), and children with behavior disorders are more likely to need language intervention (Benner, Nelson, & Epstein, 2002;Chow & Wehby, 2019;Hollo et al., 2018). To date, the behavior management training of SLPs and the experiences SLPs have with challenging behavior in schools is limited (Beck & Dennis, 1997;Elksnin & Capilouto, 1994;Giddan, 1991). ...
Purpose: based speech-language pathologists received behavior management training and experience challenging behavior. We developed a web-based survey to address our research aims, and recruited participants via online community boards and social media. A sample of 233 school-based speech-language pathologists reported minimal focus on behavior management in their undergraduate and graduate programs, and that they often experience challenging behavior when delivering services.We conclude by inviting colleagues, both researchers and practitioners, to continue discussion around (1) the need for adequate behavior management training, (2) the potential promise of collaborative efforts between teachers, SLPs, and other related service providers, and (3) educators’ responsibilities to ensure that children and youth who receive special education services have access to the curriculum and demonstrate educational progress.
... The sample and measures used in the current study were different, as we examined preschool children in Head Start (rather than elementary school age children; Petersen et al., 2013) and teacher-rated behavior problems rather than parent-reported behavior problems as was used by Girard et al. (2016). Researchers point out that inconsistency of findings may be due to differences across measurement method and source for behavior (Chow & Hollo, 2018;Chow & Wehby, 2017). More research is needed using multiple methods and sources of measurement to examine further the directionality of this relationship in early childhood. ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal, bidirectional relationship between language skills and behavior problems in a sample of 194 preschool children enrolled in Head Start programs. Children were individually assessed using the Preschool Language Scale-5, and teachers completed the Child Behavior Checklist-Teacher Report 1½–5. Cross-lagged path models using a structural equation modeling approach tested the reciprocal associations between language skills and behavior problems over the preschool year. Findings supported a bidirectional relationship between internalizing behavior problems and expressive language skills. However, findings supported a unidirectional association between early receptive language skills and later internalizing behavior problems. Gender moderated the relationship between receptive and expressive language skills and internalizing behavior problems in such a way that the association was only significant for girls. Implications for early intervention and prevention efforts targeting language development and behavior problems were discussed.
Sharing data publicly can provide numerous benefits to the data owner, data user, as well as the social work research community as a whole. Given the time and resources required to collect data in randomized controlled trials, gleaning the maximum amount of information from this data is highly desirable. Data sets considered to be exhausted by the primary research team often have valuable information that can be used by researchers with different research interests or analytic skill sets. Sharing these data allows other researchers to use these data to answer their research questions without duplicating the data collection efforts. Sharing data can also increase attention to the work of the primary research team, with papers with open data receiving more citations than those without public data. Engaging in open science practices such as data sharing can lead research to be seen as more trustworthy and reliable.
The primary aim of professional learning and development (PLD) is to create a meaningful experience to build educator knowledge and practice that can positively affect student behavior. Yet few studies evaluate the role of PLD with special educators who work with students with emotional and behavioral disorders in self-contained settings. The results of the study indicate that the 4-day PLD in the summer significantly increased the special educators’ perceived knowledge, confidence, and usefulness of classroom behavior support practices. Data from follow-up observations confirmed the high rate of practices implemented. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations and suggestions for researchers and practitioners.
This article argues for intentional collaboration between teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders and speech-language pathologists. After providing a rationale, we detail how special education teachers can leverage the expertise of speech-language pathologists during the individualized education program process. We provide actionable steps that special education teachers and speech-language pathologists can take together to improve the identification, assessment, and subsequent support of language difficulty in students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
In this study, we examine friendship centrality and reciprocity between kindergarteners who exhibit externalizing classroom behaviors and their classroom peers. Teachers nominated children who display externalizing classroom behaviors and we collected network data via individual interviews of 411 children (mean age=6.7 years; SD=.33) from 21 kindergarten classrooms in four schools. We found that children nominated for elevated levels of externalizing behavior were significantly less central to the classroom friendship network (over and above the contribution of language skills), and this effect was magnified for boys and students in larger classrooms. Moderator analyses revealed a significant gender by behavior interaction, where the difference between boys and girls was conditional on externalizing behavior nomination. Similar main effect results were found when predicting whether or not students had a reciprocal friendship tie. Students who received a teacher nomination for externalizing behavior had 48% lower odds of having a reciprocal friendship tie, after controlling for language skills. We found no significant moderators of the behavior - reciprocity relation. We conclude our study with a discussion of our findings and recommendations for future research and practice.
Oral language skills are critical for psychosocial development and children with language difficulties are more likely than peers to experience behavioral problems. This study investigated the effects of an oral language intervention on behavioral adjustment. We collected teacher ratings of behavioral adjustment for 1173 children taking part in a cluster randomized trial of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) program in 193 primary schools. Ratings were collected before and immediately after the 20-week intervention. Children receiving the language program showed significantly greater improvements than the untreated control group on a latent variable reflecting behavioral adjustment (d = 0.23). However, the improvements in behavioral adjustment for children receiving language intervention were not mediated by improvements in language. We suggest that the improvements in behavioral adjustment are a consequence of the small group and individual teaching sessions in the language intervention program, which emphasizes the need to pay attention and regulate behavior. This emphasis appears to produce generalized improvements in children's behavior regulation outside of the targeted language teaching sessions.
The purpose of this study is to improve pre-service speech-language pathologists (SLPs) behavior management knowledge and self-efficacy via an adaptive intervention design. Using a sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial, we aim to identify the best pathways to knowledge that considers an individual's response to instruction. Given that school SLPs often experience challenging behavior but receive minimal training on behavior management and positive behavior supports in their preservice programs, identifying effective and efficient methods for providing this important content to SLPs during their training is important for SLP practice and their student outcomes. We will initially randomly-assign participants to either read a practitioner article or complete an online module on two evidence-based behavior management practices. Through a series of re-randomizations and intervention components, we will determine the best components and sequence that lead to improved outcomes. We will explore moderators of intervention efficacy (content engagement, self-efficacy) and assess social validity. We hypothesize that pathways in the design will lead to differential outcomes, and that the effects of the sequence of components may vary across the sample.
This exploratory study examined the experiences with and perceptions of challenging behavior of speech-language pathologists (SLP) serving preschool and school-age children. The sample included 106 SLPs between the ages of 23-68 years, mostly located in the United States. Participants completed a survey of 40 questions about their own personal experiences with problem behaviors. SLPs reported off-task behaviors to be the most frequently encountered, followed by defiant behaviors, internalizing behaviors, and aggressive behaviors. SLPs perceived the most problematic to be off-task behaviors, followed by aggressive behaviors, internalizing behaviors, and defiant behaviors. SLPs’ level of experience was not associated with their perceptions of problem behaviors but was associated with their self-rated behavior management skills. Behavior management training was related to their self-reported behavior management skills. This study provides preliminary data on SLPs’ perceptions and experiences with challenging and problematic behaviors.
The concrete–representational–abstract (CRA) sequence of instruction is an explicit methodology for teaching mathematics using multiple representations of concepts. Learning concepts through multiple representations fosters conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking. This article describes how a special education teacher used explicit CRA instruction with two elementary students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Its aims are to describe and provide a rationale for explicit CRA instruction. We describe lesson activities, methods, materials, and procedures. Finally, we offer suggestions for effective implementation.
Purpose
This systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the overall language skills of youth offenders involved with the juvenile justice system. Given the importance of this population, identifying avenues through which we can increase the likelihood of successful interventions is a necessary societal effort.
Method
Eighteen studies, representing data from 3,304 individuals, contributed 82 effect sizes to the current analytic sample. We used random-effects models to estimate the overall mean effect size metric to address each research question and fit meta-regression models for each moderator analysis.
Results
Results yielded that youth offenders presented with significantly lower language skills than their nonoffending peers (g = −1.26). Furthermore, high proportions of the present meta-analytic sample were classified as youth with moderate (50%) and severe (10%) language disorders. In general, differences in language skills did not vary as a function of age, gender, or language measure type. We did detect significant differences as a function of sample country and type of peer comparison group.
Conclusions
This meta-analysis reports on the significantly compromised language skills of youth offenders. We conclude with a discussion of the findings and consideration of the implications for research and practice.
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that language skills contribute to kindergarten children's classroom-based friendship networks. We assessed language skills and collected friendship data via individual interviews of 419 children from 21 kindergarten classrooms. Using social network analysis, we found that language skills were significantly associated with friendship centrality and reciprocity after controlling for classroom and child-level factors. Children classified as at risk for specific language impairment (SLI) were significantly less central to friendship networks, and the odds of a reciprocal friendship tie were more than 50% lower compared to children who were not classified as at risk. Of children at risk, girls were significantly more central than boys. We couch our results within limitations of our study and provide recommendations for future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
The purpose of this Current Topics in Review column is to highlight the importance of language and communication skills in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Evidence continues to point to language impairments as a co-occurring area of concern in students with EBD. This paper describes this complex association and provides recommendations for supporting students with EBD who may have documented or undocumented language impairments. The goal of this column is to promote discussion and collaborative efforts to develop solutions for best supporting outcomes of students with EBD.
We report the findings of a randomized controlled trial examining the use of content acquisition podcasts for teachers (CAP-Ts) with 94 preservice teacher participants from two public universities. This study is an extension of a previous CAP-T study. We examined whether active embedded questions in CAP-Ts increased participant knowledge of functional behavioral assessments (FBAs). Participants completed a pretest, treatment, and posttest assessment to measure the extent to which CAP-Ts with active embedded questions supported participant knowledge, improved application of FBA skills, and impacted social validity as compared with traditional CAP-Ts. Findings indicate that CAP-T with embedded questions did not produce significant changes in preservice teacher knowledge and application of skills. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
This study presents a meta-analysis of the relation between language and mathematics. A moderate relation between language and mathematics was found in 344 studies with 393 independent samples and more than 360,000 participants, r = .42, 95% CI [.40, .44]. Moderation and partial correlation analyses revealed the following: (a) More complicated language and mathematics skills are associated with stronger relations between language and mathematics; after partialling out working memory and intelligence, rapid automatized naming showed the strongest relation to numerical knowledge; (b) The relation between language and mathematics was stronger among native language speakers than among second-language learners, but this difference was not found after partialling out working memory and intelligence; (c) Working memory and intelligence together explained over 50% of the variance in the relation between language and mathematics and explained more variance in such relations involving complex mathematics skills; (d) Language and mathematics predicted the development of one another even after controlling for initial performance. These findings suggest that we may use language as a medium to communicate, represent, and retrieve mathematics knowledge as well as to facilitate working memory and reasoning during mathematics performance and learning. With development, the use of language to retrieve mathematics knowledge may be more important for foundational mathematics skills, which in turn further strengthens linguistic thought processes for performing more advanced mathematics tasks. Such use of language may boost the mutual effects of cognition and mathematics across development.
M. A. Just and P. A. Carpenter's (1992) capacity theory of comprehension posits a linguistic working memory functionally separated from the representation of linguistic knowledge. G. S. Waters and D. Caplan's (1996) critique of this approach retained the notion of a separate working memory. In this article, the authors present an alternative account motivated by a connectionist approach to language comprehension. In their view, processing capacity emerges from network architecture and experience and is not a primitive that can vary independently. Individual differences in comprehension do not stem from variations in a separate working memory capacity: instead they emerge from an interaction of biological factors and language experience. This alternative is argued to provide a superior account of comprehension results previously attributed to a separate working memory capacity.
Language impairment often goes unidentified in students with behavioral disorders, perhaps in part because different forms of problem behavior deflect adult attention from more subtle language deficits. Therefore, attention to teachers’ perception of students’ language and behavioral performance is merited. The present study examines agreement between a norm-referenced adult rating scale of language proficiency and a standardized, comprehensive language assessment in a sample of 43 boys identified with emotional disturbance (ED). Results of this preliminary study showed low agreement between direct assessment and teacher ratings of language, and that measures of language varied relative to behavioral profiles.
A growing body of evidence points to the common co-occurrence of language and behavioral difficulties in children. Primary studies often focus on this relation in children with identified deficits. However, it is unknown whether this relation holds across other children at risk or representative samples of children or over time.
The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of a systematic review and two meta-analyses exploring the concurrent and predictive associations between language ability and problem behavior in school-age children.
A systematic literature search yielded 1,655 unduplicated abstracts, and a structured study selection process resulted in 19 eligible reports and 25 effect sizes for the concurrent analysis and eight reports and 10 effect sizes for the predictive analysis. Eligible reports were then coded and effect sizes were extracted and synthesized via random-effects meta-analyses.
Results estimate significant negative concurrent (z = -0.17 [-0.21, -0.13]) and predictive (z = -0.17 [-0.21, -0.13]) associations between language and problem behavior, and these relations hold across age, time, and risk status. Mean effect sizes for receptive and expressive language were significant.
This study adds to the quantitative and descriptive literature by summarizing and corroborating the evidence that low language ability is associated with problem behavior. Further research is needed relative to differences in subconstructs of language and behavior, as well as a focus on intervention for students with these comorbid deficits.
The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the language skills of a group of 38 mildly to moderately behavior-disordered students. At issue was whether such students suffer from language disorders as has been reported for Children with more severe behavior disorders such as autism. The results from the Test of Language Development-Intermediate (TOLD-I) (Hammill & Newcomer, 1982) revealed that 37 of the children (97%) fell a minimum of one standard deviation below the normative mean on one or more of the TOLD-I subtests. These findings are offered in support of the notion that the mildly to moderately behavior-disordered child is at risk for language disorders.
Low language proficiency and problem behavior often co-occur, yet language deficits are likely to be overlooked in children with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Random effects meta-analyses were conducted to determine prevalence and severity of the problem. Across 22 studies, participants included 1,171 children ages 5-13 with formally identified EBD and no history of developmental, neurological, or language disorders. Results indicated prevalence of belowaverage language performance was 81%, 95% CI [76, 84]. The mean comprehensive language score was 76.33 [71, 82], which was significantly below average. Implications include the need to (a) require language screening for all students with EBD, (b) clarify the relationship between language and behavior, and (c) develop interventions to ameliorate the effects of these dual deficits.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study, conducted with a random sample of 166 students with emotional disturbance (ED), was to establish, with attention to age and gender differences, the extent to which students with ED served in public school settings experience language skill deficits. This study also examined particular types of problem behaviors related to language skills. Students with ED showed moderate to large language deficits, which appeared to be more pronounced in the expressive language domain. The language deficits of a majority of the students were clinically significant. These language deficits appeared to be relatively stable across age and gender. Furthermore, externalizing behaviors were related to receptive and expressive language skills, whereas internalizing ones were not.
This article systematically reviews the available research on the prevalence, strength, durability, and nature of language deficits in children formally identified with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD).After applying inclusionary and exclusionary criteria, we reviewed 26 studies. Approximately three out of four children (71%) formally identified with EBD experienced clinically significant language deficits and approximately one out of two (57%) children with diagnosed language deficits also were identified with EBD.These deficits appeared to be broad-based in that they included pragmatic, receptive, and expressive language deficits.The results from longitudinal studies suggested that the rate of comorbidity between language deficits and EBD tends to either be stable or to increase over time. In addition, prevalence rates varied across studies, depending on the placement of children sampled, the stringency of the criteria for determining language deficit, and the number of language measures used.The findings and future research needs are discussed.
Reviews the small but growing body of research on relationships among language disorders and emotional/behavioral disorders (EBDs), focusing on 3 populations of children: (1) children identified as having language impairments, (2) children with EBDs (e.g., aggression, conduct disorders, and attention deficit disorders), and (3) children who are withdrawn. A startling majority of these children were found to have co-occurring language and EBDs. Implications for intervention are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The multisite trial, widely used in mental health research and education, enables experimenters to assess the average impact of a treatment across sites, the variance of treatment impact across sites, and the moderating effect of site characteristics on treatment efficacy. Key design decisions include the sample size per site and the number of sites. To consider power implications, this article proposes a standardized hierarchical linear model and uses rules of thumb similar to those proposed by J. Cohen (1988) for small, medium, and large effect sizes and for small, medium, and large treatment-by-site variance. Optimal allocation of resources within and between sites as a function of variance components and costs at each level are also considered. The approach generalizes to quasiexperiments with a similar structure. These ideas are illustrated with newly developed software.
This article provides an overview of language impairment and its associated conditions and discusses the interactive relationship between language and other domains of development, using the framework of developmental psychopathology. This framework emphasizes the mutually influential transactions approach between developmental domains within individuals and their environment. How knowledge can be translated to practice is discussed.
Using 6 longitudinal data sets, the authors estimate links between three key elements of school readiness--school-entry academic, attention, and socioemotional skills--and later school reading and math achievement. In an effort to isolate the effects of these school-entry skills, the authors ensured that most of their regression models control for cognitive, attention, and socioemotional skills measured prior to school entry, as well as a host of family background measures. Across all 6 studies, the strongest predictors of later achievement are school-entry math, reading, and attention skills. A meta-analysis of the results shows that early math skills have the greatest predictive power, followed by reading and then attention skills. By contrast, measures of socioemotional behaviors, including internalizing and externalizing problems and social skills, were generally insignificant predictors of later academic performance, even among children with relatively high levels of problem behavior. Patterns of association were similar for boys and girls and for children from high and low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Lack of progress of children with emotional disturbance (ED) has begun to be documented in longitudinal school-based studies. Variability in these studies may be due to several factors, including widespread differences in academic, behavioral, and social functioning of these children, their special education status, and school contextual factors. In this study, 86 children were followed over a two-year period: children were drawn from three subgroups-children with ED receiving special education in low-income schools, children with ED receiving special education services in high-income schools, and children not receiving special education services but who were considered high risk for ED. Outcome measures included reading and math achievement along with ratings of behavioral progress. Despite initial differences in overall functioning, there was, almost without exception, no significant progress in any of the three subgroups over the course of a full academic year. This lack of progress was not related to the type of special education and related services that students received in self-contained or full inclusion programs. Results and implications are discussed regarding lack of response of children with or at risk for ED to intervention in both general and special education.
This commentary for a special issue of Remedial and Special Education (RASE) on the perspectives of senior scholars (a) opens with some comments regarding the role of measures we use in behavioral science to pursue scientific truth and then (b) discusses the three most impactful developments in emotional and behavioral disorders over the past several decades, followed by commentary on three problems or issues that need addressing going forward. In the author's view, the three most impactful developments have been the advent of school-wide positive behavior supports, the growth in approaches to conduct universal behavioral disorder screenings in schools, and the acceptance of teacher judgment in the appraisal of student behavior. Challenges going forward are the need to contextualize school interventions, solve the problem of decay of achieved intervention effects over time, and plan/manage school transitions better.
This kit presents the Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD) as a tool to identify behavior disorders in elementary-aged students. The SSBD procedure is a three-stage, multiple-gating mass screening system. In the first stage the teacher systematically ranks all students according to either externalizing or internalizing behavioral profiles. In the second stage, the three highest ranking students from each of the two dimensions are evaluated by the teacher using two rating scales. In the third stage, any students identified by stage 2 criteria are further evaluated by another school professional using structured observation and recording procedures in both the classroom and playground settings. Students who exceed stage 3 cutoff scores are referred to child study teams. The kit contains a user's guide and administration manual, a technical manual reporting psychometric properties of the SSBD, an observer training manual, and multiple copies of the screening instruments. The user's guide and administration manual addresses the following topics: implementation and administration procedures; instrument score calculation procedures; decision-making criteria and procedures; recommended additional measures; school applications of the procedure; and recommendations and resources for designing interventions for identified students. (Contains more than 100 references.) (DB)
Determined the prevalence of language impairment in 20 monolingual antisocial boys (aged 10–13.5 yrs) who were admitted to residential treatment because of their significant and persistent antisocial behavior. Primary Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised (DSM-III-R) diagnoses included oppositional/defiant disorder and conduct disorder. 80% of the Ss carried the additional diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The majority of Ss were found to have significant language impairments that had not been identified when they entered residential treatment. Although the specific pattern of language difficulties varied across Ss, as a group these Ss demonstrated problems in understanding abstract language concepts, language without contextual support, and language requiring rapid processing. Further difficulties were shown in ability to produce complex linguistic structures that code intended meaning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Background:
Prospective evidence on psychological outcomes for children with specific language impairments (SLI) is accumulating. To date, there has been no attempt to summarise what this evidence says about the strength of link between SLI and later child and adolescent emotional and behavioural (EB) outcomes.
Methods:
We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis (following PRISMA guidelines and involving a literature search to June 2012 of seven databases, including MEDLINE and PsychAPA) of prospective, cohort studies of children with SLI and typical language development (TLD) reporting on the incidence and severity of EB problems later in childhood or adolescence.
Results:
Nineteen follow-up reports of eight cohorts with 553 SLI children and 1533 TLD controls were identified. Initial assessment was at 3-8.8 years of age and follow-up duration from 2 to 12 years. Pooled across comparable studies, SLI children were about two times more likely to show disorder levels of overall internalising problems, overall externalising and ADHD problems than TLD children. Compared with the average TLD child (50 percentile), at follow-up, the symptom severity of the average SLI child was at the 72 percentile (95% CI 65-79 percentile) on internalising symptoms, the 69 percentile (95% CI 63-74 percentile) on externalising symptoms and the 60 percentile (95% CI 52-68 percentile) on AHDH severity. The findings about risk to specific mental disorders and the severity of specific problems were inconclusive.
Conclusions:
Relative to typical children, SLI children experience clinically important increases in the severity of diverse emotional, behavioural and ADHD symptoms and more frequently show a clinical level of these problems. The small number of studies included in pooled analysis and methodological heterogeneity reduce the precision and generalisability of the findings. Most studies do not account for initial levels of EB problems.
The authors examined the academic characteristics of 140 elementary-aged students served under the category of emotional disturbance (ED) from schools that differed in income level, performance on state testing, and suspension rates. School income accounted for a large amount of the variance in the reading and math achievement of students with ED as measured by the Woodcock-Johnson III. However, relative academic performance (as measured by performance on state testing compared with same-school peers and teacher ratings of academic competence) was similar across school income levels. Implications for intervention research and eligibility practices for students with ED are discussed.
The purpose of this article is to outline the development of the Multiple Option Observation System for Experimental Studies
(MOOSES), a flexible data collection package for applied behavioral research. Several data collection options are available
to users of MOOSES. Event-based recording, interaction-based recording, duration recording, and interval recording are available
to the users and can be used individually or together, depending upon the research question. The collection program can incorporate
any of the keys on the keyboard. Function keys on the top or side are used for toggle (duration states) type data collection.
Types of analysis include frequency and duration of discrete events, frequency of general behavior states, frequency and duration
of events within behavioral states, percent interval analysis, sequential analysis, and interobserver agreement. Data obtained
from MOOSES is easily incorporated with other data for further statistical analysis with standard statistical packages or
popular spreadsheet programs. Applications of MOOSES and its uses in social interaction research are presented. Comparisons
with other similar systems are provided.
This study examined the prevalence of unsuspected language impairments in 4-12-year-old psychiatric outpatients.
Children (N = 399) were routinely screened with standardized language tests, and parents and teachers completed behavioral checklists.
Results indicated that of 288 children referred solely for a psychiatric disorder, 99 (34.4%) had a language impairment that had not been suspected previously. These children had more subtle language impairments than did the 111 children referred with previously identified language impairments. Both children with unsuspected and previously identified language impairments had symptoms associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with unsuspected language impairments had the most serious externalizing behavioral problems.
Attention needs to be paid to screening children for language impairments and to helping adults understand how language disabilities impact on communication and behavior.
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Application to learning and teaching
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