Comorbidity in children with severe developmental language disability
M Westerlund1, L Bergkvist, D Lagerberg
1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University Children's Hospital, Sweden. Monica.Westerlund@kbh.uu.se
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|July 13, 2002
Summary
Severe developmental language disability (DLD) often co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental conditions. This comorbidity may not be apparent at age 3, highlighting the need for ongoing assessment and multidisciplinary support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Background:
- Developmental Language Disability (DLD) is a common childhood disorder.
- Early identification of severe DLD is crucial for intervention.
- Comorbidity with other neurodevelopmental conditions is frequently observed in children with DLD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and nature of comorbidity in children with severe DLD identified at age 3.
- To determine if comorbidity is evident at the time of initial DLD screening.
- To emphasize the importance of comprehensive, long-term follow-up for children with severe DLD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 2359 children was screened for severe DLD at age 3.
- 45 children were identified as true positives for severe DLD.
- The development and comorbidity of 41 children were followed until school start, using criteria for neuropsychiatric/neurodevelopmental disability or low IQ/behavioral issues.
Main Results:
- By school start, 61% of children with severe DLD were identified with comorbidity.
- Comorbidity included diagnosed or suspected neuropsychiatric/neurodevelopmental disabilities.
- Low performance IQ and signs of activity/distractibility problems were also indicators of comorbidity.
Conclusions:
- Severe DLD frequently co-occurs with other disabilities in the neuropsychiatric/neurodevelopmental spectrum.
- Comorbidity may not be apparent at age 3, the age of DLD screening.
- Multidisciplinary teamwork is essential for effective identification and management of DLD and its comorbidities.
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