Follow-up at 11 years of children who had marked speech defects at 7 years

The results of a follow-up study at 11 years of 215 children in the National Child Development Study who were reported to show marked speech defects at 7 years are presented. Information regarding social welfare, health and scholastic attainments was available for 190 children (88%). Over a third of these had been formally 'ascertained' for special educational treatment. Of the 124 children remaining in ordinary schools, 56% still had residual speech problems while 44% were reported to have acquired satisfactory speech. The health and scholastic attainments of these two groups are described and discussed in relation to each other and to controls. A note regarding significant items in the original reports of 25 'missing' children at 7 years is provided, indicating that the large proportion had serious additional handicaps at 7 years. The importance of effective identification, full paediatric and educational assessment and the provision of appropriate help at or preferably before school entry is stressed.