Prevalence of speech and/or language impairment in preparatory students in northern Tasmania

The purpose of this paper is to report the prevalence of speech and/or language impairment in a sample of preparatory students in northern Tasmania, Australia. A total of 308 preparatory students attending 30 public schools in northern Tasmania were administered assessments by a speech-language pathologist, and subsequently diagnosed with either typical or impaired speech and/or language skills. Overall, 41.2% of assessed preparatory students were identified as having either speech and/or language impairment. Specifically, 8.7% of students were found to have isolated speech impairment, 18.2% were diagnosed with isolated language impairment, and 14.3% were identified as having comorbid speech and language impairment. Compared to prior Australian and international research, the present data reflect one of the highest prevalence estimates for speech and/or language impairment reported to date. Given the relative paucity of Australian prevalence data, further epidemiological research specifically of Australian children is needed to validate the current findings.