Prevalence and type of psychiatric disorder and developmental disorders in three speech and language groups

Six hundred children with communication disorders presenting to a community clinic were evaluated for psychiatric and developmental disorders. The 600 children fell into three subgroups: those with "pure speech disorders," those with "speech and language disorders," and those with "pure language disorders." The two subgroups with language involvement had higher rates of both psychiatric and developmental disorders than the children with pure speech involvement. Those children with language involvement also had a different pattern of psychiatric diagnoses than the children with pure speech disorders. Possible etiological factors and clinical significance of these findings are discussed.