[Relationships between language disorders and socio-emotional competence]

Area of Science:

• Developmental psychology
• Linguistics
• Child psychiatry

Context:

• High comorbidity exists between language disorders and behavioral, emotional, and social problems in children.
• Early childhood findings on language delay and socio-emotional difficulties are inconclusive.
• Preschool and later developmental stages show increased socio-emotional challenges in children with language impairments.

Purpose:

• To review the literature on the social and emotional difficulties experienced by children with specific language impairment (SLI).
• To examine these difficulties from a developmental perspective, tracing their manifestation across different age groups.
• To identify language components that predict socio-emotional alterations.

Summary:

• Longitudinal studies indicate a higher risk for psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents with SLI, including victimization, bullying, anxiety, and depression.
• Comprehension deficits and pragmatic language impairments are significant predictors of socio-emotional alterations.
• General processing difficulties in mixed disorders and limitations in social cognition may contribute to these challenges, though research remains inconsistent.

Impact:

• Highlights the critical link between language development and socio-emotional well-being in children.
• Informs early identification and intervention strategies for children at risk of social and emotional difficulties due to language impairments.
• Underscores the need for further research to clarify the complex interplay between language, cognition, and socio-emotional adjustment.