What Is the Level of Language Development of Children at Risk of Developmental Language Disorder 2 Years Later?

Area of Science:

• Child development
• Speech and language pathology
• Pediatric audiology

Background:

• Investigating language development in children at risk for developmental language disorder (DLD).
• Assessing long-term outcomes 2 years post-initial evaluation.
• Evaluating the impact of parental training on language development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine language outcomes in children at risk for DLD after 2 years.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of parental training on language development.
• To observe long-term follow-up of at-risk children.

Main Methods:

• Re-evaluation of 16 children (9 boys, 7 girls) at risk for DLD.
• Utilized Denver II Developmental Screening Test and TEDIL for language assessment.
• Assessed parental perceptions of children's language skills.

Main Results:

• 31.25% diagnosed with DLD; 68.75% achieved normal language development.
• Significant increase in expressive and overall spoken language scores (TEDIL) in children without DLD.
• Parents reported significant improvements in communication, expression, and intelligibility.

Conclusions:

• Early parent training is beneficial for supporting language development in at-risk children.
• Highlights the importance of early intervention for children with or at risk for DLD.
• Confirms the value of long-term follow-up for monitoring language development in at-risk populations.