Developmental Language Risk and Social and Behavioral Functioning in Bilingual Latinx Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Developmental Psychology
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Bilingual Latinx youth represent a diverse population with unique developmental trajectories.
• Understanding the interplay between language development risks and social-behavioral functioning is crucial for this demographic.
• Previous research has not fully captured the nuances of these relationships within community-based samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between language development risks and social and behavioral functioning (externalizing problems, internalizing problems, social competence) in bilingual Latinx youth.
• To investigate the association between narrative skills in Spanish and English and social and behavioral concerns.
• To highlight the importance of community-based research for understanding diverse youth experiences.

Main Methods:

• A community-based sample of 129 bilingual Latinx youth and their caregivers was utilized.
• Standardized parent- and child-report measures in Spanish and English assessed developmental language disorder (DLD) risk and social and behavioral concerns (SBCs).
• Children's narrative skills were assessed in both languages, and statistical analyses (Fisher's exact tests, bootstrap tests, multiple regression) were employed.

Main Results:

• Youth at risk of DLD were more likely to exhibit clinically significant internalizing problems (IP), as indicated by self-reports.
• No significant differences were found for externalizing problems (EP) or social competence (SC) based on DLD risk.
• Spanish narrative skills were associated with lower parent-reported SC, while English narrative skills were linked to higher self-reported SC.

Conclusions:

• Bilingual Latinx youth with DLD risks may experience internalizing problems across various settings, with self-reports being sensitive indicators.
• Oral narration skills in both languages show a small but significant association with social competence, suggesting a role in social functioning.
• Community-based samples are vital for a comprehensive understanding of youth experiences, particularly those not typically found in clinical settings.