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Approximately 10-13% of British 7-year-olds exhibit speech impairments. A smaller group with marked speech defects, often male and from disadvantaged backgrounds, faced additional challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Speech impairment affects a significant portion of children.
- Early identification is crucial for intervention and support.
- Understanding risk factors aids in targeted screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of speech impairment in 7-year-old British children.
- To identify characteristics of children with marked speech defects.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of national screening procedures.
Main Methods:
- National-scale screening procedures involving doctors, teachers, and health visitors.
- Data collection on speech impairment prevalence and associated factors.
- Analysis of demographic, educational, and physical characteristics of affected children.
Main Results:
- 10-13% of children had appreciable speech impairment.
- 1-2% had marked speech defects despite normal hearing.
- Children with marked defects were more likely male, from poor backgrounds, and faced educational disadvantages.
Conclusions:
- National screening effectively identifies children with speech impairments.
- Children with marked speech defects often present with co-occurring issues.
- Further investigation is warranted for identified children to provide necessary support.
Abstract:
A series of screening procedures applied on a national scale by doctors, teachers, and health visitors showed that between 10% and 13% of British 7-year-old children born in one week in 1958 were reported as having an appreciable degree of speech impairment. Between 1% and 2% had a marked speech defect though hearing normally. This latter group of speech-defective children were more often male and of poor family background, and more were born towards the end of a long family. They were often at a disadvantage educationally and had more clumsiness and defects of vision and visuomotor co-ordination than the rest of the sample. The methods used for screening provided a reliable guide in the selection of children who require further investigation.