A follow-up study of children with articulation and language disorders

Thirty-six subjects, 18 language-impaired and 18 articulation-impaired children, were followed up with respect to communication skills and educational performance 13 to 20 years after their initial contact with the Speech and Hearing Clinic. According to their parents, nine language-impaired subjects continued to exhibit communication problems as adults, compared to only one of the articulation-impaired subjects. Standardized educational testing conducted while the subjects were in elementary and secondary schools indicated that the language-impaired group consistently achieved at a lower level than the articulation-impaired group, particularly in reading. Differences between the groups were also exhibited in the types of postsecondary education attempted by the subjects. Clinical, educational, and research implications of these results are discussed.