Seven-year follow-up of speech/language-impaired and control children: speech/language stability and outcome

This study examined the 7-year outcome of speech/language (S/L) impaired and control children selected from a community sample at age 5 years.

Two hundred fifteen children completed a variety of speech and language tests at age 12 years. Children with S/L impairment were further classified as "speech only," "language only," or "speech and language impaired."

More than 72% of children who had S/L impairment at age 5 remained impaired at age 12. Children with both speech and language problems were most likely to remain S/L impaired; 81% had some kind of S/L impairment at follow-up. Similarly, children with both expressive and receptive language impairment were more likely to show expressive or receptive impairment at follow-up than children with expressive impairment alone. One third of time 1 controls had S/L problems at follow-up, and of these 82% had speech impairment only.

S/L impairment identified at age 5 has long-lasting effects. More pervasive problems were associated with poorer outcomes. Screening at age 5 may be useful, as most serious S/L problems that emerged by middle childhood could be identified at age 5. The effects of S/L treatment require further study.