Future research should take into account the lack of homogeneity observed within the population of children with a vocabulary delay at 2 years of age and attempt to identify subgroups within late-talking toddlers. It should also consider a multifactorial perspective of child development to further the understanding of this phenomenon.

Research data show that exposure to abuse and neglect has detrimental effects on a child's language development. In this meta-analysis, we analyze studies (k = 23), to compare the language skills (receptive language, expressive language, pragmatics) of children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect with the language skills of children who have not experienced abuse and/or neglect and to examine whether age or type of maltreatment moderate the relationship between maltreatment and language skills. Results confirm that the language skills of children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect are delayed when compared to children who have not experienced abuse and/or neglect. Compared to older children, young children seem particularly vulnerable to abuse and neglect. No significant differences were demonstrated concerning the type of maltreatment suffered by the child. These findings support the necessity of early detection of language problems in abused and neglected children as well as early intervention in order to implement interventions that will positively stimulate their development.

These results shed new light on the notion of heterogeneity in toddlers who present with an EVD by proposing subgroups among them. A follow-up investigation of these participants is ongoing.

It is necessary to encourage social participation of DCD sufferers aged 5-13 in all spheres of life. Special attention should be paid to those who have a speech disorder. Life habits concerning communication and education may be related; greater efforts should be made to limit the negative impact on other lifestyles. Social participation of DCD sufferers should be measured periodically and appropriate resources must be made available to promote training and support for clinicians. It is important to provide tools to measure social participation for both stakeholders and parents.