A Case for Early Language and Behavior Screening: Implications for Policy and Child Development

Abstract

Early language skills and prosocial behavior contribute to positive outcomes across the lifespan. Screening has improved the identification and early intervention (EI) for children with hearing loss, autism spectrum disorders, and genetically based disabilities. However, many children with significant functional impairments in language and behavior are not identified before school entry. These children have missed a critical window for EI that might have prevented or mitigated persistent developmental language impairment and challenging behaviors. The critical need for early identification of children with delays in both language and social-emotional development by proposing a preventive, universal screening approach. This approach to early screening aims to reduce the number of children on a trajectory of academic failure and social difficulties as a result of these early developmental delays.

Predictors in language proficiency of young children with presumed developmental language disorder within the setting of early language intervention

“…Lower scores at start led to relatively lower scores post-intervention. This finding supports the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention (Singleton, 2018;Kaiser et al, 2022). The sooner children are diagnosed, the sooner they can start with intervention to stimulate language development.…”

“…Some children experience difficulties in receptive language too. To improve the language development of these children, it is important to start intervention early (Singleton, 2018;Nouraey et al, 2021;Kaiser et al, 2022). Therefore, in the Netherlands, an early language intervention program is offered to children with presumed DLD (see Participants) between 2 and 4 years of age.…”

Noncompliance Measurement Pre-Print, Malone et al., 2023

“…Inferring that each student possesses these existing skills is problematic for measurement because it is unlikely that every data collector has access to an assessment or is aware of the comprehensive skillset of the student. Given many students with or at-risk for emotional and behavioral support needs (also called emotional and behavioral disorders; EBD) have concomitant language and behavioral support needs (Hollo et al, 2019;Kaiser et al, 2022), any instances of NC should be evaluated in the context of possible unidentified, unaddressed, or known language support needs first. For example, NC may be counted for a student with a language delay who is given a multi-step direction that is typically delivered in a classroom (e.g., put materials away in the green folder, then get materials out of the red folder and write your name at the top of the page) who does not begin to engage in directed behaviors within a certain amount of time, despite the high probability that this student requires support.…”

Deaf Children Need Rich Language Input from the Start: Support in Advising Parents

“…Delays in exposing children to accessible language carry cognitive and psycho-social risks [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Children with language delay, regardless of the cause of that delay, are too often “on a trajectory of academic failure and social difficulties” [ 9 ] (p. 120). This stands to reason: our ability to read and write depends on linguistic competence, and a great part of our ability to interact with other human beings depends on our ability to understand others and to be understood by others.…”