Language screening in preschool Chinese children

Abstract

SThe incidence of language delay in Chinese preschool children was studied by a stratified proportional sampling of all 3 year olds in Hong Kong. The Developmental Language Screening Scale (DLSS) devised for use with Cantonese speaking children was used to identify children with language delay. Of 855 children sampled in the stage I screening procedure, 4%, 2.8% and 3.3% were identified as having delay in verbal comprehension, expression or both respectively. The stage II clinical diagnostic study included a randomly selected group of children screened in stage I with or without any associated behavioural problem. Among these, 3.4% were identified as having a language delay using the Reynell Language Developmental Scale (RDLS) with a criterion of language age of less than or equal to two-thirds of the chronological age; 3% had specific language delay using the criteria of language age less than or equal to two-thirds the chronological age and developmental age more than or equal to two-thirds the chronological age. More boys were found to have language delay, although this was not statistically significant. La frkquence du retard d a m l'acquisition du langage chez les enfants chinois d'iige prkscolaire a ktk ktudite au moyen d'kchantillonnages proportionnels stratifiks au sein de la l'ensemble de la population des enfants de3 ans de Hong-Kong. L'on a utilist 1'Echelle de Dkpistage pour le Dkveloppement du Langage (Developmental Language Screening Scale, O M DLSS), dkja m b e au point pour les enfants de langue cantonaise, pour identifier ceux souffrant de retard linguistique. Parmi les 885 enfants prklevts par kchantillonnage pour le premier stade du processus de dkpistage, il s'est rkvklt que les pourcentages de retards en ce qui concernait la comprthension verbale, l'expression verbale, O M une combinaison de ces deux facteurs, ttaient, respectivement, de 4%, 2.8% et 3.3%. Le deuxieme stade de l'ktude diagnostique clinique concernait un groupe d'enfants stlectionnks au hasard parmi ceux qui avaient dkja ktk examinks au premier stade, et dont certains prksentaient en plus des probkmes de comportement alors que d'autres n'en avaient pas. Dans le nombre il s'est trouve que 3.4% souffraient de retards du langage d'apr2s l'Echelle de Reynell (Reynell Language Development Scale, O M R D LS) avec un crit2re d'iige linguistique infkrieur O M kgal aux 213 de I'iige chronologique, et que 3% souffraient de retard sptcifique du langage en utilisant un iige linguistique de 213 de l'iige chronologique et un iige de dtveloppement suptrieur OM kgal aux 213 de l'ii e chronologique. Davantage de garcons que de filles souffaient de retards du langage, mais la Jffkrence n'e'tait pas statistiquement significative. 248 WONG, LEUNG, LUK, LEE, LIEH-MAK, YEUNG AND YIU Die Pravalenz der Sprachentwicklungsstorung bei chinesischen Vorschulkindern wurde an Hand von einer schichtenformigen, proportionierten Stichprobe von allen dreijahrigen Kindern in Hong Kong studiert. Urn die Kinder rnit einer Sprachentwicklungsstorung zu identi...

Training a New Generation of Speech-Language Pathologists with Competences in the Management of Literacy Disorders and Learning Disabilities in Hong Kong

“…Particularly for speech and language impairments, the prevalence rate in Hong Kong is less than one tenth of that in the US. Independent academic research conducted in Hong Kong has indicated prevalence rates ranging from 3.35 to 4% for language impairments [3] and from 9.7 to 12.6% for dyslexia (a key diagnostic criterion for specific learning disability) [4]. The magnitude of these prevalence rates was similar to that found in the US governmental statistics.…”

Screening for Speech and Language Delay in Preschool Children: Systematic Evidence Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force

“…9 For preschool-aged children, 2 to 4.5 years old, studies that evaluated combined speech and language delay have reported prevalence rates ranging from 5% to 8%, 10,11 and studies of language delay have reported prevalence rates ranging from 2.3% to 19%. 9,[12][13][14][15] Untreated speech and language delay in preschool children has shown variable persistence rates (from 0% to 100%), with most studies reporting 40% to 60%. 9 In 1 study, two thirds of preschool-aged children who were referred for speech and language therapy and given no direct intervention proved eligible for therapy 12 months later.…”

Teachers’ screening estimations of speech–language impairments in primary school children in Nepal

“…However, the present study does not agree with the prevalence rates revealed by Wong et al . () for preschoolers and with Hannus et al . () who gave relatively lower prevalence rates as compared with the above studies.…”