What Are the Peer Interaction Strengths and Difficulties in Children with Developmental Language Disorder? A Systematic Review

Abstract

The current review gathers together research investigating peer interaction skills in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) to give an overview of the strengths and challenges experienced by these children when interacting with other children. A systematic review was conducted to summarise the literature on peer interaction strengths and difficulties in children with DLD. No restrictions on time-period were made and the selection criteria accounted for many of the diagnostic labels previously used to refer to DLD. Studies included in this review involve English-speaking children of UK primary school age (4–11 years). A systematic search of databases identified 28 papers that met the inclusion criteria. Children with DLD are found to experience many challenges when interacting with peers. Difficulties have been found in studies exploring discourse characteristics such as turn-taking and in behaviours during play, such as access behaviours. Heterogeneity was however notable and peer interaction strengths are found in terms of the children’s abilities to make friends, use verbal and non-verbal behaviour to make joint decisions with peers, and abilities to engage with peers in social pretend play. While it is encouraging to find research exploring many different areas of peer interaction competence in children with DLD, the research is highly disparate and there are many research findings awaiting replication. The current evidence base is unable to comprehensively define the characteristics of peer interactions of children with DLD.

Associations Between Self, Peer, and Teacher Reports of Victimization and Social Skills in School in Children With Language Disorders

“…This finding suggests that the DLD and RD groups present different profiles in terms of their socio-emotional skills, and not only regarding the nature and severity of their language difficulties, which are more severe in children with DLD ( Laws et al, 2012 ; Mok et al, 2014 ; Lloyd-Esenkaya et al, 2020 ). However, we cannot establish whether there is a direct relationship between language skills and peer difficulties ( Van den Bedem et al, 2018b ).…”

“…The current study aims to analyze bullying experiences and related variables in primary school children with DLD and RD compared to their age-matched peers using teacher reports, peer reports, and self-reports on victimization. Previous research has demonstrated that students with DLD and RD have a higher prevalence of peer problems, poorer acceptance of their classmates, lower quality and quantity of friendships, and larger vulnerability to peer rejection ( Laws et al, 2012 ; Mok et al, 2014 ; Lloyd-Esenkaya et al, 2020 ). However, the accumulating evidence indicates the necessity to distinguish between the perspectives of different reporters and consider the students’ characteristics ( Sidera et al, 2020 ; Gough Kenyon et al, 2021 ).…”

“…In line with other studies ( Andrés-Roqueta et al, 2016 ; Sako, 2016 ), we find lower levels of prosocial skills in DLD and RD students compared to control students in peer measures, reflecting the significant difficulties these children can have with social integration and acceptance in the group. A deficit of prosocial behavior could indicate a poor emotional understanding and lack of learning in helping behavior offered to others ( Lloyd-Esenkaya et al, 2020 ), but also could reflect their insufficient language level to hold up prosocial behaviors ( Fujiki et al, 2013 ; Andrés-Roqueta et al, 2016 ; Sako, 2016 ).…”

“…DLD, formerly known as specific language impairment (SLI), is a persistent language delay affecting communication and/or learning, in the absence of biological, cognitive or psychological conditions ( Bishop et al, 2016 , Bishop et al, 2017 ). In addition to language difficulties, children and adolescents with DLD have difficulties in social relationships, such as poor acceptance from their classmates, low quality and quantity of friendships, and higher rates of peer rejection ( Laws et al, 2012 ; Mok et al, 2014 ; Lloyd-Esenkaya et al, 2020 ). Therefore, students with DLD of different ages show more peer problems than typically developing students ( Lindsay and Dockrell, 2012 ; Levickis et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Nevertheless, not all children with DLD and RD show peer problems and victimization. According to Brinton et al (2000) , the success of social interactions in students with DLD and RD was highly variable, as some children with DLD presented higher levels of aggressive or withdrawing behavior, while some others showed a typical social profile ( Lloyd-Esenkaya et al, 2020 ). Furthermore, a recent study ( Ibáñez-Rodríguez et al, 2021 ) reported that children with DLD do not present higher victimization than typically developing peers in a global measure of victimization, but they are more victimized when bullying victimization scores are specifically related to language reasons (for example, mockery because of language mistakes or misunderstandings).…”