Academic achievement and productivity losses associated with speech, language and communication needs

Oral language interventions can improve language outcomes in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Young people who fail to develop language as expected face significant challenges in all aspects of life. Unfortunately, language disorders are common, either as a distinct condition (e.g., Developmental Language Disorder) or as a part of another neurodevelopmental condition (e.g., autism). Finding ways to attenuate language problems through intervention has the potential to yield great benefits not only for the individual but also for society as a whole.

Objectives

This meta-analytic review examined the effect of oral language interventions for children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Search Methods

The last electronic search was conducted in April 2022.

Selection Criteria

Intervention studies had to target language skills for children from 2 to 18 years of age with Developmental Language Disorder, autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and Williams syndrome in randomised controlled trials or quasi-experimental designs. Control groups had to include business-as-usual, waiting list, passive or active conditions. However, we excluded studies in which the active control group received a different type, delivery, or dosage of another language intervention. Eligible interventions implemented explicit and structured activities (i.e., explicit instruction of vocabulary, narrative structure or grammatical rules) and/or implicit and broad activities (i.e., shared book reading, general language stimulation). The intervention studies had to assess language skills in receptive and/or expressive modalities.

Data Collection and Analysis

The search provided 8195 records after deduplication. Records were screened by title and abstract, leading to full-text examinations of 448 records. We performed Correlated and Hierarchical Effects models and ran a retrospective power analysis via simulation. Publication bias was assessed via p-curve and precision-effect estimate.

Main Results

We examined 38 studies, with 46 group comparisons and 108 effects comparing pre-/post-tests and eight studies, with 12 group comparisons and 21 effects at follow-up. The results showed a mean effect size of d = 0.27 at the post-test and d = 0.18 at follow-up. However, there was evidence of publication bias and overestimation of the mean effects. Effects from the meta-analysis were significantly related to these elements: (1) receptive vocabulary and omnibus receptive measures showed smaller effect sizes relative to expressive vocabulary, grammar, expressive and receptive discourse, and omnibus expressive tests; and (2) the length of the intervention, where longer sessions conducted over a longer period of time were more beneficial than brief sessions and short-term interventions. Neither moderators concerning participants' characteristics (children's diagnosis, diagnostic status, age, sex, and non-verbal cognitive ability and severity of language impairment), nor those regarding of the treatment components and implementation of the language interventions (intervention content, setting, delivery agent, session structure of the intervention or total number of sessions) reached significance. The same occurred to indicators of study quality. The risk of bias assessment showed that reporting quality for the studies examined in the review was poor.

Authors’ Conclusions

In sum, the current evidence base is promising but inconclusive. Pre-registration and replication of more robust and adequately powered trials, which include a wider range of diagnostic conditions, together with more long-term follow-up comparisons, are needed to drive evidence-based practice and policy.

Ameliorating poverty-related communication and swallowing disabilities: Sustainable Development Goal 1

PURPOSE

More than 700 million people globally are still living in extreme poverty. No poverty (Sustainable Development Goal 1, SDG 1), is considered to be the greatest global challenge. This paper aims to outline the effects of poverty on communication and swallowing disabilities across the lifespan and steps to take for its amelioration.

RESULT

Poverty and disability are in a vicious cycle with each being a cause for and a consequence of the other. Poverty has incontrovertible and significant ramifications for communication and swallowing disabilities across the lifetime from pregnancy to old age. The individual, family and social burden and costs of these disabilities have lifelong economic and social consequences.

CONCLUSION

Considering poverty is a known and important determinant of communication and swallowing disabilities, the most potent weapon is to focus on preventing and ameliorating poverty-related communication and swallowing disabilities in children. A call to action is issued to speech-language pathologists to take steps towards this goal. This commentary paper focusses on Sustainable Development Goal of no poverty (SDG 1) and also addresses zero hunger (SDG 2), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), and climate action (SDG 13).

Speech-language disorder severity, academic success, and socioemotional functioning among multilingual and English children in the United States: The National Survey of Children's Health

Research points to negative associations between educational success, socioemotional functioning, and the severity of symptoms in some speech-language disorders (SLDs). Nonetheless, the majority of studies examining SLDs in children have focused on monolinguals. More research is needed to determine whether the scant findings among multilinguals are robust. The present study used parent report data from the U.S. National Survey of Children's Health (2018 to 2020) to gain a better understanding of the impacts of SLD severity on indicators of academic success and socioemotional functioning among multilingual (n = 255) and English monolingual (n = 5,952) children with SLDs. Tests of between-group differences indicated that multilingual children evidenced more severe SLDs, had lower school engagement, and had lower reports of flourishing than English monolingual children with SLDs. Further, a greater proportion of multilingual children with SLDs missed more school days than English monolinguals. However, multilinguals were less likely to bully others or have been bullied than monolinguals. While the previous between-group differences were statistically significant, they were small (vs ≤ 0.08). Increased SLD severity predicted an increased number of repeated school grades, increased absenteeism, and decreased school engagement, when age and socioeconomic status were controlled. Increased SLD severity also predicted greater difficulty making and keeping friends and decreased flourishing. The effect of SLD severity on being bullied was statistically significant for the monolinguals but not multilinguals. There was a statistically significant interaction for SLD severity and sex for school engagement and difficulty making and keeping friends for monolinguals but not multilinguals. The interactions indicated that school engagement decreased more for females than for males while difficulties making and keeping friends increased more for males than females as one's SLD severity increased. While some findings were specific to monolinguals, tests of measurement invariance indicated that the same general pattern of relations among the variables were evident across the groups of multilinguals and monolinguals. These final findings can inform the interpretation of the results from both the current and future studies, while the overall findings can inform the development of intervention programs, thereby improving the long-term academic and socioemotional outcomes of children with SLDs.

Fijian school students' Fiji English speech sound acquisition

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate Fijian students' acquisition of Fiji English speech sounds.Method: Participants were 72 multilingual students (5-10 years) living in Fiji who spoke the Fijian or Fiji Hindi dialects of Fiji English. The students' productions of single words from the Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (DEAP) were analysed according to dialect using the Children's Independent and Relational Phonological Analysis (CHIRPA).Result: Most English consonants were acquired by 6;0. English consonants that were not in the inventories of Fijian or Fiji Hindi were the last acquired, while those that were common between English and the two languages were some of the earlier acquired consonants. Percentage of consonants correct (PCC) for Fiji English was significantly lower for Grade 1 students (M = 93.01, SD = 0.07) in comparison to Grade 4 students (M = 99.03, SD = 0.01). Plosive and nasal sounds were acquired by 90% of the students earlier than fricative, approximant and affricate sounds, though acquisition of some plosive and fricative sounds varied between Fiji English dialects. All word-initial consonant clusters were acquired by 90% of the students by 9;6, with r-clusters tending to be the latest acquired. The acquisition of word-final consonant clusters was highly variable as students often produced appropriate dialectal variants.Conclusion: Multilingual Fijian children may acquire English specific sounds later than their monolingual English-speaking peers. Consideration of the language environment and analysis of the speech sample with reference to the child's dominant English dialect is imperative for valid identification of speech sound disorder (SSD) in children who speak different dialects of English.

Luck, our journey, doing the best we could: The experiences of speech-language pathologists, parents, and teachers in service delivery for school-aged children

Purpose: Speech-language pathology intervention is effective in supporting the needs of school-aged children with speech and language difficulties, particularly when implemented collaboratively among speech-language pathologists (SLPs), parents, and teachers. However, such intervention is not always accessible, affordable, or timely. The present study explored the experiences of SLPs, parents, and teachers with regard to service delivery for school-aged children as recorded in submissions to the Senate Inquiry into speech-language pathology services in Australia almost 10 years ago and related those experiences to current service provision.Method: In 2013, the Australian Government Senate formed a committee for inquiry and report into the prevalence of speech, language, and communication disorders and speech-language pathology services in Australia. The current study used a phenomenological approach to analyse submissions from SLPs (n = 9), parents (n = 8), and teachers (n = 3) of primary school-aged children who had submitted their experiences of speech-language pathology intervention.Result: Themes that emerged from the submissions showed that participants' experiences of service delivery were associated with "luck", "our journey", and "doing the best we could". Participants described their experiences as "luck" when they were able to access services that they knew others could not; they described their experiences as a "journey" when they reflected on the process of seeking, accessing, and obtaining services which was often quite circuitous; and they described their experience as "doing the best we could" when they persisted in seeking or providing services, despite frustration in not fulfilling their perceived duty of care.Conclusion: The experiences of SLPs, parents and teachers highlight the importance of listening to the stories of these groups to understand the strengths and challenges of service delivery for school-aged children and the need for timely, targeted, and evidence-based care. The experiences of service delivery described by participants in the Senate Inquiry are still common today and thus the need to address the issues they raised remains.

Economic evaluation of the Happy Talk pilot effectiveness trial: A targeted selective speech, language and communication intervention for children from areas of social disadvantage

Purpose: This study presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of a targeted selective pre-school intervention programme, "Happy Talk", which focuses on language development, by simultaneously enhancing parental interaction and the pre-school environment.Method: Happy Talk (delivered to 77 children) is an add on intervention, and is compared to usual care, adopting a healthcare perspective. Cost-effectiveness analyses were carried out using the Pre-school Language Scale 5- Total (PLS-5) for baseline analysis and the Child Health Utility Instrument (CHU9D) in a secondary analysis.Result: Baseline cost-effectiveness analysis showed Happy Talk was more effective (6.3 point change in total PLS-5 standard score - effect size 0.463SD and more expensive (€82.06) than usual care (cost-effectiveness ratio is €13.02 per unit change). Employing a proxy to estimate monetary net benefit, the benefits outweigh the costs, showing that it is cost-effective. However, results do not persist when health-related quality of life outcome measures are considered.Conclusion: Findings suggest a targeted selective public health approach, could be considered value for money to reduce the societal burden of children with low levels of speech, language and communication. However, measurement of longer term outcomes and a larger trial are required, to definitively inform policy changes.

Interactions with youth justice and associated costs for young people with speech, language and communication needs

BACKGROUND

Individuals with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are at greater risk of contact with the criminal justice system. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment of SLCN reduces these risks, leading to better life outcomes for the individual as well as broader social and economic benefits. These youth represent a particularly high-priority group for research into language deficits, as the juvenile justice system involves situations with a high risk or serious consequences that rely upon the application of effective language skills. Whilst some studies have established some gains in speech and communication from speech pathology (SP) interventions during custody, there is limited evidence on the long-term impact of these gains following release from custody. Similarly, few studies have directly measured the cost savings associated with early SP on subsequent youth antisocial behaviour and crime.

AIMS

To estimate the youth antisocial behaviours, youth justice (YJ) contacts and associated costs (from a justice perspective) of childhood SLCN.

METHODS & PROCEDURES

Using 12 years of data from a longitudinal study of Australian children and young people, we employ a panel fixed-effects model to explore the relationship between SLCN and youth antisocial behaviour and youth offending between 12 and 17 years of age. Using these results, we estimate the cost of SLCN and subsequent cost savings associated with identification of SLCN.

OUTCOMES & RESULTS

The results showed that the annual cost of SLCN to the YJ system (exchange rate as at 9 December 2020) is A$875 (95% confidence interval (CI) = A$195, A$1916) (US$$649, €536, £485) per person who participates in youth crime, which is due to higher rates of youth antisocial behaviour and youth offending. Identification of SLCN (defined by SP treatment) appears to have a positive impact on youth antisocial behaviour and crime, mediated through improved language and communication. On average, young people with a history of 'identified' SLCN incur A$188 (95% CI = A$42, A$412) lower YJ costs (US$$140, €105, £115), compared with the same individual, before identification. Over the lifetime of the individual, this equates to A$9.2 million (95% CI = A$2.05 million, A$20.2 million) (US$$6.8 million, €5.6 million, £5.1 million) cost savings to the YJ system (A$3389 per person with SLCN) (2020 Australian dollars) (US$2513, €2074, £1880).

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

Overall, the findings revealed that young people with SLCN have an elevated risk of youth antisocial behaviour and crime. However, the identification of SLCN (and subsequent treatment) leads to changes in the offending risk trajectory for these individuals, resulting in lower rates of youth antisocial behaviour and consequently lower rates of crime and its associated justice costs.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

What is already known on the subject It is well documented in the literature that young people in contact with the justice system have much higher rates of previously undiagnosed SLCN than those of the general population. There is less known about whether the identification of SLCN (and subsequent treatment) leads to changes in the offending risk trajectory for these individuals, leading to lower rates of youth antisocial behaviours and crime. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study uses a longitudinal survey of 5000 children and young people to track the antisocial behaviour and crime-risk trajectory of children and young people with SLCN. The study finds evidence that young people with 'identified' SLCN report less juvenile antisocial behaviour and lower YJ contacts after intervention. The potential lifetime cost savings associated with intervention is A$9.2 million (95% CI = A$2.05 million, A$20.1 million) (US$$6.8 million, €5.6 million, £5.1 million). What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings of this study can quantify the effects (in terms of cost savings to the justice system) of the early identification and subsequent intervention for young people with SLCN.

Measuring the Impact of Genetic and Environmental Risk and Protective Factors on Speech, Language, and Communication Development-Evidence from Australia

Speech and language acquisition is one of the key development indicators of optimal literacy development in infancy and early childhood. Over the last decade there has been increasing interest in the development of theoretical frameworks which underpin the underlying complexity of a child's language developmental landscapes. This longitudinal study aims to measure the impact of genetic and environmental risk and protective factors on speech, language, and communication development (SLCN) among 5000 infants in Australia. Using robust panel fixed-effects models, the results demonstrate that there are clear and consistent effects of protective factors and SLCN associated with the infant's family [coefficient (SD) = 0.153, 95% standard error (SE) = 8.76], the in utero environment [coefficient (SD) = 0.055, standard error (SE) = 3.29] and early infant health [coefficient (SD) = 0.074, standard error (SE) = 5.28]. The impact of family and in utero health is dominant at aged 2 to 3 years (relative to 0 to 1 years) across the domains of language and communication and more dominant from birth to 1 years for speech acquisition. In contrast, the evidence for the impact of genetics on SLCN acquisition in infancy, is less clear. The evidence from this study can be used to inform intervention policies.

What are the implications of climate change for speech and language therapists?

BACKGROUND

The emerging global issue of climate change has large-scale effects on health and well-being, including communication disorders. The broad range of the speech and language therapy profession's scope of practice incorporates prevention, advocacy and equality in service delivery. These act as a springboard for involvement in climate change and health.

AIMS

This is an appeal to speech and language therapists (SLTs) to focus and take action on this issue and its considerable effects on communication and swallowing disorders.

METHODS & PROCEDURES

This article discusses the importance of taking a public health position on prevention and equality of services to manage environmental determinants of communication and swallowing disorders. It also describes the extent to which climate change affects these disorders and exacerbates the inequality of healthcare services in low- and middle-income countries.

MAIN CONTRIBUTION

Five strategies are provided for action on fulfilling therapists' roles in reducing the incidence, development and exacerbation of climate-related communication and swallowing disorders, as well as the role of SLTs in acting as advocates. The case is made for expanding the scope of services to focus on prevention and service equality so as to best meet the needs of the wider community.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

Despite other challenges currently facing SLTs, climate change and its increasing effects on communication disorders and dysphagia is difficult to ignore. SLTs owe it to their clients, the wider community, low- and middle-income countries, the economy, and the future to take action. What this paper adds What is already known on the subject Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals show that climate change is extremely likely to be due to human activities. The global effects will be higher temperatures, changes in precipitation, more droughts and heatwaves, stronger and more intense hurricanes, and a rising sea level which directly threaten the health of entire populations. Other health professions are beginning to take climate change into account in training and practice. What this paper adds to existing knowledge Many disorders of communication and swallowing are caused or exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Increasing temperatures, extremes of precipitation, population displacement and air pollution contribute to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, respiratory disease, malnutrition, premature birth, air- and water-borne diseases, and mental illness. These may affect the communication and swallowing abilities across the lifespan, but particularly those of children and older adults. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? SLTs' roles in prevention, advocacy and education act as a starting point for involvement in climate change and health. Three practical strategies for action include educating SLTs and other health professionals on climate change and its effects on communication and swallowing, promoting awareness with clients and their families, and gathering and disseminating reliable data.