A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Population-Based Screening for Language Delay: Let’s Talk STEPS Study
Authors: Pirjo Korpilahti, Anne Kaljonen, Eira Jansson-Verkasalo
Publisher: Scientific Research Publishing
Publication year: 2016
Journal: Psychology
Journal acronym: PSYCH
Volume: 7
Issue: 2
First page : 2015
Last page: 214
eISSN: 2152-7199
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2016.72023
Web address : https://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=63452
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/38878698
This study evaluates the
reliability of two differently constructed screening instruments for language
delay. Only few studies have addressed the question of early identification at
population level. Data for this article were drawn from a Finnish cohort study,
entitled the Steps to the Healthy Development and Well-Being of Children (the
STEPS study, N = 9.936). The MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories
(CDI-T), based on parent reported vocabulary, was used for screening at 24
months. At 36 months, child’s language skills were screened with the Fox
Language Inventory (FLI) carried out by a clinical nurse. The Renfrew Word
Finding Vocabulary Test and Reynell Developmental Language Scales III (language
comprehension), served as outcome measures at 36 months. Receiver operating
characteristic-analysis (ROC) was used to examine the cost and benefit of the
two screening methods in decision making at 36 months. We found that expressive
vocabulary at 24 months, can already foretell later language development.
However, to reach even better predictivity, screening based on a structured
language battery and age point of 36 months would be a valuable addition to
clinical assessment. Further studies are needed to address to what extend early
screening is able to predict atypical language during later
preschool-years.
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