LONG-TERM CONSISTENCY IN SPEECH LANGUAGE PROFILES .2. BEHAVIORAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL OUTCOMES/

Objective: This study examined the 7-year behavioral, emotional, and s ocial outcome of speech/language-impaired and control children selecte d from a community sample. Method: Speech/language and psychosocial me asures were administered to the children at ages 5 and 12.5 years. Usi ng children's age 5 speech/language test results, a cluster analysis w as performed to ascertain whether specific linguistic subgroups would emerge. The association between speech/language cluster at age 5 and p sychosocial functioning at age 12.5 was examined. Results: Children wi th receptive and pervasive speech/language problems at age 5 demonstra ted greater behavioral disturbance than children without such impairme nt. Controlling for initial behavioral status, early childhood languag e profile was still associated with behavioral and social competence r atings, 7 years later. Children without receptive language problems sh owed superior social adjustment. Conclusions: Empirically supported sp eech/language classifications identified as early as age 5 were associ ated with behavioral disturbance in late childhood. Receptive and perv asive speech/language impairment in early childhood was associated wit h the greatest risk at follow-up. Early auditory comprehension problem s may be a specific risk factor for later aggressive and hyperactive s ymptoms. These findings identify the need for effective intervention w ith speech/language-impaired children.