Withdrawn and sociable behavior of children with language impairment

This study examined the dimensions of withdrawal and sociability in childre n with language impairment (LI) and their typically developing chronologic age-matched peers. Classroom teachers rated the withdrawn rn and sociable b ehaviors of 41 children with ii and 41 typically developing peers using the Teacher Behavioral Raring Scale (TBRS, Hart ei Robinson, 1996). Children w ere sampled from the age ranges of 5 to 8 :years and 10 to 13 years. Subtyp es of both withdrawn (solitary-passive withdrawal, solitary-active withdraw al, reticence) and sociable (impulse control/likability, prosocial) behavio r were examined. Teachers rated children with LI as displaying higher levels of reticent beh avior than typically developing children. Teachers also rated boys with ii as displaying significantly higher levels of solitary-active withdrawal tha n girls with LI or typically developing children of either gender. The grou ps did not differ on solitary-passive withdrawal, although boys were rated higher than girls. In the dimension of sociable behavior, children with LI were rated significantly below typical peers on subtypes of impulse control /likability and prosocial behavior. The relationship between language impairment and withdrawn and sociable beh avior is complex. Although language impairment is an important factor in so cial difficulty,the current results suggest that language impairment is not the sole factor leading to social problems in children with ii. Assessment and intervention procedures for children with language and social problems should take the complex nature of this relationship into account.