The association of reading disability, behavioral disorders, and language impairment among second-grade children

Children with language impairment (LI) have been shown to be at risk for re ading disability (RD) and behavior disorder (BD). Previous research has not determined the specific pattern of these conditions associated with LI. Th is study sought to determine if the behavior disorder and reading problems represented different outcomes or if these conditions occurred together whe n found with LI. A group of 581 second-grade children, including 164 childr en with LI, were examined for spoken language, reading, and behavior disord er. The data for each of these areas were examined as dimensional traits an d as clinical categorical traits. Reading and spoken language were found to be strongly correlated (r =.68); RD was found in 52 % of the children with LI and in only 9 % of the control s. Scores of parent ratings for ED were also significantly correlated with spoken language scores (r =.29). Clinical levels of BD were found in 29 % o f the children with LI and 19 % of the controls. An examination of the co-o ccurrence of clinical levels of ED, RD, and LI showed ED in children with L I to be conditioned by the child's reading status. The data indicated that whereas RD was directly associated with ED, the association of LI with ED r equired the mediation of RD.