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Risk and protective factors associated with speech and language impairment in a nationally representative sample of 4- to 5-year-old children

Correspondence to: Linda Harrison, PhD and Sharynne McLeod, PhD, School of Teacher Education, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Ave, Bathurst, NSW, 2795, AUSTRALIA, Tel: +61-2-63384463, Fax: +61-2-63384417, E-mail: lharrison{at}csu.edu.au; smcleod{at}csu.edu.au.

Purpose: To determine risk and protective factors for speech and language impairment in early childhood.

Method: Data are presented for a nationally representative sample of 4,983 children participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (described in McLeod & Harrison, 2009). Thirty-one child, parent, family and community factors previously reported as being predictors of speech and language impairment were tested as predictors of: 1) parent-rated expressive speech/language concern and 2) receptive language concern, 3) use of speech-language pathology services, 4) low receptive vocabulary.

Results: Bivariate logistic regression analyses confirmed 29 of the identified factors; however, when tested concurrently with other predictors in multivariate analyses, only 19 remained significant: nine for two to four outcomes and ten for one outcome. Consistent risk factors were being male, having ongoing hearing problems, and a more reactive temperament. Protective factors were having a more persistent and more sociable temperament, and higher levels of maternal well being. Results differed by outcome for having an older sibling, parents speaking a language other than English (LOTE), and parental support for children's learning at home.

Conclusions: Identification of children requiring speech and language assessment requires consideration of the context of family life as well as biological and psychosocial factors intrinsic to the child.

KEY WORDS: risk factor, protective factor, epidemiology, speech, language, communication

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