Follow-up at 11 years of children who had marked speech defects at 7 years.
The results of a follow-up study at 11 years of 215 children in the National Child Development Study who were reported to show marked speech defects at 7 years are presented. Information regarding social welfare, health and scholastic attainments was available for 190 children (88%). Over a third of these had been formally 'ascertained' for special educational treatment. Of the 124 children remaining in ordinary schools, 56% still had residual speech problems while 44% were reported to have acquired satisfactory speech. The health and scholastic attainments of these two groups are described and discussed in relation to each other and to controls. A note regarding significant items in the original reports of 25 'missing' children at 7 years is provided, indicating that the large proportion had serious additional handicaps at 7 years. The importance of effective identification, full paediatric and educational assessment and the provision of appropriate help at or preferably before school entry is stressed.
D000124:Achievement; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004519:Education, Special; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D013070:Speech Therapy; D014792:Visual Acuity