Language Deficits Among
Students With Behavioral Disorders
Sharon R. Ishii-Jordan, Ph.D.
Creighton University
Karen Hux, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lisa Scott, Ph.D.
Wichita State University
ABSTRACT
This research examined the frequency with
which 12 elementary school students with emotional/behavioral disorders
(EBD) and no other special education verifications displayed concomitant
language disorders. Extensive standardized and nonstandardized language
assessments were performed. Results revealed that all participants
either had language impairments or were at risk for language impairments.
Three of the 12 students received scores on standardized language assessment
measures that indicated language impairment; 10 of 12 displayed behaviors
consistent with language impairment on one or more measures of conversational
discourse, and 10 of 12 displayed behaviors consistent with language impairment
on one or more measures of narrative discourse. These results suggest that
educators should be alert to the likelihood of students with EBD having
concomitant language impairments. Furthermore, these impairments can not
be readily identified through the unilateral use of standardized language
assessment measures.
PURPOSE
-
To determine prevalence figures for language
impairment among students in programs for emotional/behavioral disorders
(EBD)
-
To determine the types of language problems
that exist among EBD students in public school settings
METHODS
Subjects
-
12 elementary school-age students
-
3 girls, 9 boys
-
8.9 years to 12.1 years
-
all verified with EBD
-
all normal IQ
Procedures
-
Administered 2 standardized language tests
-
Test of Language Development - Intermediate
(TOLD-I:2)
-
Test of Pragmatics of Language (TOPL)
-
Elicited 2 language samples
-
Conversational discourse
Analyzed using modified Clinical
Discourse Analysis (Damico, 1985):
a. # utterances
b. # errors
c. # utterances with errors
d. % of utterances with errors
Analyzed using Systematic Analysis
of Language Transcripts (SALT) (1996):
a. mean length of utterance
(MLU)
b. % of utterances with mazes
c. maze words as a percent
of total words
d. average words per maze
-
Narrative discourse through
story re-telling
Analyzed according to Westby (1992):
a. thematic units (t-units)
b. # episodes
c. average # t-units per
episode
d. % of episodes completed
RESULTS
Standardized Measures Analysis
(TOLD-I:2 and TOPL)
-
Definitions
-
Within normal limits: > -1 SD
-
At risk: -1.5 SD to -1 SD
-
Language impaired: < -1.5 SD
Tables
of TOLD and TOPL results (Must view with Acrobat Reader. Follow instructions
at this site.
The page will either open or download as a file to your computer.)
Conversational Discourse Analysis
-
Definitions for Conversational Discourse
| Measure |
Within normal limits |
At risk |
Language impaired |
| MLUa |
>7.62 |
4.5 - 7.62 |
<4.5 |
| average words per mazea |
<2.15 |
NA |
>2.16 |
| maze words as % of total wordsa |
<8.38 |
8.38 - 11.06 |
>11.06 |
| % utterances w/ discourse errorsb |
<50% |
50% - 60% |
>60% |
abased on Loban (1976)
barbitrarily set
Tables
of Conversational Discourse Results (Must view with Acrobat Reader. Follow
instructions at this site.
The page will either open or download as a file to your computer.)
Narrative Discourse Analysis
(Story Re-telling)
-
Definitions for Narrative Discourse
| Measure |
Within normal limits |
At risk |
Language impaired |
| # episodes (max. 4)a |
4 |
3 |
0 - 2 |
| # complete episodesa |
3 - 4 |
2 |
0 - 1 |
| Maze words as % of total wordsb |
<8.38 |
8.38 to 11.06 |
>11.06 |
| Average words per mazeb |
<2.15 |
N/A |
>2.16 |
aBased on Westby (1992)
bBased on Loban (1976)
Tables
of Narrative Discourse Results (Must view with Acrobat Reader. Follow instructions
at this site.
The page will either open or download as a file to your computer.)
SUMMARY
Prevalence of Language Impairments Among
Elementary Students with Behavioral Disorders
-
Standardized Measures
-
3 of 12 students displayed language
impairments
-
5 additional students displayed at-risk
behaviors
-
Conversational Discourse
-
10 of 12 students displayed language
impairments on one or more measures
-
2 additional students displayed at-risk
behaviors
-
Narrative Discourse (story re-telling)
-
10 of 12 students displayed language
impairments on one or more measures
-
2 additional students displayed at-risk
behaviors
Summary
Table (Must view with Acrobat Reader. Follow instructions at this site.
The page will either open or download as a file to your computer.)
Types of Language Deficits
-
Semantics:
-
4 of 12 students displayed language
impairments
-
2 additional students displayed at-risk
behaviors
-
Syntax
-
4 of 12 students displayed language
impairments
-
1 additional student displayed at-risk
behavior
-
Discourse (Conversational and Narrative)
-
8 of 12 students displayed language impairments
on at least one measure both in conversational and narrative discourse
-
4 additional students displayed at-risk behaviors
DISCUSSION
-
Language impairments and challenges are pervasive
among the population of students with EBD. Educators and speech-language
pathologists need to consider the possibility that students with EBD have
concomitant language impairments that are masked by other behaviors.
-
Administration of standardized language assessment
measures is insufficient, by itself, to identify the language challenges
of students with EBD.
-
The most prominent areas of challenge relate
to discourse, although some students display semantic and syntactic impairments
as well.
-
Further research is needed to determine whether
provision of language intervention for students with concomitant EBD and
language challenges improves behavior.
