This column highlights the importance of language and communication skills in students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Evidence continues to point to language impairments as a co-occurring area of concern in students with EBD. This complex association is described along with recommendations for supporting students with EBD who may have documented or undocumented language impairments. The goal of this column is to promote discussion and collaborative efforts to develop solutions for best supporting outcomes of students with EBD.
BrintonB.FujikiM. (2011). Emotion talk: Helping caregivers facilitate emotion understanding and emotion regulation. Topics in Language Disorders, 31(3), 262–272.
4.
CantwellD. P.BakerL. (1977). Psychiatric disorder in children with speech and language retardation: A critical review. Archives of General Psychiatry, 34(5), 583–591.
5.
ChowJ. C. (2018). Comorbid language and behavior problems: Development, frameworks, and intervention. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(3), 356–360.
6.
ChowJ. C.BrodaM. D.GrangerK. L.DeeringB. T.DunnK. T. (2021). Language skills and friendships in kindergarten classrooms: A social network analysis. School Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000451
7.
ChowJ. C.CunninghamJ. E.WallaceE. S. (2020). Interaction-centered model for language and behavioral development. In FarmerT.FarmerB.SutherlandK.ConroyM. (Eds.), Handbook of research on emotional & behavioral disabilities: Interdisciplinary developmental perspectives on children and youth (pp. 83–95). Routledge.
8.
ChowJ. C.EkholmE.ColemanH. (2018). Does oral language underpin the development of later behavior problems? A longitudinal meta-analysis. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(3), 337–349.
9.
ChowJ. C.HolloA. (2018). Language ability of students with emotional disturbance: Discrepancies between teacher ratings and direct assessment. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 43(2), 90–95.
10.
ChowJ. C.WallaceE. S. (2021). Speech-language pathologists’ behavior management training and reported experiences with challenging behavior. Communication Disorders Quarterly, 42(2), 67–72.
11.
ChowJ. C.WaltersS.HolloA. (2020). Supporting students with co-occurring language and behavioral deficits in the classroom. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 52(4), 222–230.
12.
ChowJ. C.WehbyJ. H. (2018). Associations between language and problem behavior: A systematic review and correlational meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30(1), 61–82.
13.
ChowJ. C.WehbyJ. H. (2019). Profiles of problem behavior in children with varying language ability. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 27(2), 110–118.
14.
ChowJ. C.ZimmermanK. N.SenterR. (2020). Tailoring effective behavior management strategies for speech-language pathologists. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 52, 260–272.
15.
CohenN. J.DavineM.HorodezkyN.LipsettL.IsaacsonL. (1993). Unsuspected language impairment in psychiatrically disturbed children: Prevalence and language and behavioral characteristics. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(3), 595–603.
16.
CurtisP. R.FreyJ. R.WatsonC. D.HamptonL. H.RobertsM. Y. (2018). Language disorders and problem behaviors: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 142(2), e20173551.
17.
DonahueM.ColeD.HartasD. (1994). Links between language and emotional/behavioral disorders. Education and Treatment of Children, 17, 244–254. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42899362
18.
DuncanG. J.DowsettC. J.ClaessensA.MagnusonK.HustonA. C.KlebanovP.. . . JapelC. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43(6), 1428–1446.
19.
GageN. A.LierheimerK. S.GoranL. G. (2012). Characteristics of students with high-incidence disabilities broadly defined. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 23, 168–178.
20.
HellandW. A.PosserudM. B.LundervoldA. J. (2020). Emotional and behavioural function in children with language problems-a longitudinal, population-based study. European Journal of Special Needs Education. Advance online publication. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08856257.2020.1857930
21.
HinshawS. P. (1992). Externalizing behavior problems and academic underachievement in childhood and adolescence: Causal relationships and underlying mechanisms. Psychological Bulletin, 111(1), 127–155.
22.
HolloA.BurtJ. (2018). Practices reflecting functional communication training for students with or at risk for EBD: Systematically mapping the literature. Behavioral Disorders, 44(1), 20–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0198742917751697
23.
HolloA.ChowJ. (2015). Communicative functions of problem behavior for students with high-incidence disabilities. Beyond Behavior, 24(3), 23–30.
24.
HolloA.ChowJ. C.WehbyJ. H. (2019). Profiles of language and behavior in students with emotional disturbance. Behavioral Disorders, 44(4), 195–204.
25.
HolloA.WehbyJ. H.OliverR. M. (2014). Unidentified language deficits in children with emotional and behavioral disorders: A meta-analysis. Exceptional Children, 80(2), 169–186.
26.
Im-BolterN.CohenN. J. (2007). Language impairment and psychiatric comorbidities. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 54(3), 525–542.
27.
MokP. L. H.PicklesA.DurkinK.Conti-RamsdenG. (2014). Longitudinal trajectories of peer relations in children with specific language impairment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(5), 516–527.
28.
MorganP. L.FarkasG.HillemeierM. M.HammerC. S.MaczugaS. (2015). 24-month-old children with larger oral vocabularies display greater academic and behavioral functioning at kindergarten entry. Child Development, 86(5), 1351–1370.
29.
PaulsL. J.ArchibaldL. M. (2016). Executive functions in children with specific language impairment: A meta-analysis. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 59(5), 1074–1086.
30.
SabeyC. V.CalderM. C.CaldarellaP.ThompsonG. A. (2020). Effects of precision requests as a standalone intervention on noncompliance of students with emotional disturbance. Education & Treatment of Children, 43, 251–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-020-00026-y
31.
SalmonK.O’KearneyR.ReeseE.FortuneC. (2016). The role of language skill in child psychopathology: Implications for intervention in the early years. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 19, 352–367.
32.
St ClairM. C.PicklesA.DurkinK.Conti-RamsdenG. (2011). A longitudinal study of behavioral, emotional and social difficulties in individuals with a history of specific language impairment (SLI). Journal of Communication Disorders, 44(2), 186–199.
33.
TomblinJ. B.ZhangX.BuckwalterP.CattsH. (2000). The association of reading disability, behavioral disorders, and language impairment among second-grade children. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 41(4), 473–482.
34.
WallaceE. S.SenterR.PetersonN.DunnK. T.ChowJ. (2021). How to establish a language-rich environment through a collaborative SLP–Teacher partnership. TEACHING Exceptional Children. Advance online publication. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0040059921990690