Early language skills and prosocial behavior contribute to positive outcomes across the lifespan. Screening has improved the identification and early intervention (EI) for children with hearing loss, autism spectrum disorders, and genetically based disabilities. However, many children with significant functional impairments in language and behavior are not identified before school entry. These children have missed a critical window for EI that might have prevented or mitigated persistent developmental language impairment and challenging behaviors. The critical need for early identification of children with delays in both language and social-emotional development by proposing a preventive, universal screening approach. This approach to early screening aims to reduce the number of children on a trajectory of academic failure and social difficulties as a result of these early developmental delays.
AdlofS. M.HoganT. P. (2019). If we don’t look, we won’t see: Measuring language development to inform literacy instruction. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 6(2), 210–217. DOI: 10.1177/2372732219839075
2.
BakerC. E. (2013). Fathers’ and mothers’ home literacy involvement and children's Cognitive and social-emotional development: Implications for family literacy programs. Applied Developmental Science, 17(4), 184–197. DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2013.836034
3.
BargerB.RiceC.SimmonsC. A.WolfR. (2018). A systematic review of part C early identification studies. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 38(1), 4–16. DOI: 10.1177/0271121416678664
4.
BarnettW. S.Friedman-KraussA. H. (2016). State(s) of head start. National Institute for Early Education Research.
5.
BatesR. A.JusticeL. M.SalsberryP. J.JiangH.DyniaJ. M.SingletaryB. (2021). Co-occurring risk and protective factors and regulatory behavior of infants living in low-income homes. Infant Behavior and Development, 64(3), 101598.
6.
BlairC.RaverC. C. (2012). Child development in the context of adversity: Experiential canalization of brain and behavior. American Psychologist, 67(4), 309–318. DOI: 10.1037/a0027493
7.
BlesesD.MakranskyG.DaleP. S.HøjenA.AriB. A. (2016). Early productive vocabulary predicts academic achievement 10 years later. Applied Psycholinguistics, 37(6), 1461–1476. DOI: 10.1017/S0142716416000060
8.
BohA.JohnsonL. (2018). Universal screening to promote early identification of developmental delays: Exploring childcare providers’ beliefs and practices. Early Child Development and Care, 188(12), 1696–1710. DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2016.1278369
9.
BransonD.BinghamA. (2017). Childcare providers’ competence and confidence in referring children at risk for developmental delays. Infants & Young Children, 30(1), 41–57. DOI: 10.1097/IYC.0000000000000079
10.
BriggsR. D.StettlerE. M.SilverE. J.SchragR. D.NayakM.ChinitzS.RacineA. D. (2012). Social-emotional screening for infants and toddlers in primary care. Pediatrics, 129(2), e377–e384. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-2211
11.
Briggs-GowanM. J.CarterA. S.SkubanE. M.HorwitzS. M. (2001). Prevalence of social-emotional and behavioral problems in a community sample of 1-and 2-year-old children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(7), 811–819. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-200107000-00016.
12.
CabreraN. J.ShannonJ. D.Tamis-LeMondaC. (2007). Fathers’ influence on their children's Cognitive and emotional development: From toddlers to pre-K. Applied Development Science, 11(4), 208–213. DOI: 10.1080/10888690701762100
13.
Carta, J. J., Greenwood, C. R., Goldstein, H., McConnell, S. R., Kaminski, R., Bradfield, T. A., Wackerle-Hollman, A., Linas, M., Guerrero, G., Kelley, E., & Atwater, J. (2016). Advances in multi-tiered systems of support for prekindergarten children: Lessons learned from 5 years of research and development from the center for response to intervention in early childhood. In Handbook of response to intervention (pp. 587–606). Springer Science + Business Media. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4899-7568-3_33
14.
ChödrönG.BargerB.Pizur-BarnekowK.ViehwegS.Puk-AmentA. (2021a). “Watch Me!” training increases knowledge and impacts attitudes related to developmental monitoring and referral Among childcare providers. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 25(6), 980–990. DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2019.1626373
15.
ChödrönG.Pizur-BarnekowK.ViehwegS.Puk-AmentA.BargerB. (2021b). Childcare providers’ attitudes, knowledge, and practice related to developmental monitoring to promote early identification and referral. Early Child Development and Care, 191(4), 520–534. DOI: 10.1080/03004430.2019.1626373
16.
ChoiJ. K.WangD.JacksonA. P. (2019). Adverse experiences in early childhood and their longitudinal impact on later behavioral problems of children living in poverty. Child Abuse & Neglect, 98, 104181. DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104181
17.
ChowJ. C. (2018). Comorbid language and behavior problems: Development, frameworks, and intervention. School Psychology Quarterly, 33(3), 356–360. DOI: 10.1037/spq0000270
18.
ChowJ. C.BrodaM. D.GrangerK. L.DeeringB. T.DunnK. T. (2021a). Language skills and friendships in kindergarten classrooms: A social network analysis. School Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/spq0000451. Advance online publication.
19.
ChowJ. C.CunninghamJ. E.WallaceE. S. (2020). Interaction-centered model of language and behavioral development. In Handbook of research on emotional and behavioral disorders (pp. 83–95). Routledge.
20.
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. DOI: 10.1037/spq0000255
21.
ChowJ. C.HolloA. E. (2021). Language skills of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Intervention in School and Clinic. DOI: 10.1177/10534512211047584
22.
ChowJ. C.WallaceE. S.SenterR.KummS.MasonC. M. (2021b). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the language skills of youth offenders. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research.
23.
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. DOI: 10.1007/s10648-016-9385-z
24.
CohenN. J.MennaR.VallanceD. D.BarwickM. A.ImN.HorodezkyN. B. (1998). Language, social cognitive processing, and behavioral characteristics of psychiatrically disturbed children with previously identified and unsuspected language impairments. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 39(6), 853–864. DOI: 10.1111/1469-7610.00286
25.
CunninghamJ. E.ChowJ. C.Artman-MeekerK.TaylorA. L.HemmeterM. L.KaiserA. P. (in press). A conceptual model for a blended intervention approach to support early language and social-emotional development in toddler classrooms. Infants and Young Children.
26.
CurtisP. R.FreyJ. R.WatsonC. D.HamptonL. H.RobertsM. Y. (2018). Language disorders and problem behaviors: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 142(2). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-3551
27.
CurtisP. R.KaiserA. P.EstabrookR.RobertsM. Y. (2019). The longitudinal effects of early language intervention on children's Problem behaviors. Child Development, 90(2), 576–592. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12942
28.
DeverB. V.RainesT. C.DowdyE.HostutlerC. (2016). Addressing disproportionality in special education using a universal screening approach. The Journal of Negro Education, 85(1), 59–71. DOI: 10.7709/jnegroeducation.85.1.0059
29.
DickinsonD. K.GolinkoffR. M.Hirsh-PasekK. (2010). Speaking out for language: Why language is central to reading development. Educational Researcher, 39(4), 305–310. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X10370204
30.
FarmerT. W.HammJ. V.DawesM.Barko-AlvaK.CrossJ. R. (2019). Promoting inclusive communities in diverse classrooms: Teacher attunement and social dynamics management. Educational Psychologist, 54(4), 286–305. DOI: 10.1080/00461520.2019.1635020
31.
FisherE. L. (2017). A systematic review and meta-analysis of predictors of expressive-language outcomes among late talkers. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60(10), 2935–2948. DOI: 10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0310.
32.
FriesenA.HansonM.MartinK. (2015). In the eyes of the beholder: Cultural considerations in interpreting children's Behaviors. Young Exceptional Children, 18(4), 19–30. DOI: 10.1177/1096250614535222
33.
Gasser-HaasO.SticcaF.Wustmann SeilerC. (2021). The longitudinal role of early family risks and early social-emotional problems for friendship quality in preadolescence—A regression model. Plos one, 16(7), e0253888. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253888
34.
GhazviniA. S.ReaddickC. A. (1994). Parent-caregiver communication and quality of care in diverse child care settings. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 9(2), 207–222. DOI: 10.1016/0885-2006(94)90006-X
35.
GibsonJ. L.NewburyD. F.DurkinK.PicklesA.Conti-RamsdenG.ToseebU. (2021). Pathways from the early language and communication environment to literacy outcomes at the end of primary school; the roles of language development and social development. Oxford Review of Education, 47(2), 260–283. DOI: 10.1080/03054985.2020.1824902
36.
GlascoeF. P. (2001). Are overreferrals on developmental screening tests really a problem?Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 155(1), 54–59. DOI: 0.1001/archpedi.155.1.54
37.
GohS. K.GriffithsS.NorburyC. F. (2021). Sources of variability in the prospective relation of language to social, emotional, and behavior problem symptoms: Implications for developmental language disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(6), 676. DOI: 10.1037/abn0000691
38.
GreenwoodC. R.BradfieldT.KaminskiR.LinasM.CartaJ. J.NylanderD. (2011). The response to intervention (RTI) approach in early childhood. Focus on Exceptional Children, 43(9), 1–22. DOI: 10.17161/foec.v43i9.6912
39.
HammJ. V.GrangerK. L.Van AckerR. A. (2020). Classroom peer ecologies and cultures, and students with EBD: Social dynamics as setting events for intervention. In Handbook of research on emotional and behavioral disorders (pp. 125–139). Routledge.
40.
HammerD.MelhuishE.HowardS. J. (2018). Antecedents and consequences of social–emotional development: A longitudinal study of academic achievement. Archives of Scientific Psychology, 6(1), 105–116. DOI: 10.1037/arc0000034
41.
HeidlageJ. K.CunninghamJ. E.KaiserA. P.TrivetteC. M.BartonE. E.FreyJ. R.RobertsM. Y. (2020). The effects of parent-implemented language interventions on child linguistic outcomes: A meta-analysis. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50(1), 6–23. DOI: /10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.12.006
42.
HemmeterM. L.FoxL.SnyderP.AlginaJ.HardyJ.BishopC.VeguillaM. (2021a). Corollary child outcomes of the pyramid model professional development efficacy trial. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 54, 204–218. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.08.004
43.
HemmeterM. L.OstroskyM. M.FoxL. (2021b). Unpacking the pyramid model: A practical guide for preschool teachers. Brookes Publishing Co.
44.
HentgesR. F.DevereuxC.GrahamS. A.MadiganS. (2021). Child language difficulties and internalizing and externalizing symptoms: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 92(4), e691–e715. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13540
45.
HiraiA. H.KoganM. D.KandasamyV.ReulandC.BethellC. (2018). Prevalence and variation of developmental screening and surveillance in early childhood. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(9), 857–866. DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1524
46.
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. DOI: 10.1177/001440291408000203
47.
HorwitzS. M.IrwinJ. R.Briggs-GowanM. J.HeenanJ. M. B.MendozaJ.CarterA. S. (2003). Language delay in a community cohort of young children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(8), 932–940. DOI: 10.1097/01.CHI.0000046889.27264.5E.
48.
JimenezM. E.FiksA. G.ShahL. R.GerdesM.NiA. Y.PatiS.GuevaraJ. P. (2014). Factors associated with early intervention referral and evaluation: A mixed methods analysis. Academic Pediatrics, 14(3), 315–323. DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.01.007
49.
Johnson-StaubC. (2014). First steps for early success: State strategies to support developmental screening in early childhood settings. Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc.(CLASP).
50.
LawJ.LevickisP. (2018). Early language development must be a public health priority. Journal of Health Visiting, 6(12), 586–589. DOI: 10.12968/johv.2018.6.12.586
51.
Le, H. N., Mensah, F., Eadie, P., McKean, C., Sciberras, E., Bavin, L., Reilly, S., & Gold, L. (2021). Health-related quality of life of children with low language from early childhood to adolescence: Results from an Australian longitudinal population-based study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62(3), 349–356. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13277
52.
LipkinP. H.MaciasM. M. (2020). Promoting optimal development: Identifying infants and young children with developmental disorders through developmental surveillance and screening. Pediatrics, 145(1). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-3449
53.
LuoL.ReichowB.SnyderP.HarringtonJ.PolignanoJ. (2020). Systematic review and meta-analysis of classroom-wide social–emotional interventions for preschool children. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education. DOI: 10.1177/0271121420935579
54.
MamedovaS.RedfordJ. (2015). Early childhood program participation, from the national household education surveys program of 2012. First Look. NCES 2013-029. Rev. National Center for Education Statistics.
55.
McKeanC.LawJ.MensahF.CiniE.EadieP.FrazerK.ReillyS. (2016). Predicting meaningful differences in school-entry language skills from child and family factors measured at 12 months of age. International Journal of Early Childhood, 48(3), 329–351. DOI: 10.1007/s13158-016-0174-0
56.
MontroyJ. J.BowlesR. P.SkibbeL. E.FosterT. D. (2014). Social skills and problem behaviors as mediators of the relationship between behavioral self-regulation and academic achievement. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 29(3), 298–309. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2014.03.002
57.
MooreC.ZamoraI.Patel GeraM.WilliamsM. E. (2017). Developmental screening and referrals: Assessing the influence of provider specialty, training, and interagency communication. Clinical Pediatrics, 56(11), 1040–1047. DOI: 10.1177/0009922817701174
58.
National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (2009). Preventing mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders Among young people: Progress and possibilities. The National Academies Press.
59.
National Women's Law Center (2012). Calculation of Department of Health and Human Services Head Start data and American Community Survey data.
60.
NayebL.LagerbergD.SarkadiA.SalamehE. K.ErikssonM. (2021). Identifying language disorder in bilingual children aged 2.5 years requires screening in both languages. Acta Paediatrica, 110(1), 265–272. DOI: 10.1111/apa.15343
61.
NobileC.DrotarD. (2003). Research on the quality of parent-provider communication in pediatric care: Implications and recommendations. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 24(4), 279–290. DOI: 10.1097/00004703-200308000-00010
62.
NorburyC. F.VamvakasG.GoochD.BairdG.CharmanT.SimonoffE.PicklesA. (2017). Language growth in children with heterogeneous language disorders: A population study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(10), 1092–1105. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12793
63.
OwensJ. (2016). Early childhood behavior problems and the gender gap in educational attainment in the United States. Sociology of Education, 89(3), 236–258. DOI: 10.1177/0038040716650926
64.
ParlakianR. (2003). Before the ABCs: Promoting school readiness in infants and toddlers. Zero To Three.
65.
PeñaE. D.GillamR. B.BedoreL. M.BohmanT. M. (2011). Risk for poor performance on a language screening measure for bilingual preschoolers and kindergarteners. American Journal of Speech-language Pathology, 20(4), 302–314. DOI: 10.1044/1058-0360(2011/10-0020)
66.
PengP.LinX.ÜnalZ. E.LeeK.NamkungJ.ChowJ.SalesA. (2020). Examining the mutual relations between language and mathematics: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 146(7), 595–634. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000231
67.
PetersenI. T.LeBeauB. (2021). Language ability in the development of externalizing behavior problems in childhood. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(1), 68–85. DOI: 10.1037/edu0000461
68.
RainesT. C.DeverB. V.KamphausR. W.RoachA. T. (2012). Universal screening for behavioral and emotional risk: A promising method for reducing disproportionate placement in special education. The Journal of Negro Education, 81(3), 283–296. DOI: 10.7709/jnegroeducation.81.3.0283
69.
Reilly, S., Wake, M., Ukoumunne, O. C., Bavin, E., Prior, M., Cini, E., Conway, L., Eadie, P., & Bretherton, L. (2010). Predicting language outcomes at 4 years of age: Findings from early language in Victoria study. Pediatrics, 126(6), e1530–e1537. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-0254
70.
RobenC. K.ColeP. M.ArmstrongL. M. (2013). Longitudinal relations among language skills, anger expression, and regulatory strategies in early childhood. Child Development, 84(3), 891–905. DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12027
71.
SchmitS.MatthewsH.SmithS.RobbinsT. (2013). Investing in young children: A fact sheet on early care and education participation, access, and quality. Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc.(CLASP).
72.
ShahidullahJ. D.FormanS. G.NortonA. M.HarrisJ. F.PalejwalaM. H.ChaudhuriA. (2020). Implementation of developmental screening by childcare providers. Infants & Young Children, 33(1), 21–34. DOI: 10.1097/IYC.0000000000000158
73.
SheridanS. M.SmithT. E.Moorman KimE.BeretvasS. N.ParkS. (2019). A meta-analysis of family-school interventions and children's social-emotional functioning: Moderators and components of efficacy. Review of Educational Research, 89(2), 296–332. DOI: 10.3102/0034654318825437
74.
SimF.ThompsonL.MarryatL.RamparsadN.WilsonP. (2019). Predictive validity of preschool screening tools for language and behavioural difficulties: A PRISMA systematic review. Plos one, 14(2), e0211409. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211409
75.
SingletonN. C. (2018). Late talkers: Why the wait-and-see approach is outdated. Pediatric Clinics, 65(1), 13–29. DOI: 10.1016/j.pcl.2017.08.018
76.
TomblinJ. B.RecordsN. L.BuckwalterP.ZhangX.SmithE.O’BrienM. (1997). Prevalence of specific language impairment in kindergarten children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 40(6), 1245–1260. DOI: 10.1044/jslhr.4006.1245
77.
TwardzikE.Cotto-NegrónC.MacDonaldM. (2017). Factors related to early intervention part C enrollment: A systematic review. Disability and Health Journal, 10(4), 467–474. DOI: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.01.009
VeldhuizenS. (2016). Systematic screening for developmental delay in early childhood: Problems and possible solutions. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 3(3), 184–189. DOI: 10.1007/s40474-016-0090-x
80.
Walker, D., Sepulveda, S., Hoff, E., Rowe, M. L., Schwartz, I. S., Dale, P. S., Peterson, C., Diamond, K., Goldin-Meadow, S., Levine, S., Wasik, B. H., Horm, D. M., & Bigelow, K. M. (2020). Language intervention research in early childhood care and education: A systematic survey of the literature. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 50, 68–85. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.02.010
81.
WallaceI. F. (2018). Universal Screening of Young Children for Developmental Disorders: Unpacking the Controversies.
82.
WeitzmanC.EdmondsD.DavagninoJ.Briggs-GowanM. J. (2014). Young child socioemotional/behavioral problems and cumulative psychosocial risk. Infant Mental Health Journal, 35(1), 1–9. DOI: 10.1002/imhj.21421
83.
YatesT.OstroskyM. M.CheathamG. A.FettigA.ShafferL.SantosR. M. (2008). Research synthesis on screening and assessing social-emotional competence. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.
84.
YewS. G. K.O’KearneyR. (2013). Emotional and behavioural outcomes later in childhood and adolescence for children with specific language impairments: Meta-analyses of controlled prospective studies. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54(5), 516–524. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12009
