Screening for Speech and Language Delay in Preschool Children: Recommendation Statement
- 1 February 2006
- journal article
- practice guideline
- Published by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in PEDIATRICS
- Vol. 117 (2), 497-501
- https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2766
Abstract
The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concludes that the evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against routine use of brief, formal screening instruments in primary care to detect speech and language delay in children up to 5 years of age (I recommendation; see Appendix 1). Speech and language delay affects 5% to 8% of preschool children, often persists into the school years, and may be associated with lowered school performance and psychosocial problems. The USPSTF found insufficient evidence that brief, formal screening instruments that are suitable for use in primary care for assessing speech and language development can accurately identify children who would benefit from further evaluation and intervention. Fair evidence suggests that interventions can improve the results of short-term assessments of speech and language skills; however, no studies have assessed long-term outcomes. Furthermore, no studies have assessed any additional benefits that may be gained by treating children who are identified through brief, formal screening who would not be identified by addressing clinical or parental concerns. No studies have addressed the potential harms of screening or interventions for speech and language delays, such as labeling, parental anxiety, or unnecessary evaluation and intervention. Thus, the USPSTF could not determine the balance of benefits and harms of using brief, formal screening instruments to screen for speech and language delay in the primary care setting. Address correspondence to Ned Calonge, MD, MPH, US Preventive Services Task Force, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 540 Gaither Rd, Rockville, MD 20850. E-mail: uspstf{at}ahrq.govThis publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Screening for Speech and Language Delay in Preschool Children: Systematic Evidence Review for the US Preventive Services Task ForcePEDIATRICS, 2006
- Developmental Surveillance and Screening of Infants and Young ChildrenPEDIATRICS, 2001
- Infant ScreeningJournal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 1998
- Secondary prevention of paediatric language disability: a comparison of parents and nurses as screening agentsInternational Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 1997
- Preschool Speech and Language Screening: Further Validation of the Sentence Repetition Screening TestJournal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 1996
- Early language screening in City and Hackney: the concurrent validity of a measure designed for use with 2½‐year‐oldsChild: Care, Health and Development, 1994
- The Accuracy of Three Developmental Screening TestsJournal of Early Intervention, 1993
- Screening effectiveness of the Minnesota Child Development Inventory expressive and receptive language scales: Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value.Psychological Assessment, 1990
- Early language screening in City and Hackney: work in progressChild: Care, Health and Development, 1988
- Concurrent validity of two language screening testsJournal of Communication Disorders, 1987