A method of screening for communication disorders in child psychiatric inpatients |
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Authors: | L Scahill |
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Abstract: | Research indicates that children with speech and language disorders probably are at greater risk for developing emotional and behavior problems. A retrospective review of referral patterns on a child psychiatric inpatient service suggested that some children with speech and language disorders were either being missed or referred late in their hospital stay. A four-part procedure was developed to screen children for speech or language problems at admission to a child psychiatric inpatient service. A pilot study of the new method showed promise as a screening procedure (estimated sensitivity = 81%; estimated specificity = 90%). The four-part screening method, referral guidelines and clinical implications are presented. |
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