Journal article

Predicting language outcomes at 4 years of age: Findings from early language in Victoria study

S Reilly, M Wake, OC Ukoumunne, E Bavin, M Prior, E Cini, L Conway, P Eadie, L Bretherton

Pediatrics | Published : 2010

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the contributions of child, family, and environmental predictors to language ability at 4 years. METHODS: A longitudinal study was performed with a sample of 1910 infants recruited at 8 months in Melbourne, Australia. Predictors were child gender, prematurity, birth weight and order, multiple birth, socioeconomic status, maternal mental health, vocabulary, education, and age at child's birth, non-English-speaking background, and family history of speech/language difficulties. Outcomes were Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Preschool, language scores, low language status (scores >1.25 SDs below the mean), and specific language impairment (SLI) (scores >1.25 S..

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Grants

Awarded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council


Awarded by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Population Health Capacity Building


Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

This study was supported by project grants 237106 and 436958 from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and small grants from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University. Dr Ukoumunne's postdoctoral position was funded by an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Population Health Capacity Building Grant (grant 436914). Dr Reilly was partially supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council practitioner fellowship (grant 491210) and Dr Wake by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Awards (grants 284556 and 546405). Ethical approval was obtained from the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne (application 23018) and La Trobe University (application 03-32).