Language development and behaviour problems in toddlers indicated to have a developmental language disorder.

What is already known on the subject There is empirical evidence that a developmental language disorder (DLD) in early childhood leads to behaviour problems. However, it is still not clear how changes in language proficiency in children with DLD influence the presence of behaviour problems. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study addresses if a change in language proficiency is related to changes in child behaviour problems in toddlers indicated to have DLD. The results of our study showed that most of the children did not show a positive reliable change in receptive syntax, receptive vocabulary and expressive syntax at this young age, but most of the children did in expressive vocabulary. Furthermore, changes in language proficiency did not lead to changes in the presence of internalizing or externalizing behaviour problems. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Therefore, professionals working with toddlers indicated to have DLD should be aware of the co-occurrence of language problems and behaviour problems, and have to realize that behaviour problems might not decrease as a result of improved language proficiency. If behaviour problems are present and need to be treated, other interventions, apart from the language intervention, might be necessary.