Developmental profiles of preschool children with delayed language development

PurposeThis study examines changes in developmental profiles of children with language delay over time and the clinical significance of assessment conducted at age 2-3 years.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 70 children (62 male, 8 female), who had visited the hospital because of delayed language development at 2-3 years, and were reassessed at ages 5-6. Language and cognitive abilities were assessed using multiple scales at the initial and follow-up visits.ResultsAt the initial test, 62 of the 70 children had mental development index (MDI) below 70 of Bayley Scales of Infant Development Test II. Of the 62 children in the follow-up assessment, 30 children (48.4%) remained within the same cognitive range (full-scale intelligence quotient, FSIQ85), and 5 had specific language impairment, 9 had autism spectrum disorders. At the initial test, 38 of the 70 children had cognitive developmental quotients (C-DQ) below 70. Of the 38 children in the follow-up assessment, 23 children (60.5%) remained within the same cognitive range (FSIQ<70). The correlation coefficient for MDI and FSIQ was 0.530 (P<0.0001) and that for C-DQ and FSIQ was 0.727 (P