“Birth Order’s Effect on Language Delay Detection in Young Children”

In the field of Speech-Language Pathology, research has shown that the earlier a child is diagnosed with a speech and language disorder, the better the prognosis is for a favorable therapy outcome (Carroll, Bowyer-Crane, Duff, Hulme, Snowling, 2011). This researcher concentrated on how the birth order of a child can affect the prognosis of a speech and language delay. For this study, the goal was to collect quantitative data in order to view the extent of the correlation between birth order and the age of diagnosis. A sample population was found at the DuBard School of Language Disorders at the University of Southern Mississippi. The participants were parents of children who attended the DuBard School of Language Disorders. These participants were given a questionnaire that would bring further understanding to what extent birth order affects early detection of language and speech delay. Information provided in the study was analyzed through using SPSS and averages to view trends. Upon evaluating the data, the researcher showed that the birth order of a child had no correlation to early speech and language delay detection. Furthermore, this research adds to the field of Speech-Language Pathology, since there are no studies currently published reviewing both birth order and the time of diagnosis of a speech and language delay