SP in Schools project 2017 DRAFT 1 low res

Speech Pathology Australia: Speech Pathology in Schools Project

The following evidence will be valuable to speech

pathologists when performing an advocacy

role in schools to highlight the need for speech

pathology in the education sector.

• Australian estimates (from the Longitudinal

Study of Australian Children) indicate that

between 22.3 and 24.5 per cent of children

have a speech, language or communication

disorder at school entry McLeod & Harrison,

2009).

• One large study based on NSW students

estimated that 11 per cent of students in

secondary school have a communication

disorder (McLeod & McKinnon, 2010). There

is no evidence to indicate that the prevalence

of communication disorders in secondary

school students would be significantly

different from this in other states and

territories.

• Forty six percent of young offenders have a

language impairment (Snow, 2014).

• There is very good evidence to indicate a

negative trajectory for these young people

with increased incidence of disengagement

from school, poor educational outcomes,

mental ill-health, problematic behaviour,

anti-social problems and interaction

with the juvenile justice system (Conti-

Ramsden,Durking, Simkin, & Knox, 2009).

• Over 17 per cent of children start school

with scores of “developmentally at risk” or

“vulnerable” in the language and cognitive

domain (which includes pre-literacy skills),

and over 25 per cent are at risk or vulnerable

in relation to their communication skills and

general knowledge as measured by the

Australian Early Development Census at

school entry.

• Children living in the most socioeconomically

disadvantaged locations were four times as

likely to be developmentally vulnerable (falling

below the 10th percentile) than those from

the least disadvantaged areas in the language

and cognitive skills domain (AECD, 2015).

• Children living in very remote Australia

were nearly five times more likely to be

developmentally vulnerable in the language

and cognitive skills domain than children

living in major cities (AECD, 2015).

• Boys were 1.7 times more likely to be

developmentally vulnerable than girls in the

language and cognitive skills domain (AECD,

2015).

• Speech, language and communication

difficulties are closely linked to behaviour

(Lindsay & Dockrell, 2012), social skills, self-

esteem, health and well-being, family and

social relationships.

• Adolescents with speech, language and

communication difficulties have been

shown to be at a greater risk of developing

emotional, social and behavioural difficulties,

mental health issues (anxiety and depression),

emotional difficulties

early school leaving

and poor school engagement.

• There is strong evidence that many students

with language and learning difficulties

struggle enormously with the transition to

secondary school and may develop mental

health problems.

Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) is the umbrella term most commonly used to describe these

difficulties.

There is now substantial research evidence that children and young people with speech, language and

communication needs (SLCN) are more likely to develop behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) than

typically developing young people (Beitchman et al., 1996 Fujiki, Brinton, & Clarke, 2003; Tomblin et al., 2000.

Studies have shown prevalence rates as high as 35–50 per cent.

Communication disorders frequently co-occur with mental health issues. Bryan and Roach (2001) reported the

incidence of speech and language problems in individuals receiving mental health services to be higher than that

in the general population. Longitudinal studies have indicated an increased likelihood of mental health problems in

those who initially presented with significant speech/language impairments as a child. Developmental Language

Disorders have been found to contribute to the development pf personality disorders in adulthood.

Prevalence of speech, language and

communication needs