Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties associated with persistent speech disorder in children: A prospective population study.

Purpose: Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) in childhood are associated with negative consequences across the life course. Children with developmental language disorder have been identified as being at risk of developing SEBD but it is unclear whether a similar risk exists for children with speech sound disorder, a condition which impacts on children's ability to make themselves understood and has been shown to be associated with poor educational outcomes.

Methods: Participants were children who attended the 8-year-old clinic in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children ( = 7390).