Spanish-English Bilingual Children with Psychopathology:
Language Deficits and Academic Language Proficiency



Claudio O. Toppelberg, Kerim Munir, Alfonso Nieto-Castanon



Child and Adolescent Mental Health





Abstract:


http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2006.00403.
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Background: The aim was to study the language profiles of a
well-characterized sample (n = 50) of Spanish-English bilingual children
consecutively referred to psychiatric services.

Methods: Spanish and English language profiles were assessed
with the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery-Revised (WLPB). Profiles
included language ability levels, deficits and dominance in five
expressive and receptive/expressive domains, and academic
(school-related) language proficiency levels.

Results: General language ability was low for 69% in either
language and for 51% in both. Language dominance data suggested that
expressive skills were dominant in English. In 73% of the children,
ability to function at school in the strongest language is 'limited',
defined by the WLPB as incorrect responses to 50% of the items typically
answered correctly by children of the same age. Classroom language
demands, also according to the WLPB, would be 'extremely difficult' to
'impossible' for 40% of the children in at least one language, and for
19% in either language.

Conclusions: Language deficits, present in many
psychiatrically-referred bilingual children, ought to be suspected by
the clinician. The typical language demands of schooling appear to be
overwhelming for many of these children, with ensuing implications for
psychosocial adaptation and educational attainment. Thorough language
ability assessments of both languages are often necessary for the early
detection of language deficits and for understanding how dual language
abilities relate to psychiatric symptoms. Therefore, language assessment
services need to be closely linked to programs serving
psychiatrically-referred bilingual children. Other implications of this
research for clinical practice are discussed.





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