A growing body of research shows that proficiency in oral and written language is crucial for success in both social and academic contexts.
Because of this, there has been an increased focus in recent years on schools improving literacy outcomes for young people, and this has been pushed along by reports showing that student learning in these critical areas has been declining.
Oral language difficulties are characterised by challenges using and understanding vocabulary and grammar, whereas reading difficulties are characterised by poor decoding, spelling and reading fluency.
Studies show up to 15% of children experience significant difficulties with language and literacy, representing approximately 4 children in a typical classroom. Moreover, children with language and literacy difficulties are at higher risk of anxiety, depression, behavioural and mental health challenges than their peers.
Associate Professor Suze Leitão from Curtin University leads a clinical paediatric research team, ‘Language and Literacy in Young People’ – a thriving group of cross-disciplinary researchers and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students.
Of particular interest to Associate Professor Leitão is research that informs the understanding of language and literacy disorders, and links to mental health.
She says while existing interventions can improve language skills over time, they do not necessarily alleviate mental health problems, pointing out that the transition to high school is particularly difficult for these children and their families.
“Children move from primary school where they mainly have 1 teacher and 1 classroom to many teachers, many classrooms, and a complex timetable,” Associate Professor Leitão told The Educator.
“This goes hand in hand with increased demands on their language and literacy [more complex vocabulary and grammar, drawing on reading to learn].”
Associate Professor Leitão said that as well as increased academic demands, this is a time of social growth and changes – relying on a strong foundation of language and communication, increasing the challenges for children and their families.
As for why children with language and literacy difficulties are at higher risk of mental health problems, Associate Professor Leitão said it is important to consider the relationship between language and emotion regulation.
“Identifying and understanding emotion, describing emotion using correct vocabulary, understanding why or how you feel a particular way, and identifying and interpreting others’ emotions, can be hard this is for a child who is having difficulties with language,” she said.
“Up to 80% of children with emotional/behavioural problems have significant unidentified language and communication needs while up to 60% of children with diagnosed language and communication needs experience emotional/behavioural disorders.”
As well as playing a social role, Associate Professor Leitão said language also underpins academic success (accessing the curriculum and succeeding at school) critical for mental well-being.
“Children with language and literacy difficulties are at increased risk of mental health difficulties but we do not fully understand the reasons why. We need to identify these risk and protective factors as early as possible,” she said.
“We need to design language, literacy and mental health support and programmes that are accessible to children and young people with language difficulties – most are ‘talking therapies’ with high literacy demands – so inaccessible to these children - even if they can find a service.”