Comorbidity of Language and Social-Emotional Disorders: Comparison of Psychiatric Outpatients and Their Siblings

Abstract

To examine factors that differentiate children raised ill the same family who are psychiatrically referred from those who are nor, 100 referred 4- to 12-year-old children were compared to siblings on a battery of standardized language tests and behavioral checklists. Results indicate a relation among psychiatric referral, externalizing psychopathology, and receptive language disorders. A higher percentage of siblings had language disorders than would be expected based on community prevalence figures; and in 24% of cases, these disorders had not been suspected prior to assessment. Results are discussed in relation to factors that place children within a family at risk for psychopathology.