Children with language delays are almost twice as likely to have tantrums, scientists say. This has been proven by a recent study. What does this mean in practice and when is it time to sound the alarm?
Scientists have long speculated that speech delays and tantrums in children may be linked, but no large-scale study has yet supported this hypothesis with data. Until now.
Unique Research
A new project from Northwestern University, in which 2000 people took part, showed that toddlers with smaller vocabulary had more tantrums than their peers with age-appropriate language skills. This is the first study of its kind to link speech delays in toddlers to behavioral tantrums. The sample also included children under 12 months of age, despite the fact that older age is considered to be “crisis” in this regard.
“We know that toddlers have temper tantrums when they’re tired or frustrated, and most parents are stressed at those times,” said study co-author Elizabeth Norton, assistant professor of communication sciences. “But few parents are aware that certain types of frequent or severe tantrums can indicate a risk of later mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and behavior problems.”
Just like irritability, speech delays are risk factors for later learning and speech impairments, Norton points out. According to her, about 40% of these children will have persistent speech problems in the future, which can affect their academic performance. This is why assessing both language and mental health in tandem can accelerate early detection and intervention for early childhood disorders. After all, children with this “double problem” are likely to be at higher risk.
Key indicators of anxiety can be regular repetition of outbursts of anger, a significant delay in speech
“From many other studies of older children, we knew that speech and mental health problems co-occur much more often than you might expect. But before this project, we had no idea how early they would start,” adds Elizabeth Norton, who also serves as the director of a university laboratory that studies the development of language, learning and reading in the context of neuroscience.
The study interviewed a representative group of more than 2000 parents with children aged 12 to 38 months. Parents answered questions about the number of words uttered by the children, and “outbursts” in their behavior – for example, how often does a child have a tantrum in moments of fatigue or, conversely, entertainment.
A toddler is considered a “late speaker” if he or she has less than 50 words or does not pick up new words by 2 years of age. Researchers estimate that late-talking children are nearly twice as likely to have violent and/or frequent outbursts of anger than their peers with normal language skills. Scientists classify tantrums as “severe” if a child regularly holds their breath, punches or kicks during a tantrum. Toddlers who have these attacks every day or more often may need help developing self-control skills.
Don’t rush to panic
“All of these behaviors need to be considered in the context of development, not in and of themselves,” said project co-author Lauren Wakschlag, professor and associate chair of the Department of Health and Social Sciences at Northwestern University and director of the DevSci Institute for Innovation and Developmental Sciences. Parents shouldn’t jump to conclusions and overreact just because the kid next door has more words or because their kid didn’t have the best day. Key indicators of anxiety in both of these areas can be a regular repetition of outbursts of anger, a significant delay in speech. When these two manifestations go hand in hand, they exacerbate each other and increase risks, in part because such problems interfere with healthy interaction with others.
In-depth study of the problem
The survey is just the first step in a larger research project at Northwestern University that is ongoing under the title When to Worry? and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The next step involves a study of approximately 500 children in Chicago.
In the control group, there are those whose development takes place according to all age norms, and those who demonstrate irritable behavior and / or speech delays. Scientists will study the development of the brain and behavior of children to pinpoint the indicators that will help distinguish temporary delays from the appearance of serious problems.
Parents and their kids will meet with the organizers of the project every year until the children are 4,5 years old. Such a long, complex focus “on the child as a whole” is not very characteristic of scientific research in the field of speech pathology and mental health, explains Dr. Wakschlag.
Scientists and doctors have important information for many families that will help identify and solve the problems described.
“Our Institute for Innovation and Emerging Sciences DevSci is specifically designed to enable scientists to leave traditional classrooms, go beyond the usual patterns and be able to work most effectively, using all the tools available today to solve the tasks,” she explains.
“We want to take and bring together all the developmental information available to us so that pediatricians and parents have a toolkit to help them determine when it’s time to sound the alarm and seek professional help. And showing at what point the intervention of the latter will be most effective, ”says Elizabeth Norton.
Her student Brittany Manning is one of the authors of the paper on the new project, whose work in speech pathology was part of the impetus for the study itself. “I had a lot of conversations with parents and clinicians about temper tantrums in children who spoke late, but there was no scientific evidence on this topic that I could draw on,” Manning shared. Now scientists and doctors have information that is important both for science and for many families, which will help to identify and solve the described problems in a timely manner.