Date of Award
Fall 12-2011
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Program
Psychology
Department
Psychology
Major Professor
Michelle M. Martel
Second Advisor
Paul J. Frick
Third Advisor
Elizabeth Shirtcliff
Abstract
Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD), including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) have poorer language skills compared to typically developing children; however, language as a potential risk factor for DBD has received little empirical attention or evaluation. Receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language skills in preschoolers with DBD were examined. Participants were 82 preschool-age children and their primary caregivers. Primary caregivers completed a semi-structured interview and symptom and language questionnaires. Preschoolers completed measures of receptive and expressive language. Results indicated that preschoolers with DBD were more impaired on receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language compared to non-DBD children. Pragmatic language appears particularly impaired in children with DBD, and language problems appear most linked with increased hyperactivity-impulsivity (vs. inattention or oppositional-defiance). This work suggests the need for early assessment of language in preschoolers with DBD, as well as the possibly utility of tailored interventions focusing on improving pragmatic language.
Recommended Citation
Gremillion, Monica L., "Merely Misunderstood: Expressive, Receptive, and Pragmatic Language in Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders" (2011). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 1398.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1398
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.