Associations Between Language Impairments and Behavioral Problems in Childhood

Abstract

Language development has a significant impact on healthy emotional functioning throughout the lifespan. There is increasing evidence highlighting the existence of specific language deficits on distinct developmental diagnoses, which posits difficulties in various aspects of language, such as language processing deficits, vocabulary and verbal fluency, and pragmatic language impairment. In particular, separate lines of research have unveiled that language problems may exist in conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and also in populations posing elevated callous unemotional traits. The scope of the present chapter is to summarize key evidence in this area of inquiry, by focusing on the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms involved in language problems. Conducting such analysis will aid in a better understanding of the key behaviours, cognitive mechanisms, and biological signatures of such difficulties that may assist future research in this area of research and designation of more tailored educational and therapeutic interventions.