The impact of age of onset of speech-language therapy on the communication attitudes of children from 2nd through 8th grades

Eligibility for needed speech-language services in schools is often denied because a child performs better than the established thresholds outlined in existing laws and regulations. Guidelines dictate that a child's impairment must impact education to warrant services. Delayed services can result in increased negative attitudes toward communication that many researchers have argued impact education. To determine if the delay in onset of speech-language therapy services impacts communication attitudes, 51 children from 2nd through 8th grade were classified as either early (14 children) or late intervention (37 children) and administered the Communication Attitude Test (CAT). Results revealed no statistically significant difference between groups. The most negative attitudes measured were for children in the late intervention group with language and language/voice disorders suggesting that communication attitudes can be a useful tool when assessing any communication disorder. Analysis for gender, grade, type and severity of disorder found no statistically significant differences in attitudes.