AIMS

The aim of this study will be to collect speech and language data from the young adults in the ALSPAC cohort. This will enable a comparison with their performance at previous timepoints (for example, 8 years, 5 years, or in preschool) and with their social functioning in adulthood. Little is known about long term outcomes for individuals with persistent speech and language impairment with regard to whether or not their problems resolve as they get older. It is known however that when problems persist, individuals are at greater risk for low academic outcome, decreased employment opportunities, increased involvement in criminal activity and increased mental health problems. It is not clear whether these increased risks are due to poor communication skills per se, or whether impaired speech and language in the early years affects other skills, such as social and academic progress, which in turn reduces the individuals' opportunities.