THE IMPACT OF NEGLECT AND ABUSE ON CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

1. THE IMPACT OF NEGLECT AND ABUSE ON CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT Children Experiencing Neglect and/or Abuse

2. Power Point Outline** • I. Introduction and General Facts • II. Abuse of Persons with Disabilities • III. Behavioral and Language Characteristics • IV. Implications for Assessment and Intervention

3. I. INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL BACKGROUND FACTS** • Children may experience abuse and/or neglect (AN) • The highest rate of child abuse is experienced by children between birth and 3 years of age

4. Safe Horizon 2019:** • In the U.S., someone reports child abuse every 10 seconds • 4 children die each day because of abuse and neglect

5. Sheehan Stanford Child Neurology:

6. Neglect…** • Is the failure to provide for a child’s basic needs • It can be emotional, educational, or physical

7. Children who experience physical neglect…** • Often experience this because their parents are unable to provide what they need—they are poor • May be inappropriately left at home alone

8. These physically neglected children…** • Often have trouble doing well in school-- basic needs are not met • Hungry, cold, lice • Difficulty concentrating

9. Recent national statistics indicate that in terms of perpetrators by relationship to the victim:** • 78.5% are parents • 6.5% are other relatives (total of 85% are relatives) • 0.4% are foster parents • 0.7% are child daycare providers • 4.1% are unmarried partners of the child’s parent • 0.3% are friends or neighbors

10. Children who have experienced severe emotional neglect…** • May be lethargic and apathetic • May demonstrate learned helplessness • May have cognitive problems, including difficulty with impulse control and problem-solving skills

11. II. ABUSE OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES** (http://www.irvingstudies.com/child_abuse_survivor_monument/Disabled.htm) • Reports: physical and sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities runs 3-4 times higher than abuse in the general population • Disabled girls are especially vulnerable targets; often, family members abuse them

12. Fogle, 2019:

13. If a child with a disability reports** abuse, s/he often not seen as credible —can’t describe details clearly • SLPs sometimes called to assist in court cases • SLPs ensures that interviews are conducted at the child’s appropriate cognitive and linguistic levels

14. Some research suggests that…

15. This is one reason…** • That we need to provide medical care for these babies as early as possible

16. Children with disabilities…** • Put a lot more stress on their caregivers • When caregivers are stressed and have no respite, they are more likely to neglect and abuse their children

17. Caregivers may…** • Not see the light at end of tunnel like parents of TD children • Be stressed--typical childhood experiences not available • Parents of TD children uncomfortable-- no invitations • Special needs parents & children isolated

18. III. BEHAVIORAL AND LANGUAGE CHARACTERISTICS** They are often very quiet Difficulties with expressive language • They have lesser conversational skills than their peers • They may be less likely than peers to discuss information or volunteer

19. **These children often do more poorly in school • They underperform academically • They have more behavior problems

20. Specific difficulties with pragmatics may include:

22. Other specific language issues may include:** Shorter, less complex utterances Fewer decontextualized utterances; more talk about the here and now • Auditory and reading comprehension problems

23. Mothers who neglect or abuse babies:** • May punish normal risk-taking “adventurous” behavior • May not interact • May be unresponsive when babies initiate, so babies learn to be passive

24. Shaken baby syndrome may occur** • We must stress to caregivers that they should NEVER shake a baby • This causes lifetime cognitive and linguistic damage

25. Sheehan Stanford Neurology:

26. IV. IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION** • We need to work as part of a multidisciplinary team • This team often includes a social worker and a psychologist • We are mandated to document and report what we see and hear • In the schools, we would tell the principal

27. In assessment, we especially need to focus on evaluating:** • Overall expressive language skills • Pragmatics skills • Narrative skills • Vocabulary

28. Intervention should involve…** • Encouraging verbal expression, especially description • Providing a warm, nurturing environment with clear rules and boundaries ↑ child’s ability to accurately describe and appropriately express emotions (e.g., use your words, not hitting or kicking)

29. Intervention may especially need to involve…** • Playing! • We can provide appropriate dolls/action figures, art supplies, etc. • As ch is playing or drawing, describe his actions or drawings

30. ** • AN children are more likely than peers to engage in behavior tat elicits negative reactions from those around them • ↑ ability to communicate socially

31. We can work on self esteem by using ideas such as:** • Star of the Week • Me Collage • Problem Wall • Trip to the Future

32. Remember that…** • Culturally and linguistically diverse families may especially need direct instruction about American child abuse laws • I think that we should do this before we refer the family to CPS (Child Protective Services)

33. Many refugee parents…** • Have undergone great trauma • May have post-traumatic stress disorder, may neglect, abuse children

34. V. SUPPORTING CAREGIVERS** • Remember that in the U.S., most people do not have help and support from extended families like they do in other countries • Frequently caregivers are isolated with their children, and they can become extremely stressed

35. Lorber, M.F., & Egeland, B. Parenting and Infant Difficulty. Child Development, 82, (6)

36. It can be very stressful…** • When a baby cries nonstop for hours and you are alone with no help—you can’t leave

37. Sheehan Stanford Neurology:** • They always ask caregivers: • When you just can’t take it any more, who can you call to relieve you?

38. **1. Ask caregivers about their own needs, and attempt to help them meet these needs or guide to them to professionals who can help them (e.g., parenting classes, food stamp programs) • 2. Provide key information about overall child development. Research shows that some caregivers abuse their children because the caregivers’ expectations are too high.

39. ** • One friend told me about her great grandson—at 3 years of age, expected to change his own diapers—was hit when he did not • In winter, allowed to go barefoot and get splinters—no coat

40. Sheehan:

41. **3. Point out what caregivers are already doing right. • 4. Provide support groups of other caregivers whose ch have similar challenges • 5. Use DVDs that model good parenting skills

42. **6. Teach caregivers how to use language/words to discipline instead of using physical means such as slapping. For example, caregivers can be taught how to apply choices and consequences. • 7. Model language stimulation strategies such as extensions that caregivers can easily fit into their daily routines.

43. Power Point Outline** • I. Introduction and General Facts • II. Abuse of the Disabled • III. Behavioral and Language Characteristics • IV. Implications for Assessment and Intervention