Are Children from Single Parent Homes Disadvantaged?
This study examined the correlation between speech, language, and hearing screening results and demographic or family structure. Participating were 733 children in day care, between 3 and 6 years old, representing diverse economic and racial backgrounds. Speech, language, and hearing screenings were completed in 1989, 1993 and 1995. The Denver Articulation Screening Exam was used in 1989 and 1995, and the Preschool Language Scale-3 was used in 1993. Results indicated that there was no relationship between children’s hearing acuity and demographic or family structure data. Results from the 1989 data indicated that more children from married working-parent families (44 percent) were referred based on screening results than in single working parent families (25 percent). The 1993 data yielded similar results for both expressive and receptive language, but there was no difference in referrals based on speech sound results. The 1995 data also revealed that a greater percentage of children f
