Investigating Developmental Status of Children Aged 0-5 Years and Its Association With Child Gender, Family Background and Geographic Locations in Australian Community-Based Early Learning Centres.
Huahua Yin, Matthew Ankers, Alicia Bell and 2 others
PMID 40435399WHAT IT FOUND
Children aged 2–3 and boys were more likely to have developmental concerns in language and self-help domains.
Children from culturally and linguistically diverse families showed higher risks in language and social-emotional areas. Mid-level socio-economic communities had unexpected academic concerns, while remoteness and Indigenous status showed no significant associations.
Key findings
01In the 2–5 year group, children aged 2–3 were significantly more likely to have developmental concerns in language (AOR = 5.47) and self-help (AOR = 6.16) domains compared to older children.
02Children from CALD families were significantly more likely to have developmental concerns in language (AOR = 2.38) and social/emotional (AOR = 3.16) domains.
03No statistically significant associations were found between developmental concerns and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background or remoteness of residence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was drawn from specific not-for-profit early learning centres, often in low socio-economic areas, so findings may not generalise to all children or those not attending such centres. Family-level socio-economic status and home environment were not measured, relying instead on area-level indices which may not accurately reflect individual family circumstances. The study did not include remote or very remote areas, limiting conclusions about the impact of remoteness. The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was very small (2.9%), reducing statistical power to detect associations in this group.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the higher rate of language concerns in children from CALD backgrounds as evidence of developmental disorder. The study notes that language acquisition is complex in multilingual families and that no assumptions can be made about the length of exposure to the test language, meaning these findings may reflect assessment bias or normal bilingual development rather than pathology.