★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★Open research. Global perspectives.
Social Sciences OPEN ACCESS

INTERNALIZING AND EXTERNALIZING PROBLEMS IN PRESCHOOLERS AT RISK FOR SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTAL DYSLEXIA

Victoria Zakopoulou
Department Of Speech & Language Therapy, Laboratory Of New Approaches In Communication Disorders, University Of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Antonina-Maria Christodoulou
Department Of Speech & Language Therapy, Laboratory Of New Approaches In Communication Disorders, University Of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Sofia Kyttari
Department Of Speech & Language Therapy, Laboratory Of New Approaches In Communication Disorders, University Of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Vasiliki Siafaka
Department Of Speech & Language Therapy, Laboratory Of New Approaches In Communication Disorders, University Of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Pavlos Christodoulides
Department Of Speech & Language Therapy, Laboratory Of New Approaches In Communication Disorders, University Of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
tajssei 2023
VOL. 5 / NO. 01 JANUARY
VOLUME 5
ISSUE 01
YEAR 2023
PAGES 41-62

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Children at risk of Specific Developmental Dyslexia (SDD) experience early difficulties in the school environment, including language, cognitive and motor functions as well as reduced socio-emotional skills. These multilevel difficulties early affect both the life of the child himself and the functioning of the family system (parents, siblings).

OBJECTIVE. The present study is a systematic literature review aimed to investigate the role of internalizing and externalizing problems regarding the early occurrence of SDD at preschool age.

METHODS. 131 studies retrieved as relevant to this topic. 5 researches met the predetermined inclusion criteria, while 112 out of the 117 article of the original search were rejected.

RESULTS Based on the studies overview, the following results have emerged: (i) a variance regarding the view that internalizing and externalizing problems are prognostic factors for SDD, (ii) a lacking number of reviews referring to the relation of conduct and emotional problems with SDD in preschoolers, and (iii) an absence of data concerning the role of early treatment of internalizing and externalizing problems as an inhibitory factor in the emergence of SDD.

CONCLUSIONS. As a general conclusion, the relation between externalizing, internalizing problems and early identification of SDD is recognized, whereas the exact interaction mechanism is not clearly determined. Moreover, further research is recommended on the combined early treatment of psycho-emotional and behavioral problems along with comprehensive intervention in early reading and writing difficulties.

Keywords

Internalizing problems externalizing problems Specific Developmental Dyslexia preschool age predictive factors early intervention

References

  1. Arnold, D., Brown, S., Meagher, S., Baker, C., Dobbs, J., & Doctoroff, G. (2006). Preschool-Based Programs for Externalizing Problems. Education and Treatment of Children, 29(2), pp. 311-339. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/42899887
  2. Arnold, D., Brown, S., Meagher, S., Baker, C., Dobbs, J., & Doctoroff, G. (2006). Preschool-Based Programs for Externalizing Problems. Education and Treatment of Children, 29(2), pp. 311-339. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/42899887
  3. Basten, M., Tiemeier, H., Althoff, R., van de Schoot, R., Jaddoe, V., Hofman, A., . . . van der Ende, J. (2016). The Stability of Problem Behavior Across the Preschool Years: An Empirical Approach in the General Population. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychiatry, 44, pp. 393-404. doi:10.1007/s10802-015-9993-y
  4. Baumeister, A., Storch, E., & Geffken , G. (2008). Peer Victimization in Children with Learning Disabilities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 25, pp. 11–23. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-007-0109-6
  5. Bayer, J., Ukoumunne, O., Mathers, M., Wake, M., Abdi, N., & Hiscock, H. (2012). Development of children’s internalising and externalising problems from infancy to five years of age. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(7), pp. 659-668. doi:10.1177/0004867412450076
  6. Bierman, K., Coie, J., Dodge, K., Greenberg, M., Lochman, J., McMahon, R., . . . Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group . (2002). Using the Fast Track randomized prevention trial to test the early-starter model of the development of serious conduct problems. Development and Psychopathology, 14(4), pp. 925-943. doi:10.1017/s0954579402004133
  7. Brauner, C. B., & Stephens, C. B. (2006). Estimating the prevalence of early childhood serious emotional/behavioral disorders: challenges and recommendations. Public health reports, 121(3), pp. 303–310. doi:10.1177/003335490612100314
  8. Bretherton, I., & Beeghly, M. (1982). Talking about internal states: The acquisition of an explicit theory of mind. Developmental Psychology, 18(6), pp. 906–921. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.18.6.906
  9. Bryan, T., Burstein, K., & Ergul, C. (2004). The Social-Emotional Side of Learning Disabilities: A Science-Based Presentation of the State of the Art. Learning Disability Quarterly, 27(1), pp. 45–51. doi:10.2307/1593631
  10. Burlaka, V., Bermann, E. A., & Graham-Bermann, S. A. (2015). Internalizing Problems in At-risk Preschoolers: Associations with Child and Mother Risk Factors. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24, pp. 2653–2660. doi:10.1007/s10826-014-0067-5
  11. Campbell, S., Shaw, D., & Gilliom, M. (2000). Toddlers and preschoolers at risk for later maladjustment. Development and Psychopathology, 12(3), pp. 467-488. doi:10.1017/S0954579400003114
  12. Camras, L. A. (2000). Surprise!: Facial expressions can be coordinative motor structures. In M. D. Lewis, & I. Granic (Eds.), Emotion, development, and self-organization: Dynamic systems approaches to emotional development (pp. 100–124). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511527883.006
  13. Carroll, J., & Iles, J. (2006). An assessment of anxiety levels in dyslexic students in higher education. The British journal of educational psychology, 76(3), pp. 651–662. doi:10.1348/000709905X66233
  14. Carter, A. S., Wagmiller, R. J., Gray, S. A., McCarthy, K. J., Horwitz, S. M., & Briggs-Gowan, M. J. (2010). Prevalence of DSM-IV disorder in a representative, healthy birth cohort at school entry: sociodemographic risks and social adaptation. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(7), pp. 686–698. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2010.03.018
  15. Colenbrander, D., Ricketts, J., & Breadmore, H. L. (2018). Early Identification of Dyslexia: Understanding the Issues. Language, speech, and hearing services in schools, 49(4), pp. 817–828. doi:10.1044/2018_LSHSS-DYSLC-18-0007
  16. Crawford, N. A., Schrock, M., & Woodruff-Borden, J. (2011). Child internalizing symptoms: contributions of child temperament, maternal negative affect, and family functioning. Child psychiatry and human development, 42(1), pp. 53–64. doi:10.1007/s10578-010-0202-5
  17. Curtis, P., Kaiser, A., Estabrook, R., & Roberts, M. (2019). The Longitudinal Effects of Early Language Intervention on Children's Problem Behaviors. Child Development, 90(2), pp. 576-592. doi:10.1111/cdev.12942
  18. Dahle, A., & Knivsberg, A.-M. (2014). Internalizing, externalizing and attention problems in dyslexia. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 16(2), pp. 179-193. doi:10.1080/15017419.2013.781953
  19. Egger, H., & Angold, A. (2006). Common emotional and behavioral disorders in preschool children: presentation, nosology, and epidemiology. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(3-4), pp. 313-337. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01618.x
  20. Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., & Eggum, N. D. (2010). Emotion-Related Self-Regulation and Its Relation to Children’s Maladjustment. Annual review of clinical psychology, 6, pp. 495-525. doi:10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.121208.131208
  21. Exarchou, P., Simos, Y., Siafaka, V., & Zakopoulou, V. (2020). Parental Stress in Cases of Children 'At Risk' for Specific Learning Disorder: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Psychology & Behavior Analysis, 6(170). doi:10.15344/2455-3867/2020/170
  22. Francis, D., Caruana, N., Hudson, J., & McArthur, G. (2019). The association between poor reading and internalising problems: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 67, pp. 45-60. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.09.002
  23. Giovagnoli, S., Mandolesi, L., Magri, S., Gualtieri, L., Fabbri , D., Tossani , E., & Benassi , M. (2020). Internalizing Symptoms in Developmental Dyslexia: A Comparison Between Primary and Secondary School. Frontiers in psychology, 11, p. 461. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00461
  24. Graziano, P., Keane, S., & Calkins, S. (2010). Maternal Behavior and Children´s Early Emotion Regulation Skills Differentially Predict Development of Children´s Reactive Control and Later Effortful Control. Infant and Child Development, 19(4), pp. 333-353. doi:10.1002/icd.670
  25. Grizzle, K. L. (2007). Developmental dyslexia. Pediatric clinics of North America, 54(3), pp. 507–vi. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2007.02.015
  26. Halle, T. G., & Darling-Churchill, K. E. (2016). Review of measures of social and emotional development. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 45, pp. 8–18. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2016.02.003
  27. Han, H., & Kemple, K. (2006). Components of Social Competence and Strategies of Support: Considering What to Teach and How. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(3), pp. 241–246. doi:10.1007/s10643-006-0139-2
  28. Hendren, R., Haft, S., Black, J., White, N., & Hoeft, F. (2018). Recognizing Psychiatric Comorbidity With Reading Disorders. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, p. 101. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00101
  29. Heward, W. L. (2011). Παιδιά με ειδικές ανάγκες Μία εισαγωγή στην Ειδική Εκπαίδευση. (Α. Διαβάζογλου, Κ. Κόκκινος, Eds., & Λ. Χαρά, Trans.) Αθήνα: ΤΟΠΟΣ.
  30. Horbach, J., Mayer, A., Scharke, W., Heim, S., & Günther, T. (2019). Development of Behavior Problems in Children with and without Specific Learning Disorders in Reading and Spelling from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade. Scientific Studies of Reading, 24(1), pp. 57-71. doi:10.1080/10888438.2019.1641504
  31. Horbach, J., Mayer, A., Scharke, W., Heim, S., & Günther, T. (2019). Development of Behavior Problems in Children with and without Specific Learning Disorders in Reading and Spelling from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade. Scientific Studies of Reading, 24(1), pp. 57-71. doi:10.1080/10888438.2019.1641504
  32. Huang, Y., He, M., Li, A., Lin, Y., Zhang, X., & Wu, K. (2020). Personality, Behavior Characteristics, and Life Quality Impact of Children with Dyslexia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(4). doi:10.3390/ijerph17041415
  33. International Dyslexia Association. (2002). Retrieved from www.dyslexiaida.org: https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/
  34. Jordan, J.-A., & Dyer, K. (2017). Psychological Well-being Trajectories of Individuals with Dyslexia Aged 3–11 Years. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 23(2), pp. 161-180. doi:10.1002/dys.1555
  35. Jordan, J.-A., & Dyer, K. (2017). Psychological Well-being Trajectories of Individuals with Dyslexia Aged 3–11 Years. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 23(2), pp. 161-180. doi:10.1002/dys.1555
  36. Kashani, J. H., & Orvaschel, H. (1990). A community study of anxiety in children and adolescents. The American journal of psychiatry, 147(3), pp. 313–318. doi:10.1176/ajp.147.3.313
  37. Keenan, K., & Shaw, D. (1997). Developmental and social influences on young girls' early problem behavior. Psychological bulletin, 121(1), pp. 95–113. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.121.1.95
  38. Knivsberg, A.-M., & Andreassen, A. (2008). Behaviour, attention and cognition in severe dyslexia. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 62(1), pp. 59-65. doi:10.1080/08039480801970098
  39. Lane, L., Oakes, W., Cantwell, E., Schatschneider, C., Menzies, H., Crittenden, M., & Messenger, M. (2016). Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors: Preliminary Cut Scores to Support Data-Informed Decision Making in Middle and High Schools. Behavioral Disorders, 42(1), pp. 271-284. doi:10.17988/BD-16-115.1
  40. Liu, J. (2004). Childhood Externalizing Behavior: Theory and Implications. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 17(3), pp. 93-103. doi:10.1111/j.1744-6171.2004.tb00003.x
  41. Livingston, E. M., Siegel, L. S., & Ribary, U. (2018). Developmental Dyslexia: Emotional Impact and Consequences. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 23(2), pp. 1-29. doi:10.1080/19404158.2018.1479975
  42. Mammarella, I. C., Ghisi, M., Bomba, M., Bottesi, G., Caviola, S., Broggi, F., & Nacinovich, R. (2016). Anxiety and Depression in Children With Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, Reading Disabilities, or Typical Development. Journal of learning disabilities, 49(2), pp. 130–139. doi:10.1177/0022219414529336
  43. Masten, A., Roisman, G., Long, J., Burt, K., Obradović, J., Riley, J., . . . Tellegen, A. (2005). Developmental Cascades: Linking Academic Achievement and Externalizing and Internalizing Symptoms Over 20 Years. Developmental Psychology, 41(5), pp. 733-746. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.41.5.733
  44. McIntosh, K., Sadler, C., & Brown, J. (2012). Kindergarten Reading Skill Level and Change as Risk Factors for Chronic Problem Behavior. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 14(1), pp. 17-28. doi:10.1177/1098300711403153
  45. National Institutes of Health. Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-pro/guidelines/in-develop/cardiovascular-risk-reduction/tools/cohort (accessed on 10 March 2021).
  46. Neece, C., Green, S., & Baker, B. (2012). Parenting Stress and Child Behavior Problems: A Transactional Relationship Across Time. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 117(1), pp. 48-66. doi:10.1352/1944-7558-117.1.48
  47. Nelson, J., Benner, G., & Gonzalez, J. (2005). An Investigation of the Effects of a Prereading Intervention on the Early Literacy Skills of Children At Risk of Emotional Disturbance and Reading Problems. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 13(1), pp. 3-12. doi:10.1177/10634266050130010101
  48. Parhiala, P., Torppa, M., Eklund, K., Aro, T., Poikkeus, A.-M., Heikkilä, R., & Aho, T. (2015). Psychosocial Functioning of Children with and without Dyslexia: A Follow-up Study from Ages Four to Nine. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 21(3), pp. 197-211. doi:10.1002/dys.1486
  49. Parhiala, P., Torppa, M., Eklund, K., Aro, T., Poikkeus, A.-M., Heikkilä, R., & Aho, T. (2015). Psychosocial Functioning of Children with and without Dyslexia: A Follow-up Study from Ages Four to Nine. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 21(3), pp. 197-211. doi:10.1002/dys.1486
  50. Poulsen, M., Nielsen, A.-M. V., Juul, H., & Elbro, C. (2017). Early Identification of Reading Difficulties: A Screening Strategy that Adjusts the Sensitivity to the Level of Prediction Accuracy. Dyslexia, 23(3), pp. 251–267. doi:10.1002/dys.1560
  51. Qi, C., & Kaiser, A. (2003). Behavior Problems of Preschool Children From Low-Income Families: Review of the Literature. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 23(4), pp. 188-216. doi:10.1177/02711214030230040201
  52. Romeo, R. R., Christodoulou, J. A., Halverson, K. K., Murtagh, J., Cyr, A. B., Schimmel, C., . . . Gabrieli, J. D. (2018). Socioeconomic Status and Reading Disability: Neuroanatomy and Plasticity in Response to Intervention. Cerebral cortex, 28(7), pp. 2297-2312. doi:10.1093/cercor/bhx131
  53. Rourke, B., & Fuerst, D. (1996). Psychosocial Dimensions of Learning Disability Subtypes. Assessment, 3(3), pp. 277-290. doi:10.1177/1073191196003003008
  54. Rutter, M., Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T. (2003). Using sex differences in psychopathology to study causal mechanisms: unifying issues and research strategies. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 44(8), pp. 1092-1115. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00194
  55. Sheehan, R. (2017, Αύγουστος 8). Mental Illness in Children: Childhood Illness and Supporting Family. Brain Sciences, 7(8). doi:10.3390/brainsci7080097
  56. Slee, P., Murray-Harvey, R., Dix, K. L., Skrzypiec, G., Askell-Williams, H., Lawson, M., & Krieg, S. (2012). KidsMatter Early Childhood Evaluation Report. Adelaide, Australia: Shannon Research Press.
  57. Steenhoff, T., Tharner, A., & Væver, M. (2021). Internalizing and externalizing problems in preschool children: The role of mothers’ and fathers’ observed parenting behavior in a well-resourced sample. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 62(3), pp. 374-385. doi:10.1111/sjop.12724
  58. Thambirajah, M. S. (2010). Developmental dyslexia: clinical aspects. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 16(5), pp. 380-387. doi:10.1192/apt.bp.108.006239
  59. Theodoridou, D., Christodoulides, P., Zakopoulou, V., & Syrrou, M. (2021). Developmental Dyslexia: Environment Matters. Brain sciences, 11(6), p. 782. doi:10.3390/brainsci11060782
  60. Thompson, P. A., Hulme, C., Nash, H. M., Gooch, D., Hayiou-Thomas, E., & Snowling, M. J. (2015). Developmental dyslexia: predicting individual risk. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 56(9), pp. 976–987. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12412
  61. Thompson, P. A., Hulme, C., Nash, H. M., Gooch, D., Hayiou-Thomas, E., & Snowling, M. J. (2015). Developmental dyslexia: predicting individual risk. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 56(9), pp. 976–987. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12412
  62. Thompson, R. A., & Lagattuta, K. H. (2006). Feeling and Understanding: Early Emotional Development. In K. McCartney, & D. Phillips (Eds.), Blackwell Handbook of Early Childhood Development (pp. 317–337). Blackwell Publishing. doi:10.1002/9780470757703.ch16
  63. van Lier, P., Vitaro, F., Barker, E., Brendgen, M., Tremblay, R., & Boivin, M. (2012). Peer Victimization, Poor Academic Achievement, and the Link Between Childhood Externalizing and Internalizing Problems. Child Development, 83(5), pp. 1775-1788. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01802.x
  64. Willcutt, E., & Gaffney-Brown, R. (2004). Etiology of Dyslexia ADHD and Related Difficulties: Using Genetic Methods to Understand Comorbidity. Perspectives of the International Dyslexia Association, 30, pp. 12-15.
  65. Willcutt, E., & Pennington, B. (2000). Psychiatric Comorbidity in Children and Adolescents with Reading Disability. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 41(8), pp. 1039-1048. doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00691
  66. Zakopoulou, V., Boukouvala, M., Tziakis, N., Vellis, P., Christodoulides, P., Dimakopoulos, G., . . . Mavreas, V. (2021). Children ‘at Risk’ of Specific Learning Disorder: Individualized. Acta Scientific Neurology, 4(2), pp. 25-41.
  67. Zakopoulou, V., Christodoulides, P., Koutsobina, V., Anagnostou, N., Vergou, M., & Sarris, D. (2022). PSYCHOMOTOR DEVELOPMENT DISORDERS IN THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION IN SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER. A CASE STUDY. The American Journal of Social Science and Education Innovations, 4(03), pp. 19–32. doi:https://doi.org/10.37547/tajssei/Volume04Issue03-03
  68. Zakopoulou, V., Tzimourta, K., Ntritsos, G., Tzallas, A., Tsipouras, M., Astrakas, L., . . . Giannakeas, N. (2021). Towards Correct and Safe Diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorder in Preschool Age. The perspective of Early Multi-collector Diagnostic Approaches. A Pilot Study. Acta Scientific Neurology, 4(6), pp. 53-69.
  69. Zakopoulou, V., Vlaikou, A.-M., Darsinou, M., Papadopoulou, Z., Theodoridou, D., Papageorgiou, K., . . . Michaelidis, T. (2019). Linking Early Life Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Functioning, Brain Asymmetries, and Personality Traits in Dyslexia: An Informative Case Study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13(327). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2019.00327