Objective: This study aimed to investigate the presence of
neurodevelopmental disorder symptoms in the parents of children
diagnosed with language disorder (LD) and to compare these
characteristics with those of parents of typically developing children.
Method: The study included 76 children diagnosed with LD and 71
typically developing controls, along with their parents. The diagnosis of
LD was based on DSM-5 criteria. Language and other developmental
domains were assessed using the Denver II developmental screening
test. Neurodevelopmental symptoms in parents were evaluated using
the Wender-Utah Rating Scale (WURS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale
(TAS), and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ).
Results: Maternal education level was significantly lower in the LD
group compared to parents of typically developing children (p<0.001).
Parents of children with LD scored significantly higher on the TAS,
WURS, and AQ scales compared to the control group (all p <0.001).
Deficits in speech and language abilities were observed among the
children of parents who obtained high scores (p<0.001, p<0.001,
p=0.006).
Conclusion: The presence of neurodevelopmental symptoms
in parents may confer the risk of language, cognitive, and other
neurodevelopmental delays in their children. Early diagnosis and
family-centered intervention approaches are critical to mitigating these
risks and supporting psychosocial functioning.
Keywords: Autism spectrum