Prevalence of Language Problems Among Adolescent Delinquents

This article describes the prevalence of language problems among delinquents and potential reasons they did not receive language services prior to their commitment to a correctional facility. Sixty-seven girls between the ages of 13 and 17 were tested on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-3 (CELF-3) and the Adolescent WORD Test (WORD Test). Three additional language measures, including a self-assessment measure, were administered to participants performing more than 1.3 below the mean on the CELF-3 and WORD Test. Findings provide clues to partially explain why some incarcerated adolescents are overlooked for language services. Implications for planning programs are provided.