Early childhood language delay: the otolaryngologist's perspective.

Many etiologic factors have been implicated in delayed language development in the preschool child including: low birth weight, perinatal insults to the CNS, and chronic/recurrent middle ear disease with conductive hearing impairment during the first years of life. The results of an in-depth evaluation of 24 children, who manifested preschool language delay significant enough to require remedial intervention, are reported. A suggested early identification model employing High Risk Factors and a Developmental Screening Questionnaire for use by otolaryngologists, pediatricians and audiologists is presented.