The Relationship Between Language Development and Behavioral Problems in Preschool Children Who Experienced a Stroke

Abstract: After pediatric stroke, children often exhibit impairments in their cognitive, language, and behavioral development. This study investigates the relationship between language abilities and behavioral problems in preschool children ( n = 56) following pediatric stroke, focusing on age at the time of testing, sex, time of stroke, left middle cerebral artery involvement, and cognitive abilities. About one-third of the children showed below-average language development and overall behavior problems. Binomial logistic regressions revealed that sentence comprehension had a protective effect (OR = 0.707) on overall behavioral problems. The regression model for externalizing problems was not significant or externalizing problems was not significant. The results highlight the importance of language comprehension skills in preventing mental health problems in this clinical group.