“. . . it’s a dance that we’re all in together”: Exploring how juvenile justice personnel make sense of youths’ language disorders and executive function impairments

Research indicates that language disorders and/or executive function impairments affect at least 50% of system-involved youth. Using a sensemaking framework, this interdisciplinary study explored experiences of juvenile justice personnel in recognizing and addressing language disorders and executive function impairments among the youth in their care. The study assessed perceptions of the prevalence of these impairments among youth and how personnel respond to youth with perceived impairments. Thematic analysis suggests that language disorders and executive function impairments are perceived to be common, and while personnel typically lack training in these areas, they rely on their experiential knowledge to meet the youth where they are.