A review of clinical records was conducted for children with developmental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties who were assessed with both the Wechsler preschool and primary scale of intelligence-third edition (WPPSI-III^CDN; Wechsler, 2004) and the Leiter international performance scale-revised (Leiter-R; Roid & Miller, 1997) within the same psychological evaluation. Forty children, ages 3–7, were included in this study. Pearson correlations showed that the IQ scores of the two instruments are strongly related ( r > .70; p < .001). However, paired t-tests showed that overall Leiter-R scores ( M = 99.03) were significantly higher than WPPSI-III^CDN scores (PIQ; M = 82.28, FSIQ; M = 75.24) ( p < .001). The discrepancies between the instrument’s scores were clinically important as the use of only one of the two instruments could result in misclassification of child intellectual ability. These results should prompt professionals working with this clinical population to be cautious when using results from a single instrument in a child’s intellectual evaluation.

Many mental disorders (MD) share common etiology, fuelling debates about the specificity of clinical categories and whether the presence of specific risk factors (RF) can distinguish among them. The study of developmental language disorder (DLD), more specifically, has been further hindered by a lack of consensus regarding its definition. These limitations increase the risk of under-detection and lifelong consequences for affected children. This paper aims (1) to document which individual RF allow differentiating DLD from other MD and (2) to compare the cumulative RF between children with DLD versus other MD. This case-control design study used medical records of a psychiatric sample of 795 preschoolers (mean age 4:11, 75% boys). A logistic regression measured the predictive value of potential RF on DLD. Later first sentences, maternal immigration and family history of language delay were identified as significant in explaining 30% of the variance for DLD diagnosis. An ANCOVA revealed that children with DLD were exposed to a significantly higher number of RF than were children with other MD. Public health policies informed with the knowledge of specific RF associated with DLD, and their cumulative impact, could improve early detection and reduce the cascade of negative consequences associated with DLD.

Background: Sleep problems among preschoolers are highly prevalent. Given the impact of poor sleep quality on development, this relationship is particularly relevant in vulnerable populations but is less documented. This study aims to document parental perception of sleep problems in preschoolers assessed in a psychiatric clinic, as a function of diagnosis type. Methods: Children (14–71 months, n = 228) were evaluated by a psychiatrist, and diagnoses were pooled into four categories: behavioral disorders, relational disorders/psychosocial problems, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and communication disorders. Sleep problems were measured using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Results: In this clinical sample of preschoolers, 21.6% of children were identified as having a sleep problem by their parents. Behavioral disorders and communication disorders were associated with increased parental report of sleep problems (respectively, trouble falling asleep and nighttime awakenings), while DCD was associated with lower parental report of sleep problems (fewer nighttime awakenings and less difficulty falling asleep) (p < 0.05). Relational disorders were not associated with parental reports of sleep difficulties (p > 0.05). Moreover, some psychiatric categories were associated with specific sleep symptoms (such as difficulty falling asleep and night awakenings). Conclusion: Parents of preschoolers with behavioral disorders and communication disorders are more likely to report sleep problems in their children than parents of preschoolers with DCD and relational disorders. Since different categories of psychiatric disorders are associated with specific types of sleep complaints, screening, and treatment should be adapted accordingly.

Intellectual impairments in preschoolers have been widely studied. A regularity that emerges is that children’s intellectual impairments have an important impact on later adjustments in life. However, few studies have looked at the intellectual profiles of young psychiatric outpatients. This study aimed to describe the intelligence profile of preschoolers referred to psychiatry for various cognitive and behavioral problems in terms of verbal, nonverbal, and full-scale IQ and to examine their association with diagnoses. Three hundred four clinical records from young children aged under 7 years and 3 months who consulted at an outpatient psychiatric clinic and who had one intellectual assessment with a Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence were reviewed. Verbal IQ (VIQ), Nonverbal IQ (NVIQ), and Full-scale IQ (FSIQ) were extracted. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Ward’s method was employed to organize data into groups. The children had, on average, a FSIQ of 81, which is significantly lower than that expected in the general population. Four clusters were identified by the hierarchical clusters analysis. Three were characterized by low, average, and high intellectual ability. The last cluster was characterized by a verbal deficit. Findings also revealed that children’s diagnoses were not related to any specific cluster, except for children with an intellectual disability with, as expected, low abilities. Children referred to an intellectual assessment in an early childhood mental health clinic showed an altered intellectual development, more specifically in the verbal domain.

Nonverbal intelligence has been linked to language impairments and adaptational outcomes in clinical populations. However, the development of nonverbal intelligence in conjunction with language difficulties is still poorly understood. This study aims to characterize the progression of nonverbal intelligence in young children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). This study collected data from medical records of children seen in a child psychiatric clinic. The sample consisted of 71 children diagnosed with DLD who had completed two Wechsler scale assessments. The first assessment took place at the mean age of 4:11 years, and the second at the mean age of 8:2 years. Three groups were formed according to the evolution of nonverbal intelligence: decrease (n = 22), increase (n = 21), and stability (n = 28). Multivariate analyses of covariance indicated that initial verbal and nonverbal intellectual skills, multilingualism, and age distinguished these three groups and effects were medium to large. Children in the increasing path are significantly younger and have significantly lower initial verbal and nonverbal intellectual skills. Evolution of nonverbal development in children with DLD seems highly variable. More studies are needed, but very young children with DLD may not be able to demonstrate their full intellectual potential in standardized Weschler assessments. It would be advisable to continue to follow the evolution of their abilities with caution to personalize interventions. Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a diagnosis directly related to expressive and receptive language difficulties. Therefore, assessment and intervention are focused on verbal and language ability. Children with DLD also seem to have nonverbal cognitive weaknesses, but the understanding of nonverbal development in this population is limited. Among school-aged children, a great deal of variation in nonverbal abilities according to age is observed, possibly linked to the type of assessment used. Nonverbal intelligence has been related to functional outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults with DLD, thus warranting further investigation. This paper explores different nonverbal intelligence developmental evolutions of children from diverse ethnic groups, ensuring representation from large urban areas, and the clinical factors related to those trajectories. Three developmental profiles were differentiated: increase (29.6 %), stability (39.4 %), and decrease (31 %), which were distinguished by initial verbal and nonverbal intelligence as well as age. Having weaker verbal and nonverbal intelligence and being younger were associated with increasing nonverbal intelligence between the two time points. Development of nonverbal intelligence seems highly variable among preschoolers diagnosed with DLD who consulted in a clinical setting, with children being just as likely to improve, maintain, or decrease in ability. These findings may also indicate that nonverbal intelligence assessments may not capture the true nonverbal potential of younger children with DLD, especially when they show an array of difficulties. More research is needed to understand the different trajectories of nonverbal development, but current results encourage caution in the intellectual assessments of children with DLD.