Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Language diversity, language disorder, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among youth sentenced to detention in Western Australia

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Kippin, N.
    Leitao, Suze
    Watkins, R.
    Finlay-Jones, A.
    Condon, C.
    Marriott, R.
    Mutch, R.
    Bower, C.
    Date
    2018
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Kippin, N. and Leitao, S. and Watkins, R. and Finlay-Jones, A. and Condon, C. and Marriott, R. and Mutch, R. et al. 2018. Language diversity, language disorder, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among youth sentenced to detention in Western Australia. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. 61: pp. 40-49.
    Source Title
    International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
    DOI
    10.1016/j.ijlp.2018.09.004
    ISSN
    1873-6386
    School
    School of Occ Therapy, Social Work and Speech Path
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/73239
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved. BACKGROUND: While studies confirm high prevalence of language disorder among justice-involved young people, little is known about the impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) on language among this population. It is also not clear how language skills vary according to language diversity in Australian youth justice settings, where a disproportionate number of justice-involved youth are Aboriginal and may not speak Standard Australian English (SAE) as their first language. Language skills are important to understand, as language disorder and language difference can lead to a mismatch between the communication skills of a young person and the communication skills of the justice workforce with whom they are communicating. In the highly verbal environments that are common to justice systems, language disorder and language difference may result in a young person misunderstanding legal information and expectations placed on them and not being adequately understood by the justice workforce. METHODS: This study examined the language skills of 98 young people sentenced to detention in Western Australia (WA), who participated in a cross-sectional study examining the prevalence of FASD. Language skills assessed using standardised and non-standardised tasks were analysed by the three major language groups identified: speakers of SAE, Aboriginal English and English as an additional language. RESULTS: We identified rich diversity of languages, and multilingualism was common. Most young people for whom English was not their first language demonstrated difficulties in SAE competence. Further, nearly one in two young people were identified with language disorder - over half of whom had language disorder associated with FASD. CONCLUSIONS: This study has documented language diversity and the prevalence of language disorder associated with FASD among a representative sample of youth sentenced to detention in WA. Results underscore the need for the justice workforce to consider language difference when working with justice-involved youth, as well as language disorder and FASD. The findings also demonstrate the need for speech pathology to be embedded as core service in youth justice systems, working in collaboration with local cultural and language advisors and accredited interpreters. This can better enable appropriate identification of and response to communication and associated rehabilitation needs of young people navigating youth justice systems.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Knowledge, attitudes, experiences and practices of the Western Australian youth custodial workforce
      Passmore, H.; Mutch, R.; Burns, Sharyn; Watkins, R.; Carapetis, J.; Hall, G.; Bower, C. (2018)
      © 2018 Elsevier Ltd Background: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure and characterised by lifelong physical, behavioural and cognitive abnormalities. Primary disabilities, ...
    • Study protocol for screening and diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) among young people sentenced to detention in Western Australia
      Passmore, H.; Giglia, Roslyn; Watkins, R.; Mutch, R.; Marriott, R.; Pestell, C.; Zubrick, S.; Rainsford, C.; Walker, N.; Fitzpatrick, J.; Freeman, J.; Kippin, N.; Safe, B.; Bower, C. (2016)
      Introduction: Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause lifelong disability, including physical, cognitive and behavioural deficits, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Among individuals with FASD, engagement with ...
    • Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and youth justice: A prevalence study among young people sentenced to detention in Western Australia
      Bower, C.; Watkins, R.; Mutch, R.; Marriott, R.; Freeman, J.; Kippin, N.; Safe, B.; Pestell, C.; Cheung, C.; Shield, H.; Tarratt, L.; Springall, A.; Taylor, J.; Walker, N.; Argiro, E.; Leitao, Suze; Hamilton, S.; Condon, C.; Passmore, H.; Giglia, Roslyn (2018)
      © 2018 Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. Objectives To estimate the prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) among young ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.