Receiving extra support in Norwegian centre-based childcare: the role of children’s language and socioemotional development

The study investigates how developmental challenges in children, such as language difficulties or externalising and internalising behavioural problems, affect the likelihood of a child receiving additional support early in life.

The research questions are:

1. Are children who have language difficulties or externalising or internalising behavioural problems more likely to receive specially adapted education early in life than children who do not have these challenges? (Since it has been reported that gender differences are related to the likelihood of receiving adapted education, and the fact that kindergarten teachers generally report that boys experience more challenges than girls, separate analyses were made for boys and girls).
2. To what extent are children who experience challenges identified and offered the help they are entitled to?

The results show that children with developmental challenges (language difficulties or externalising/internalising behaviour) were more likely to receive special education compared to children in the same kindergarten who did not have similar challenges. The researcher found major differences between genders: Boys who had internalising behavioural problems were more likely to receive adapted education than girls with the same challenges. Conversely, girls who had language difficulties or externalising behavioural problems were more likely to receive help than boys with the same behaviour. Only a small proportion (10-15 %) of the children who had language difficulties or externalising/internalising behavioural problems received the adapted support they are entitled to.

The data material was taken from an online survey involving 2279 children that was conducted in 2015. The informants were the children themselves, parents and kindergarten employees. In order to map the children’s development, the informants were asked about the children’s behaviour and the extent to which the children mastered language.

Lekhal, R. (2020). “Receiving extra support in Norwegian centre-based childcare: the role of children’s language and socioemotional development”. Early Child Development and Care, 190(4):580-593.