Journal of Pediatric Health Care
Volume 23, Issue 3 , Pages 158-164, May 2009

Brief Report: Language Ability and School Functioning of Youth Perinatally Infected With HIV

published online 07 April 2008.

Abstract 

Introduction

The purpose of this article is to describe the language ability and school functioning of early adolescents with perinatal HIV/AIDS.

Method

Participants included 43 youths, 9-15 years, and their primary caregivers. Youths completed the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Reading Subtest of the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT3) and were interviewed regarding their future educational aspirations and parental supervision and involvement with homework. Caregivers were interviewed regarding the child's school achievement, parental supervision and monitoring, and educational aspirations for their child.

Results

Fifty-four percent of youths scored below average (<25th percentile) on the PPVT, and 29% scored below the 10th percentile; 40% scored below average (<25th percentile) on the WRAT3, and 24% scored below the 10th percentile. Scores were associated with parental monitoring and educational aspirations.

Discussion

Youths performed poorly on tests of verbal and reading ability, although their scores were not dissimilar to those of other samples of inner-city youths. Future research should attempt to isolate the impact of HIV disease on intellectual and school functioning of HIV+ youths.

Key words: Perinatal HIV infection, verbal ability, reading ability

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 This research was supported by a supplemental research grant from the Office of AIDS Research to National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH6 3636-01; principal investigator: Claude Ann Mellins, PhD), and a center grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to the HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioral Studies at New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University (P50-MH43520; Center principal investigator: Anke A. Ehrhardt, PhD).

PII: S0891-5245(08)00053-9

doi:10.1016/j.pedhc.2008.02.005

Journal of Pediatric Health Care
Volume 23, Issue 3 , Pages 158-164, May 2009

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