JCPSLP Vol 21 No 1 2019

The role of speech-language pathologists in the justice system

The role of the speech-language pathologist in supporting young people in youth justice A Queensland perspective Stella Martin

A significant body of research indicates the high level of (usually undiagnosed) language and communication disorders in young people in contact with youth justice. Emerging Australian research highlights the benefits of speech-language pathology (SLP) interventions for improving communication outcomes. Young people in the Queensland youth justice system now have direct access to SLPs. This is an important development for both SLP practice, and broader governmental agendas seeking to implement evidence- based reforms that reduce offending and reoffending. This article will provide an overview of how SLPs can make a difference to the communication of young people who come into contact with youth justice, including existing literature about their communication profiles and needs. Clinical insights will be discussed based on the learnings from the commencement of the SLP program in Queensland, Australia, the considerations for service provision, and the current gaps in service. T here is a substantial body of research demonstrating the correlation between the speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) of young people and youth offending (see Anderson, Hawes, & Snow, 2016 for a review). Statutory systems expect adolescents to function with a level of maturity expected of their chronological age, regardless of their developmental age (Baidawi, Mendes, & Snow, 2014). However, for a young person with SLCN, their ability to successfully interact and comply with a number of aspects of the youth justice system is limited. Recent research has identified that the prevalence of SLCN among young people admitted to young offender institutions is over 60%, with only 5% of these young people diagnosed with SLCN before they commenced offending (Bercow, 2008; Bryan, Freer, & Furlong, 2007). The 2015 NSW Young People in Custody Health Survey (Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network and Juvenile Justice, 2017) reflected the noteworthy findings indicating that 48.7% of young people in custody had

severe core language difficulties (2 or more standard deviations below the mean), 51.1% had severe single word reading difficulties, and 77.8% had severe reading comprehension difficulties. SLP interventions can be effective in improving these areas, highlighting the positive impact therapeutic engagement can have on young people in youth justice (Gregory & Bryan, 2011; Snow & Woodward, 2017). Links between SLCN and factors impacting a young person’s trajectory to offending The presence of SLCN is often found in combination with other characteristics that impact a young person’s path to offending. Selected risk factors are briefly summarised below. SLCN and neuro-disabilities At least one in five young people in youth justice have a neuro-disability (Farrer, Frost, & Hedges, 2013; Hughes, Williams, Chitseabesan, Davis, & Mounce, 2012). In particular, there is a high prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in youth justice (Bower et al., 2018). SLCN in young people with neuro-disabilities can be a significant barrier in youth justice. For example, young people with intellectual disabilities relay fewer story grammar elements in narrative accounts (Murfett, Powell, & Snow, 2008). Such difficulties can make them vulnerable communicators when they are required to “tell their story”, which has implications for the quality of forensic interviewing, restorative justice conferencing, and other verbally mediated contexts. SLCN and exposure to traumatic experiences and attachment difficulties Prior traumatic experiences and attachment difficulties can be another risk factor in young people with SLCN. Children and adolescents who experienced complex trauma show higher levels of behaviour and emotional difficulties (Varese et al., 2012; Wamser-Nanney & Vandenberg, 2013). In addition, females with language disorders reported more incidences of sexual abuse as a child when compared to females without language disorders (Brownlie, Graham, Bao, Koyama, & Beitchman, 2017). Young people who have been exposed to abuse, neglect, or inconsistent responsiveness from primary caregivers were more likely to have difficulties in attachment which, in turn, impacted on their communication abilities (Lum, Powell, & Snow, 2018) and were at a higher risk of becoming bullies, attributable to

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN PEER- REVIEWED LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY YOUTH DETENTION YOUTH JUSTICE KEYWORDS ACCESSIBLE COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE SLCN SPEECH-

Stella Martin

6

JCPSLP Volume 21, Number 1 2019

Journal of Clinical Practice in Speech-Language Pathology