The Predictive Significance of Slow Walking and Slow Talking: A Report from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Child Development Study

The age of attaining the milestones of walking and talking is reported for the children being followed by the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Child Development Study. In order to examine the predictive significance of early developmental delays, the prevalence of low IQs and/or reading difficulties at age seven in those who experienced early delays was examined in comparison with those whose early development was not delayed. Only slow walking and slow walking and talking were predictive of low IQ or reading difficulties. Because more than half of the children who walked after 18 months were later found to have low IQs or reading difficulties, early developmental examination of such children was recommended.