Emotional Competence in Children With Language and Learning Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Children with language and learning disorders (LLDs)—including developmental language disorder (DLD), dyslexia, and dyscalculia—often experience emotional difficulties, yet no previous synthesis has quantified these challenges across all the dimensions of emotional competence. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine whether children with LLDs differ from their typically developing (TD) peers in emotional identification, understanding, regulation, and expression. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, 855 studies were initially screened by two researchers. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 42 studies were finally included, with 33 contributing to a meta-analysis. Multilevel random-effects meta-analytic models were used to calculate standardized mean differences between children with LLDs and TD peers across each emotional competence dimension. Moderator analyses explored the effects of diagnostic subtype, non-verbal IQ (NVIQ), age, and sex. Children with LLDs showed significant deficits in emotional identification, understanding, and expression, and a tendency toward poorer emotion regulation compared to TD peers. Moderator analyses revealed that NVIQ significantly influenced only emotional understanding. Overall, emotional competence is compromised in children with LLDs, which has implications for educational and clinical practice. These findings support the integration of emotion-focused interventions in evaluations and treatments for children with learning and language difficulties.