Children With Specific Language Impairment

Children with specific language impairment (SLI) show a significant deficit in spokenlanguage that cannot be attributed to neurological damage, hearing impairment, or intellectualdisability. More prevalent than autism and at least as prevalent as dyslexia, SLI affectsapproximately seven percent of all children; it is longstanding, with adverse effects on academic,social, and (eventually) economic standing. The first edition of this work establishedChildren with Specific Language Impairment as the landmark reference on thiscondition, considering not only the disorder's history, possible origins, and treatment but alsowhat SLI might tell us about language organization and development in general. This second editionoffers a complete update of the earlier volume. Much of the second edition is completely new,reflecting findings and interpretations based on the hundreds of studies that have appeared sincethe publication of the first edition in 1997. Topics include linguistic details (descriptive andtheoretical), word and sentence processing findings, genetics, neurobiology, treatment, andcomparisons to such conditions as autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and dyslexia. The book covers SLIin children who speak a wide range of languages, and, although the emphasis is on children, it alsoincludes studies of adults who were diagnosed with SLI as children or are the parents of childrenwith SLI. Written by a leading scholar in the field, Children with Specific LanguageImpairment offers the most comprehensive, balanced, and unified treatment of SLIavailable.

Laurence B. Leonard is Rachel E. Stark Distinguished Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at Purdue University.