SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENT
Definition
Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have difficulties with oral language. They have enormous difficulty with talking and sometimes understanding language. The symptoms are typically shown in the preschool years. SLI can also be identified when children are at primary grades or until they are at secondary grades. Children with SLI have language difficulties that are outside the typical range and can be diagnosed by a speech language pathologist. There are a variety of oral language that can be affected:
1. Grammatical syntactic development (correct verb tense, word order and sentence structure)
2. Semantic Development (vocabulary knowledge)
3. Phonological development (phonological awareness, or awareness of sounds in spoken language)
Children might have receptive difficulties, including problems with understanding language, or expressive difficulties. These difficulties are usually not from the motor aspects of producing or articulating words. Specific language impairment is relatively common, it affects 5-10% of preschoolers, and studies have show that genetics plays a role with SLI. It is important to note that children with SLI have very specific language difficulties which are not caused by another condition, like dyslexia.
Affects on Learning
Children with specific learning impairment have a risk of academic difficulties, particularly in reading disabilities. Studies have shown that there are about 40-75% of children with SLI will have problems learning to read because reading depends on a wide variety of language skills. They are not able to follow the teacher’s directions and the child does not know how to participate effectively in the classroom. Children with SLI might have behavioral problems due to getting frustrated or withdrawn.
Symptoms
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Delay in communication
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Problems with word forms (leaving off endings when forming verb tenses)
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Difficulties in reading and writing
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Difficulties with picking up the meaning of a new word from context or generalizing a new syntactic form
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Excessive amount of speech sound mistakes
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Academically falling behind in subjects
Instructional Strategies
Parents
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Seek an evaluation from a qualified speech-language specialist
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Request a developmental screening from their local school district- no referral is needed
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Strongly recommended to be involved in the interventions
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Early identification and intervention are extremely important to foster language and social growth and to give children the best possible foundation for schooling
Teachers
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Provide a comprehensive reading curriculum that provides explicit, systematic instruction
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Monitoring the child’s progress closely for early signs of reading difficulties
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Develop strategies that will help them manage their communication
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Regular assessments that are carried out to make sure the child with SLI is getting the right support
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Break down instructions into smaller steps instead of all at once
Schools
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Provide lots of visual support systems to help with understanding
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A speech language pathologist who has spoken to the staff in the classroom to explain SLI
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Teaching assistants that have received training from a speech language pathologist to support children with SLI
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Information is given to the parents about the supports they can receive
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Provide communication-supportive environment
Research
1. https://landi.lab.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1130/2018/02/Earle-Landi-Myers-2018.pdf
Research shows that there is a link between sleeping and the distinction between the trained sounds. Study has been shown that SLI is associated with atypical EEG patterns during sleep.
Conducted research on fifty-four preschool children, and 16 of them with specific language impairment. Investigate whether preschool children with specific language impairment exhibit the shape bias in an object naming context.
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209007401730035X
Investigated the relation between perceptual visual skills and delayed language development in children.
Useful Websites
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The top 10 things that people should know about children with specific language impairment. https://merrill.ku.edu/top-10-things-you-should-know
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Handbook that explains specific language impairment. Has a lot of information for parents and teachers to read and the support systems that are available for the child with SLI. https://councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploads/documents/import/sli_handbook_early_support-040413.pdf
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Provides basic information on specific learning impairment that a parent or teacher can get a generalized idea about the disability https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/specific-language-impairment