What is a specific speech and language impairment?
Where a child’s difficulties are solely with speech or language, this is generally described as a primary and specific speech and/or language impairment or specific speech and/or language impairment. Specific in this context means that the difficulties are confined to speech and/or language. Where a speech and language impairment is associated with other problems such as intellectual or physical disability, hearing loss, emotional problems or social deprivation it is often described as a secondary speech and/or language impairment. For more information see: website page speech and language impairments, and Glossary Sheet no.
Where a child’s difficulties are solely with speech or language, this is generally described as a primary and specific speech and/or language impairment or specific speech and/or language impairment. Specific in this context means that the difficulties are confined to speech and/or language. Where a speech and language impairment is associated with other problems such as intellectual or physical disability, hearing loss, emotional problems or social deprivation it is often described as a secondary speech and/or language impairment.
