What is Specific Language Impairment?
Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a term used to describe difficulties with learning language that are not associated with other factors such as hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and global developmental delay. Another term used to describe SLI is Developmental Language Disorder. There is no single known cause for SLI; it is thought to be caused by a range of factors. SLI is different from a Language Delay. Some children might be slightly delayed in their early language development but go on to catch up with their peers around the time they enter school. These children are often known as late talkers. Other children will continue to have a delay in their language skills, and some will have SLI. In order to determine whether these children have SLI it is important that we gather a full picture of where their strengths and needs lie; this will usually include a hearing test and an assessment of their non-verbal skills (their ability to do tasks that do not involve
