SPA 4400 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Specific Language Impairment, Language Disorder, Pragmatics
26 Sep 2020
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Models of Language Disorders
Chapter 1
Diagnostic issues in developmental language disorders
• LD:
o An impairment in comprehension and or use of a spoken, written, or other
symbol system
o May involve:
▪ Form
▪ Content
▪ Function / use
• Naturalistic perspective
o Impairment is characterized as a deviation from the average level of ability
achieved by a similar group of people
o This does not help the clinician decide what difference in language behavior
constitute an impairment or what level of impairment intervention is warranted
▪ Should this be determined by:
• Chronological age?
• Cognitive ability?
• How far behind?
• Isolated impairment?
• Normative perspective
o how the impact of the language impairment on the child’s overall development
and daily function
o LD =
▪ Child’s level of language achievement results in an unacceptable level of
risk for undesirable outcomes
▪ Only diagnosed when it interferes with the child’s ability to meet societal
expectations
History of the field of Language pathology
• Gall was one of the first to describe children with poor understanding and use of speech
• Orton
o Father of modern study of child LD
o Importance of neurological and behavioral descriptions of LD
o Connection between disorders of language learning and acquisitions of reading
and writing
• Gesell and Amatruda
o Techniques for evaluating LD
o Infantile aphasia
▪ Specific disorder of language that was structured by excluding other
syndromes
• McGinnis
