ABSTRACT
Norway’s speech and language therapists and educational psychologists have emphasised the importance of language as the primary difficulty, distinguishing it from general language delays. A specific language impairment diagnosis will be established when there is a significant discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal skills. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has been carrying out a large longitudinal Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. The main aim is to study disease etiology, but the study has provided insights into the factors that impact on children’s language development over time and that could potentially be used in a future language-screening programme. Although screening for developmental language disorders has been considered important by some despite a recent national discussion on whether such screening should be introduced. The Norwegian Constitution and White Paper documents issued by the Norwegian parliament follow international conventions recognising the rights of children with special needs to inclusive education within the regular school system of the country.
