ABSTRACT
Language pathology is a convenient cover term for the study of all aspects of language disorders. As such, it includes the main disciplines involved, namely medical science (especially neuroanatomy and physiology) psychology (especially neuropsychology and cognitive psychology), linguistics, and education. It also covers all categories of disorder, including developmental as well as acquired disorders, disorders that are associated with other deficits such as hearing impairment or structural abnormality (such as cleft palate), or mental handicap, as well as those that are ‘pure’ language disorders. It comprises disorders that can be characterized at all levels of language structure and function, from articulatory and auditory speech-signal processing to problems of meaning, and it includes all modalities of language use, in production and comprehension, as represented through such media as speech, writing, and signing. Finally, it includes research and all aspects of intervention, from initial screening and diagnosis, through more extensive assessment procedures, to therapeutic management and remedial teaching.
