ABSTRACT
S tudies of specific language impairment (SLI) have become ubiquitous (Bishop,1997; Leonard, 1998). The modern era of research in specific language learningdisabilities began in the 1970s with a handful of studies that differentiated these children from children with autism, with developmental delays, with hearing impairments, and with seizures or other neurological conditions. This now large body of research has significantly enhanced our general understanding these impairments, while leaving us still uncertain about important aspects of their exact nature. We still do not know their cause(s), their range of manifestation, the course of their development, or the most effective remediation approaches. Our knowledge base has increased exponentially, allowing investigators to propose better informed models of SLI, links to other childhood language disorders, and approaches to assessment and intervention.
