ABSTRACT
The cognitive neuroscience revolution has helped to redefine ways we can investigate the interplay between biological and behavioral processes in learning disabilities throughout the life span. Developmental language disorders encompass a wide range of disabilities in which delays and deficits in language acquisition are identified, including mental retardation syndromes, pervasive developmental disorders, and learning disorders. In some cases, language delays may be resolved by the time a child enters school; however, for most individuals, language impairments can persist into adolescence and adulthood. In this chapter, we focus on two specific disorders that include in their primary diagnostic criteria impairments in language and communication: specific language impairment (SLI) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Over the past decade, researchers have used a variety of imaging methodologies to investigate the neurobiological bases of language and related social communicative impairments in children and adults with these disorders. Our goal in this chapter is to provide an overview of this research, noting, however, that this field is still in its infancy and, to date, there is little consensus in identifying the neurobiological substrate of developmental language and social communicative impairments in either SLI or ASD.
