ABSTRACT
The development of a mental lexicon in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is the focus of this chapter. The mental lexicon refers to the representation of words that is stored in the mind of the individual. The subset of lexical items in language processing includes phonological, lexical, and semantic representations. When children have lexical deficits, it is difficult to disentangle whether they stem from a lack of word learning or from a fault or disruption in the lexical, phonological, or semantic representations for the word. Diagnosis and treatment are dependent on understanding which particular underlying deficit is most affected. Additionally, there is a need to consider the role of working memory in the formation of lexical representation. The process of lexical acquisition during normal language development is contrasted with lexical acquisition in children with SLI.
