ABSTRACT
I n the last decade, increasing emphasis has been placed on the underlying cognitivefunctions that accompany or cause child language disorders. This is true for languagedisorders that are secondary to known genetic syndromes and other conditions, as well as for language disorders resulting from complex genetic interactions and/or occurring in the absence of frank neurological dysfunction. Child language disorders typically are part of a broader, often variable behavioral phenotype. Our focus in this chapter is on the cognitive functions associated particularly with the language abilities of children with language disorders, and not the broader phenotypes. We first review the cognitive constructs that have received substantial research attention and that appear to interact in fundamental ways in language. In the second section we discuss three cognitive constructs of key interest: processing speed, attention, and perception. The third section highlights major methodological issues that have influenced understanding of these constructs. We consider assessment and intervention implications in the final section.
