Resumo

HINCAPIE, Liliana et al. Linguistic properties of specific language impairment. Rev. Latinoam. Psicol. [online]. 2007, vol.39, n.1, pp. 47-61. ISSN 0120-0534.

This study reviews the main approaches of the functional alterations that may explain language alterations in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). It is estimated that at least 7.4% of the children have difficulties in their language development and most of them do not have other developmental delay. Although the linguistic difficulties could apparently be resolved in children with SLI, there is a group of children for whom the impairment persists across time and throughout their school age, mostly related with reading and writing difficulties; as a consequence, several barriers in their social and academic achievement may appear. Two theoretical positions pretend to explain functional alterations in the language of children who suffer the Specific Language Impairment: the processing and the linguistic approaches. The processing view suggests that the core disturbance is related to the working memory, while the lingüistic view proposes that the inherited grammar abilities explain the language difficulties. Lastly it is possible to conclude that children with Specific Language Impairment may show difficulties as in non word repetition tests as in grammatical language abilities that may explain the processing and the linguistic marker views, respectively. The understanding of the functional alterations in Specific Language Impairment may lead to design the therapeutic and educational strategies in this group of children.

Palavras-chave : Language development; Processing approach; Linguistic approach; Epistemology; Mental delay; Specific disorders.

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