International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders 

About: International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders is an academic journal published by Wiley-Blackwell. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Language disorder & Aphasia. It has an ISSN identifier of 1368-2822. Over the lifetime, 2481 publications have been published receiving 65694 citations. The journal is also known as: International journal of language and communication disorders.

Prevalence and natural history of primary speech and language delay: findings from a systematic review of the literature.

Abstract: The prevalence and the natural history of primary speech and language delays were two of four domains covered in a systematic review of the literature related to screening for speech and language delay carried out for the NHS in the UK. The structure and process of the full literature review is introduced and criteria for inclusion in the two domains are specified. The resulting data set gave 16 prevalence estimates generated from 21 publications and 12 natural history studies generated from 18 publications. Results are summarized for six subdivisions of primary speech and language delays: (1) speech and/or language, (2) language only, (3) speech only, (4) expression with comprehension, (5) expression only and (6) comprehension only. Combination of the data suggests that both concurrent and predictive case definition can be problematic. Prediction improves if language is taken independently of speech and if expressive and receptive language are taken together. The results are discussed in terms of the need to develop a model of prevalence based on risk of subsequent difficulties.

Non-specific nature of specific language impairment: a review of the literature with regard to concomitant motor impairments

Abstract: In the light of emerging suggestions that language and motor deficits may co-occur, the literature on specific language impairment (SLI) was reviewed to investigate the prevalence of co-morbidity between SLI and poor limb motor skill in children diagnosed with language impairments. An extensive literature search was undertaken and the subsequent findings evaluated with particular reference to issues surrounding symptom co-occurrence, as well as to theoretical and aetiological accounts of SLI. Clearly substantial co-morbidity exists between SLI and poor motor skill, suggesting that SLI is not a specific disorder of language, but rather that children with SLI experience a broader range of difficulties, of which motor incoordination is one. Current theoretical explanations of SLI do not account fully for such wide-ranging difficulties and it may be useful in the future to focus on a more detailed explanation in terms of shared cognitive processes or neuromaturational delay to understand further the nature of the disorder, to explain it theoretically and to deal with it practically.

Short-term and working memory in specific language impairment.

Abstract: Background: Investigations of the cognitive processes underlying specific language impairment (SLI) have implicated deficits in the storage and processing of phonological information, but to date these abilities have not been studied in the same group of children with SLIAims: To examine the extent to which deficits in immediate verbal short‐term and working memory may co‐occur in a group of children with SLIMethods & Procedures: Twenty children aged 7–11 years with SLI completed a comprehensive battery of short‐term and working memory, as well as two phonological awareness tasksOutcomes & Results: The majority of the group had deficits in both verbal short‐term and working memory, which persisted after the general language abilities of the children were taken into account A substantial minority showed deficits on visuospatial short‐term memory, while impairments of phonological awareness were less markedConclusions: The data indicate dual deficits in verbal short‐term and working memory that exceed

Narrative skills of children with communication impairments.

Abstract: Background: Narrative assessment is sensitive to the communication impairments of children with specific language impairment and those with autistic spectrum disorders. Although both groups of children tend to show deficits in narrative, it is unclear whether these deficits are qualitatively different and how language and pragmatic ability may impact on narrative competence. Comparing these two groups of children with children who exhibit pragmatic language impairment without autism may help to clarify these issues. Aims: This study explored the relationship between structural language ability and pragmatic competence in narrative in children with communication impairments and typically developing children. Methods and Procedures: Diagnostic status was determined using the Children's Communication Checklist. All children were asked to generate a narrative to the wordless picture book Frog, Where are You? (Mayer 1969). Narratives were analysed according to their global structure, local linguistic structure...

Predicting language outcome in infants with autism and pervasive developmental disorder

Abstract: Background: To examine longitudinal associations between diagnosis, joint attention, play and imitation abilities and language outcome in infants with autism and pervasive developmental disorder. Methods and Procedures: Experimental measures of joint attention, play and imitation were conducted with a sample of infants with autism spectrum disorder at age 20 months. Language outcome was assessed at age 42 months. A within-group longitudinal correlational design was adopted. Outcomes and Results: Language at 42 months was higher for children with a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder than for children with a diagnosis of autism. Language at follow-up was also positively associated with performance on experimental measures of joint attention and imitation, but not with performance on experimental measures of play and 'goal detection' at 20 months, nor with a non-verbal intelligence quotient, although these associations were not examined independent of diagnosis. However, floor effects on the measu...