Abnormal functioning of the left temporal lobe in language-impaired children.

Specific language impairment is associated with enduring problems in language-related functions. We followed the spatiotemporal course of cortical activation in SLI using magnetoencephalography. In the experiment, children with normal and impaired language development heard spoken real words and pseudowords presented only once or two times in a row. In typically developing children, the activation in the bilateral superior temporal cortices was attenuated to the second presentation of the same word. In SLI children, this repetition effect was nearly nonexistent in the left hemisphere. Furthermore, the activation was equally strong to words and pseudowords in SLI children whereas in the typically developing children the left hemisphere activation persisted longer for pseudowords than words. Our results indicate that the short-term maintenance of linguistic activation that underlies spoken word recognition is defective in SLI particularly in the left language-dominant hemisphere. The unusually rapid decay of speech-evoked activation can contribute to impaired vocabulary growth.

Use of language tests when identifying specific language impairment in primary health care.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of language tests to identify children with specific language impairment (SLI) in primary health care. All the language tests presently in clinical use in Finland were applied. METHOD: All the children with SLI living in one city in Finland constituted the cohort. Test scores were collected from 83 subjects drawn from a birth cohort of 4,553 children. Finally 31 case-control pairs were studied. All SLI diagnoses were set in secondary health care. Test scores of 14 language tests were examined that, together with subtests, included 39 different tasks. RESULTS: Out of 39 performed tests, the difference in test scores between children with SLI and their matched controls was statistically significant in 26 tests. A group of six tests had good sensitivity and moderate specificity for SLI diagnosis and they correctly classified children with SLI to either F80.1 or F80.2 diagnosis category. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that most of the language tests in Finnish identify children with SLI and, furthermore, that these tests identify language deficits that are consistent with those found in other studies. More studies with larger age-matched populations are needed.

[Developing speech]. / Kehittyvä puhe.

Speech and language development is essential in following up children's wellbeing. Assessment of active early childhood vocabulary gives information about language development. Parents' assessment is reliable until about 2 years. Studies show that children aged 1 year 6 months have an average active vocabulary of dozens of words. Though individual variation is wide, most children possess far more than a few words. Current screening practice may miss children with language disorders. Support given from early on in child's own environment diminishes challenges and prevents potential later problems, e.g. difficulties in learning and in social relationships.

Increasing prevalence of specific language impairment (SLI) in primary healthcare of a Finnish town, 1989-99.

BACKGROUND: The increasing prevalence of specific language impairment (SLI) is a matter of current debate. AIMS: Speech and language therapists and other authorities in Finland have discussed the prevalence of SLI since the 1990s. This discussion has been based on international studies because of the lack of national studies. This paper presents the first Finnish prevalence study of SLI in primary healthcare and, thus, participates in the international discussion on the prevalence of SLI. Furthermore, two samples of delayed language development (DLD) were studied. METHODS & PROCEDURES: This is a retrospective study from 1989-1999. It was conducted on the population of one of the biggest towns in Finland, and was collected from the statistical records of speech and language therapists. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: The prevalence of SLI increased, and this increase was statistically significant. The prevalence of SLI was less than 1% in age group 0-6 years and, thus, presents a much lower prevalence than international discussion has suggested. SLI seems to be present particularly in boys though it was also increasing in girls. Furthermore, children with SLI seem to be more affected by receptive difficulties over the period studied. Particularly important is the observation that the prevalence of DLD was also increasing, and together with SLI they suggest a prevalence rate of 2.5% in Finland. CONCLUSIONS: The low prevalence of SLI in this study might be a consequence of the path of intervention that effectively separates SLI from delayed language development. Furthermore, the questions of language specific features needs to be emphasized. The findings of this study suggest that the prevalence of SLI increased as did the prevalence of DLD. The range of prevalence estimates of SLI in different studies raises the need for national and international epidemiological studies of SLI with equal criteria of assessment in each language.