Learning disabilities existing concomitantly with communication disorder

Difficulty in SLI diagnosis: a case study of identical twins

This paper examines identical 12-year-old twins with language difficulties, one of whom falls into the diagnostic remit of SLI while the others does not due to IQ differences. Further diagnostic testing was carried out and their language was analysed to determine whether their diagnosis were reflected by different linguistic abilities. Results show a strong similarity in linguistic profiles, leading to a questioning of IQ use in SLI diagnosis.

Arithmetic calculation, short-term memory, and language performance in children with specific language impairment: a 5-year follow-up

A 5-year follow-up of the arithmetic calculation abilities of low-income children with specific language impairment (SLI) is reported. The performance of fourth- and fifth-grade children with SLI was compared with that of typically developing low-income peers and with younger, typically developing low-income children. Short-term memory, language, and arithmetic calculation abilities were assessed. Compared to their age-matched peers, the SLI group exhibited low scores on a number recall task, a marked difficulty with mathematical calculation under timed conditions, and numerous errors when retrieving rote math facts such as 7 x 6 =. Although children with SLI made more written calculation errors than their age-matched peers, they did not differ in the type of errors made. However, strategies used to solve written calculation differed among the groups. Rather than use automatic math fact retrieval, children with SLI were more likely to use counting strategies to solve calculation problems. These findings offer further evidence that children with SLI have difficulty with rote memory. The findings also document the real-world consequences of slow, inefficient memory retrieval in children with SLI.