Specific Language Impairment and Development
Specific Language Impairment and Development
A child with an expressive and / or receptive language delay but without any other developmental disability has specific language impairment (SLI), or sometimes called developmental language disorder, developmental aphasia or language-learning impairment. More than 1 million students in the public system are affected by the SLI, with it more common in boys than girls.
Children with SLI will usually begin talking at roughly the same age range as normal children, but with slower progress. The problem can persist much longer into early childhood, where they encounter difficulties in reading and writing.
Studied for over 40 years, SLI is a condition also known to persist into adulthood but shows no other related causes such as hearing loss, low IQ, autism, or mental retardation. Early identification and invention are of course considered a best practice to minimize academic risks for these children.
Early warning signs include:
- Late talking
- Incomplete understanding of verbs (drops the –s off present tense verbs)
- Genetic – the genetic origin of SLI hasn’t been proven but studies show that there is a family link in most cases.
- Problems with reading
It’s important to note for parents that there is no way to prevent SLI.
Fish Oil and “Speech Explosion” – A Theory
Fish oil supplements (omega-3 fatty acids) contain varying balances of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, also known as LCPs. In most cases, babies receive enough LCPs during the critical stages of brain development in the mother’s womb and during breast-feeding. But some children don’t receive enough LCPs, either due to the mothers inadequate supply intake of LCPs or because there is a defect in the conversion process. While not quite understood, there may be a breakdown in the messages between the brain and muscles in the jaw that produce speech including these important muscles: mouth, larynx, and tongue.
Successful increase in word usage has been reported by mothers who have given nutritional supplements of Omega-3’s. Their mothers report an explosion of words within a few weeks. In these children, their speech disorders attributed to a deficiency in LCPs, thus by adding LCP supplements into their diet, speech could be improved. But it must be said that there are no clinical trials that have investigated the benefits of nutritional supplementation for children with language delays. So it is very important to continue appropriate therapies for your children, or therapy should be pursued if there is a suspicion of a speech delay.
More Information About Speech Therapy
Early Intervention Speech Therapy – Speech Therapy Pediatrics
Speech Therapy Evaluation
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