Temporal information processing and language skills in children with specific language impairment

Abstract

Deficits in temporal information processing (TIP) have been proposed as a one of the crucial mechanisms underlying language disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between TIP and language skills in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). In case of SLI, normal patterns of language acquisition are disturbed, while its etiology is not associated with neurological or environmental factors. In the present paper we assessed in twenty seven SLI children, aged from 5 to 8 years, both the efficiency of TIP and language skills. The result revealed significant correlation between efficiency of TIP and the global language skills. These data may provide one more evidence for the debate on SLI etiology, confirming auditory information processing abnormalities in SLI children.