What is a common early indicator of Specific Language Impairment?

What is a common early indicator of Specific Language Impairment?

• A. Early onset of expressive language
• B. Above-Average Nonverbal IQ
• C. Late vocabulary growth and grammar development with otherwise normal nonverbal ability
• D. Advanced pragmatic skills

Answer: (D)

A key idea here is that Specific Language Impairment shows up as a language-specific delay even when overall cognitive abilities are typical. An early indicator is that a child’s vocabulary grows more slowly and their grammar develops later than peers, despite nonverbal intelligence being within the normal range. This pattern—language slow to develop while nonverbal skills are ordinary—helps distinguish SLI from other factors like hearing loss or global cognitive issues. Think about the other possibilities: having early expressive language would not point to a language disorder, and an above-average nonverbal IQ suggests the child isn’t facing a broad cognitive impairment. Advanced pragmatic skills aren’t the hallmark of an early language impairment either, since the core issue in SLI is the language system itself, not social use in isolation.

A key idea here is that Specific Language Impairment shows up as a language-specific delay even when overall cognitive abilities are typical. An early indicator is that a child’s vocabulary grows more slowly and their grammar develops later than peers, despite nonverbal intelligence being within the normal range. This pattern—language slow to develop while nonverbal skills are ordinary—helps distinguish SLI from other factors like hearing loss or global cognitive issues.

Think about the other possibilities: having early expressive language would not point to a language disorder, and an above-average nonverbal IQ suggests the child isn’t facing a broad cognitive impairment. Advanced pragmatic skills aren’t the hallmark of an early language impairment either, since the core issue in SLI is the language system itself, not social use in isolation.