May 23
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Rice:2008
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1. In regards to the disruption vs. delay models: The delay model
shows that affected children have a general 'immaturity' and catch up'
later (eg. with MLU, they progress in the same rate as unaffected
children control group who are 2 years younger).  Is it correct to
interpret that 'disruptions' are just applied to different aspects of
language learning which progress at slower rates than unaffected
children? Delays, on the other hand, show a delayed onset but then
progress at normal rates. In this case, we can only use longitudinal
studies to determine disruptions vs. delays.

2. Do SLI children show similar delays/disruptions in non-language
learning? ie. is SLI actually specific to language or do they also
demonstrate some delay in mathematical equivalence, for example?

Do SLI or speech delay in childhood predict any impairments in
adulthood?

Rice 2008 states that current questions in regards to SLI is not
totally answered by genetics. But isn't it the same with any other
framework when it cannot explain how SLI is more likely if somebody in
the family had it already?

Most experiments conducted on children with SLI are designed in such a
way that affected children are compared to unaffected children at a
given task. Are there other possibilities to investigate the language
proficiency of a child affected by SLI?

Here I have some terminology questions:

"Once language onset is activated, there is an expected synchrony in
the emerging system that unfolds in typically developing children..."

What does "language onset" refer to here?

And: What exactly is the difference between a speech impairment and a
language impairment?

How can the understanding of finiteness marking as a specific area of
difficulty for children with SLI inform the design of language
intervention plans, i.e. how can educators and speech-language
pathologists tailor their teaching methods and materials to
specifically support these children in mastering this aspect of
grammar? Can these findings also aid in early detection?

Would a study that controls environmental conditions in children with
SLI to observe the limitations and effects of genetic constraints on
the development and manifestation of their language abilities be
meaningful and provide further understanding of their developmental
mechanisms?