Non‐linguistic cognitive treatment for primary language impairment

Abstract

Children with primary or ‘specific’ language impairment (PLI) demonstrate subtle deficits in non‐linguistic cognitive processing skills that may play a causal or contributing role in PLI. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility that short‐term treatment of non‐linguistic cognitive processing skills improves language abilities in school‐aged children with PLI. Two children with severe PLI participated in a treatment study following a single‐subject multiple‐baseline design across participants and skill areas. Treatment activities targeted auditory memory and speed of processing for visual information. Results of both repeated dependent measures and pre‐ and post‐ standardized language testing indicated that participants made gains in expressive language skills, particularly naming. This preliminary evidence suggests that treatment of non‐linguistic cognitive processing skills may facilitate change in some areas of language skill. Treatment of non‐linguistic processing skills should be further explored as a complement to more traditional language interventions.

• Specific language impairment
• treatment
• non‐linguistic processing

Notes

1. This disorder has been traditionally known as Specific Language Impairment, or SLI. We use the alternate term Primary Language Impairment and corresponding acronym (PLI) because it is compatible with recent evidence that subtle non‐linguistic deficits are characteristic of the disorder (see reviews in Ullman and Pierpont, 2005; Kohnert et al., in press).