Semantic and pragmatic problems in specifically language impaired children: One or two problems?

Abstract

Children with specific language impairment particularly in the area of semantics and pragmatics have recently been referred to as having a ‘semantic-pragmatic disorder'. The implications of this term are examined in order to explore what the relationships between semantic and pragmatic abilities could be at a more detailed level of analysis. Ten Dutch speaking SLI children are then profiled in order to show the relationships between problems in semantics and pragmatics and in other areas of language. The children with problems in semantics and pragmatics are further analysed to explore what types of problems are related. From the results the term ‘semantic-pragmatic disorder' is a clear oversimplification; detailed analyses are needed in this area.

Key Words:

• specific language impairment
• semantics
• pragmatics