Language and motor development in infancy: Three views with neuropsychological implications

Abstract

This study reviews three views of language and motor development in infancy and considers the neuropsychological implications of each. One view ascribes language development to maturation and cerebral lateralization, but as a unique process separate from other developmental (motor) skills. A second view supports the idea that language development and motor development are processes sharing overlapping hemisphere sites; consequently, both forms of development provide an index of hemisphere functioning or lateralization. The third view sees language development and motor development as processes evolving synchronically as the result of central nervous system maturation rather than as a result of hemisphere functioning. These views are considered along with respective supporting empirical research.