Abstract
This study set out to explore the links between specific language impairment (SLI), motor development and literacy acquisition in children. We focused on motor deficits which are mostly common in children with SLI, further we looked if SLI can by caused by persisting primary reflexes or if they can make the symptoms of SLI worse.
After that we tried to find out, if it is possible to predict SLI already at small kids by an early development assessment and if a specific movement intervention program would be useful to help children with SLI also because children with developmental speech/language impairments are at higher risk for reading disability than typical peers with no history of speech/language impairment (Schuele, 2004). We still not fully understand the causes and biological basis of SLI, however based on the studied sources a significant relationship between motor impairment and speech/language impairments in children was found.
Typical difficulties lie in the area of balance, general static coordination and general dynamic coordination. This developmental delay may be related to the persistence of primary reflexes or can be caused by a cerebellar deficit.
Several early developmental assessments are available, but they do not comprehensively test both motor development and language skills. Specific movement intervention programs for children with SLI and other developmental challenges are already developed, but we miss fundamental research (there are available only several case studies on this topic) which shows success rate for children with SLI.
Further research shall be conducted to identify children who may need special intervention even before they get the SLI diagnosis, and to search for approaches, which can help to mitigate the impairment.