Thomas, Michael S.C. (2010) Language acquisition in developmental disorders. In: Kail, M. and Hickmann, M. (eds.) Language Acquisition across Linguistic and Cognitive Systems. Language Acquisition and Language Disorders 52. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins, pp. 67-87. ISBN 9789027253149. (Submitted)
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Abstract
In this chapter, I review recent research into language acquisition in developmental disorders, and the light that these findings shed on the nature of language acquisition in typically developing children. Disorders considered include Specific Language Impairment, autism, Down syndrome, and Williams syndrome. I argue that disorders of language should be construed in terms of differences in the constraints that shape the learning process, rather than in terms of the normal system with components missing or malfunctioning. I outline the integrative nature of this learning process and how properties such as redundancy and compensation may be key characteristics of learning systems with atypical constraints. These ideas, as well as the new methodologies now being used to study variations in pathways of language acquisition, are illustrated with case studies from Williams syndrome and Specific Language Impairment.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
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| Additional Information: | Accepted for publication. Publisher should be contacted for permission to re-use the material in any form. |
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | Developmental disorders, atypical development, language disorders, Williams syndrome, down syndrome, autism, specific language impairment, dyslexia, developmental delay, computational modelling, connectionism, neuroconstructivism, compensation, redundancy, functional brain imaging, fractionation of language |
| School or Research Centre: | Birkbeck Schools and Research Centres > School of Science > Psychology |
| Depositing User: | Administrator |
| Date Deposited: | 29 Nov 2010 10:29 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Apr 2013 12:33 |
| URI: | http://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/2877 |
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