A major susceptibility locus for specific language impairment is located on 13q21.

ABSTRACT: Children who fail to develop language normally-in the absence of explanatory factors such as neurological disorders, hearing impairment, or lack of adequate opportunity-are clinically described as having specific language impairment (SLI). SLI has a prevalence of approximately 7% in children entering school and is associated with later difficulties in learning to read. Research indicates that genetic factors are important in the etiology of SLI. Studies have consistently demonstrated that SLI aggregates in families. Increased monozygotic versus dizygotic twin concordance rates indicate that heredity, not just shared environment, is the cause of the familial clustering. We have collected five pedigrees of Celtic ancestry that segregate SLI, and we have conducted genomewide categorical linka

SUBMITTER: Bartlett CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC384992 | biostudies-literature | 2002 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature