Question
Are there specific speech, language, and/or communication diagnoses that are considered neurodevelopmental?
Answer
There are several speech, language, and communication diagnoses that fall under the category of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs). Common diagnostic terms for school-age children include Specific Language Impairment (SLI), Speech Sound Disorder (SSD), Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Communication Disorder (CD), and Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder (SPCD). These terms are used variably depending on whether the services are provided in school settings under district IEP guidelines or in clinical/medical settings following DSM-5 and ICD-11 terminology.
All these diagnoses involve long-standing differences in speech/language acquisition or communication development. While SLI and DLD are typically used when there is no known causal condition such as Down Syndrome, many speech, language, and communication differences frequently co-occur with other Neurodevelopmental Disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, 20Q: Neuroscience Applications for Differential Diagnosis and Intervention in School-Aged Children, authored by Martha S. Burns, PhD CCC-SLP, ASHA Fellow.
