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Published on: April 3, 2026
Language impairments in sign language: breakthroughs and puzzles
Gary Morgan1, Rosalind Herman, Bencie Woll
1Language and Communication Science, City University, London, UK. g.morgan@city.ac.uk
International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders
|March 17, 2007
Summary
Deaf children can experience specific language impairment in British Sign Language (BSL), affecting grammar development. This finding supports theories that language disorders are not specific to spoken languages.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Audiology
Background:
- Specific language impairment (SLI) has primarily been studied in children acquiring spoken languages.
- Informal observations suggest SLI may also affect deaf children learning sign language.
Observation:
- A case study of a deaf child exposed to British Sign Language (BSL) from birth was conducted.
- The child exhibited significant deficits in BSL grammar comprehension and production.
Findings:
- Linguistic analysis revealed difficulties with BSL verb morphology were central to the child's impaired performance.
- The child's BSL skills lagged behind those of age-matched, unimpaired native signers.
Implications:
- The study demonstrates that specific language impairments can manifest in sign language, mirroring patterns in spoken language.
- Findings support cross-linguistic and modality-independent theories of specific language impairment.
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