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Development of interventions for language impairment: Why universal grammar may be harmful (Commentary on Ambridge, Pine, and Lieven)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Amanda J. Owen Van Horne,
Jessica Hall and
Maura Curran
Amanda J. Owen Van Horne*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa
Jessica Hall*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa
Maura Curran*
Affiliation:
University of Iowa
*
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52245 [amanda-owen-vanhome@uiowa.edu]
[Jessica-e-hall@uiowa.edu]
[Maura-curran@uiowa.edu]
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Abstract

Although theories of specific language impairment grounded in Universal Grammar (UG) have advanced the description of SLI considerably, they provide limited utility as far as treatment is concerned. Because UG assumes deficits in language principles and parameter setting, remediation of the difficulty is not possible; rather, reliance on compensatory mechanisms is recommended. Compensatory mechanisms rely on the same learning principles as are adopted by theorists that adopt a more Emergentist view. Thus, we agree with Ambridge, Pine, and Lieven that a UG-based approach is redundant and recommend focusing efforts on identifying and strengthening treatment strategies associated with general learning principles instead.

Keywords

SLItreatmentchild languagelanguage impairmentuniversal grammarusage-based approach

Information

Type
Perspectives
Information
Language , Volume 90 , Issue 3 , September 2014, pp. e131 - e143
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 Linguistic Society of America

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