Specific language impairment (SLI) should have an early diagnosis, since it can interfere with social and school adaptation of the child. The aim of this study was to verify the performance of children with SLI in comparison with normal children using the Behavior Developmental Scale of Gesell and Amatruda. Twenty-five SLI children, 3 to 6 years of age, were evaluated. This group was compared to 50 normal children of the same age. Children of control group showed better performance in all aspects of the scale. The medium value of the studied group was borderline in adaptative and social aspects, and was slightly below the medium in the language aspect. We conclude that language disorder may impair the assessment of other areas of development. Nevertheless, this scale may be useful in the evaluation of children with SLI.
language assessment; developmental language disorder; specific language impairment; developmental screening test
