Executive Functions in Children with Language Disorder: Some Background from Neuropsychology

Abstract

Language disorder is a communication disorder with high incidence and prevalence in the school population and wich negatively affects the academic performance, and the social and emotional development of the children suffering this condition. There is evidence that in this disorder the executive functions (ef) are affected, in addition to the language (phonological, morphosyntactic, semantic and pragmatic) components, which have been traditionally studied. This article aims to characterize the main ef that are affected in language disorder. For this purpose, we worked with a method of narrative review. A review of language development from early childhood, language disorder and ef was made. Studies report that the main ef affected in the language disorder are working memory, some deficits in attention, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control. Finally, the role of the ef in language disorder is discussed and the implications that this has both for the evaluation and for the generation of pertinent pedagogical supports