A new candidate gene for Specific Language Impairment has been identified by a research team directed by Mabel Rice at the University of Kansas, Lawrence in collaboration with Shelley Smith, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha and Javier Gayán of Neocodex, Seville, Spain. The finding, reported in the current issue of the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, was discovered by examining genes previously identified as candidate genes for reading impairments or speech sound disorders. The results point toward the likelihood of multiple genes contributing to language impairment, some of which also contribute to reading or speech impairment. A gene on Chromosome 6 KIAA0319 was associated with variability in language abilities in a study of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and their family members, as well as with variability in speech and reading abilities. Children with SLI who were selected for the study had no hearing loss, general intellectual deficit or autism. According to Rice, “We don’t understand the biological mechanisms yet but it’s important that we have identified the first gene that could be involved across these three different dimensions of development.” Previous research has established that Chromosome 6 is among those that are linked to Speech Sounds Disorder (SSD) and Reading Disability/Dyslexia (RD). Rice says the findings are consistent with numerous reports documenting that language impairments and reading disability often co-exist. Source: University of Kansas