Self-Esteem in Children With Specific Language Impairment

The purpose of this preliminary study was to probe the self-perceptions of a group of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their typically developing peers. A measure of self-esteem was administered to 46 children between the ages of 6 and 9 years old and 34 children between the ages 10 and 13. In the younger group, there were no statistically significant differences between children with SLI and typically developing children in the way they perceived themselves across domains of competence and acceptance. In the older group, children with SLI perceived themselves more negatively in scholastic competence, social acceptance, and behavioral conduct than did children with typical language development. Differences were evident in areas that were most affected by language impairment.