Noises On, Language Off: Speech impairment linked to unsound perception

A common childhood language disorder stems from a brain-based difficulty in discerning the acoustic building blocks of spoken words, especially in noisy settings such as classrooms, a new study suggests.

Researchers estimate that as many as 7 percent of U.S. elementary school students experience substantial problems in understanding what others say and in speaking comprehensibly, despite good physical health, normal hearing, and average-or-better intelligence.