Syndrome of Acquired Aphasia with Convulsive Disorder in Children

Abstract

CERTAIN OF THE CHILDREN who are evaluated and taught at the Central Institute for the Deaf are classified as aphasic because they present a specific deficit in the ability to use speech and 1anguage.l For most of these children the deficit seems to be congenital, since they have failed to acquire the ability to use speech a n d language normally.' Some of them, however, have acquired the ability to use language i n an ap arently normal fashion and have been seen in the last two years. One of the six became aphasic and hemiplegic after a severe head injury; the remaining five developed aphasia in relation to a convulsive disorder. These five cases are reported here.