This document provides references for research on the genetics of specific language impairment (SLI). It lists reviews and other papers that have studied the role of genes in SLI, including the identification of specific genes like FOXP2 that have been linked to developmental speech and language deficits. Genome-wide scans have also identified two novel loci involved in SLI. The heritability of SLI depends on the diagnostic criteria used. Overall, the references examine the genetic factors and molecular mechanisms underlying SLI and efforts to unravel the relationship between SLI, dyslexia, and autism.

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Genetics and Specific Language Impairment
References
Reviews
Bishop, D. V. M. (2002). The role of genes in the etiology of specific language
impairment. Journal of Communication Disorders, 35, 311-328.
Bishop, D. V. M. (2006). What causes specific language impairment in children?
Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15, 217-221.
Bishop, D. V. M. (2008). Specific language impairment, dyslexia, and autism: Using
genetics to unravel their relationship. In C. F. Norbury & J. B. Tomblin & D. V. M.
Bishop (Eds.), Understanding developmental language disorders: from theory to
practice (pp. 67-78). Hove: Psychology Press.
Fisher, S. E. (2005). Dissection of molecular mechanisms underlying speech and
language disorders. Applied Psycholinguistics, 26, 111-128.
Fisher, S. E. (2006). Tangled webs: tracing the connections between genes and
cognition. Cognition, 10, 270-297.
Kang, C., & Drayna, D. (2011). Genetics of speech and language disorders. Annual
Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, 12, 145-164.
Li, N., & Bartlett, C. W. (2012). Defining the genetic architecture of human
developmental language impairment. Life Sciences, 90(13-14), 469-475.
Newbury, D. F., & Monaco, A. P. (2008). The application of molecular genetics to the
study of language impairments. In C. F. Norbury & J. B. Tomblin & D. V. M. Bishop
(Eds.), Understanding Developmental Language Disorders. Hove: Psychology
Press.
Rutter, M. (2006). Genes and Behavior: Nature-Nurture Interplay Explained. Oxford:
Blackwell.

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Other papers
Bishop, D. V. M., & Hayiou-Thomas, M. E. (2008). Heritability of specific language
impairment depends on diagnostic criteria. Genes, Brain and Behavior, 7, 365-372.
Macdermot, K. D., Bonora, E., Sykes, N., Coupe, A. M., Lai, C. S., Vernes, S. C.,
Vargha-Khadem, F., McKenzie, F., Smith, R. L., Monaco, A. P., & Fisher, S. E.
(2005). Identification of FOXP2 truncation as a novel cause of developmental
speech and language deficits. American Journal of Human Genetics, 76,
1074-1080.
Newbury, D. F., Bonora, E., Lamb, J. A., Fisher, S. E., Lai, C. S. L., Baird, G., Jannoun,
L., Slonims, V., Stott, C. M., Merricks, M. J., Bolton, P. F., Bailey, A. J., Monaco, A.
P., & International Molecular Genetic Study of Autism Consortium. (2002). FOXP2
is not a major susceptibility gene for autism or specific language impairment.
American Journal of Human Genetics, 70, 1318-1327.
Sing, C. F., & Reilly, S. L. (1993). Genetics of common diseases that aggregate, but do
not segregate in families. In C. F. Sing & C. L. Hanis (Eds.), Genetics of cellular,
individual, family and population variability (pp. 140-161). New York: Oxford
University Press.
SLI Consortium. (2002). A genome-wide scan identifies two novel loci involved in
specific language impairment (SLI). American Journal of Human Genetics, 70,
384-398.
SLI Consortium. (2004). Highly significant linkage to SLI1 locus in an expanded sample
of individuals affected by Specific Language Impairment (SLI). American Journal of
Human Genetics, 94, 1225-1238.
Vernes, S. C., Newbury, D. F., Abrahams, B. S., Winchester, L., Nicod, J., Groszer, M.,
Alarcón, M., Oliver, P. L., Davies, K. E., Geschwind, D. H., Monaco, A. P., & Fisher,
S. E. (2008). A functional genetic link between distinct developmental language
disorders. New England Journal of Medicine, 359.