A recently published study led by Mabel Rice at the University of Kansas is the first to report that a variant in the gene KIAA0319 is a likely culprit in Specific Language Impairment. Children with Specific Language Impairment, which affects about 7 percent of 5- to 6-year-olds, have no other developmental disorders, hearing loss or brain injuries but are late to begin talking. When they do talk, they use simpler sentence structure and immature grammar. Some also develop reading problems. For more on the work of Dr. Rice, visit: http://www.distinguishedprofessors.ku.edu/professor/rice-m/rice-m.shtml