SEVERE CLOSED-HEAD INJURY IN CHILDHOOD - LINGUISTIC OUTCOMES INTO ADULTHOOD

The language functioning of a group of adults who had sustained a seve re closed-head injury in childhood was evaluated. The subjects were ad ministered a battery of language assessments including measures of syn tax, semantics and pragmatics, as well as a measure of metalinguistic ability. Performance of the experimental group was compared with that of a control group matched for age, sex and educational level. Results indicated that all areas of language competence assessed (syntax, sem antics, pragmatics) appeared to be compromised by the childhood closed -head injury.