Estudio del consenso en la nosología y la terminología del trastorno específico del lenguaje (TEL) en lengua catalana (Cataluña y Mallorca) con metodología Delphi

The nosology and terminology of specific language impairment (SLI) has been considered by many professionals not only confused, but also out of step with current available knowledge and data. This impression is shared by many families and social institutions. To help clarify SLI in the Catalan speaking population we undertook a Delphi project. Ten known experts in the field set up the project, and there were 24 participants. Forty propositions were presented on the situation (diagnosis and management), characterization and nosology, together with the terminology in use.

The proposal of (descriptive) nosology for a new diagnostic characteristics scheme was accepted but consensus was not reached. Consensus was reached on its symptomatic description: high level of severity, improvement in communication, but persistent structural difficulties of language, with serious functional, social and educational consequences in adaptation. The most important result was the consensus for each particular nosological specification, although not for the whole as an expression of language disorders: SLI as specific and principal, either isolated or associated with the presence of some biomedical (causal) differentiation, or with co-morbidities (correlated) or with the presence of risk factors (individually associated). The results show no consensus on the terminology proposals; however, there was no opposition to a progressive change to another name such as developmental language disorders (DLD). Consensus was also reached on most issues related to situations of detection, evaluation and speech and language therapy intervention.