The diagnostic problem presented by children without obvious neurological, cognitive, genetic, emotional or environmental basis for their atypical or delayed language development is discussed. One unresolved issue is whether the deficits of such dysphasic children are linguistic or are more fundamental cognitive or perceptuomotor deficits. A second important issue is whether the differences in language capabilities between normal and language-disordered children are qualitative differences or quantitative ones. It is suggested here that language disabilities derive from genetic idiosyncracies leading to neural systems with differential capabilities for acquiring language. Children with deficits in language, because of their idiosyncratic makeup, may have to struggle to learn the acquisition strategies innate for the majority. It is suggested that the needs of the speech clinician might better be met by recognizing that dysphasic children possess different patterns of neural organization that predispose them to approach language learning in an atypical fashion. (CLK)