Compared with autistic disorder and developmental dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI) attracts considerably less media coverage and research funding. Whereas most members of the public have some idea of the characteristics of autistic disorder and developmental dyslexia, this is not so for SLI. It is intriguing to consider why this might be so. In this article, the author discusses SLI as a language learning disability. She asserts that it is research into how children with SLI learn that is the key to understanding how to intervene effectively.