# Laurence B. Leonard

Laurence Baker Leonard is an American speech pathologist and linguist, recognized for his research on Specific Language Impairment in children. Leonard holds the Rachel E. Stark Distinguished Professorship at Purdue University, where he directs research on language acquisition disorders across different languages. He has authored numerous publications on the phonological, lexical, and morphosyntactic challenges faced by children with SLI, and his work has greatly influenced treatment methodologies for language impairments.
Leonard has been recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for his significant contributions to the field of speech-language pathology. He was named an ASHA Fellow and received ASHA Honors, the highest awards given by the association, acknowledging his extensive and influential work on Specific Language Impairment. In 2015, he received Callier Prize in Communication Disorders for "leadership in fostering scientific advances and significant developments in the diagnosis and treatment of communication disorders."

## Biography

Leonard received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of South Florida in 1969 and his M.S. in Speech Pathology from the same institution in 1970. He went on to complete his Ph.D. in Speech Pathology/Psycholinguistics in 1973 at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was mentored by Audrey Holland. Leonard's doctoral research focused on language disorders in children, and during this time, he began exploring what would become his lifelong research interest: Specific Language Impairment (now referred to as Developmental Language Disorder). After his Ph.D., Leonard embarked on an academic career, starting at Memphis State University before moving to Purdue.

## Research

Leonard has authored over 200 scientific papers, articles, and book chapters, His research has employed methodologies ranging from experimental designs to longitudinal studies of language development in English, Hebrew, Italian, and other languages. His work has been foundational in understanding the linguistic challenges of children with Specific Language Impairment, earning him several accolades, including the Alfred K. Kawana Council of Editors Award for Lifetime Achievement in Publications from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
His extensive research on Specific Language Impairment focuses on grammatical morphology, verb acquisition, and cross-linguistic comparisons. He received substantial funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, through the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), for his research on grammatical morphology in children with specific language impairment (SLI).
Leonard and his students have received Best Article Awards on several occasions, highlighting the significance of their contributions. For example, one of Leonard's award-winning articles was published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, where his work as an editor also earned recognition. For instance, in 1987, Leonard was the editor for the article "Characteristics of Children With Phonologic Disorders of Unknown Origin" by L.D. Shriberg, J. Kwiatkowski, S. Best, J. Hengst, and B. Terselic-Weber, which earned the Editor's Award from the Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders.
Following this, in 1987, Leonard served as the editor for the article "Phonetic Development in Identical Twins Differing in Auditory Function" by Raymond D. Kent, Mary Joe Osberger, Ronald Netsell, and Carol Goldschmidt Hustedde, which received the Editor's Award from the Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders. The study provided significant insights into the phonetic development of twins with different auditory capabilities.

## Selected publications

* Bedore, Lisa M.; Leonard, Laurence B. (2001). "Grammatical Morphology Deficits in Spanish-Speaking Children with Specific Language Impairment". Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 44 (4): 905–924. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2001/072). PMID 11521782.
* Leonard, Laurence B. (2014). "Specific Language Impairment Across Languages". Child Development Perspectives. 8 (1): 1–5. doi:10.1111/cdep.12053. PMC 3994122. PMID 24765105.
* Leonard, Laurence B.; Camarata, Stephen M.; Brown, Barbara; Camarata, Mary N. (2004). "Tense and Agreement in the Speech of Children with Specific Language Impairment". Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 47 (6): 1363–1379. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2004/102). PMID 15842016.
* Deevy, Patricia; Leonard, Laurence B. (2004). "The Comprehension of Wh -Questions in Children with Specific Language Impairment". Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. 47 (4): 802–815. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2004/060). PMID 15324287.

## Books

* Leonard, L. B. (2000). Children with Specific Language Impairment. MIT Press.
* Leonard, L. B. (2017). Children with Specific Language Impairment (2nd ed.). MIT Press. ISBN 9780262535403