The encounter with a population of children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) in a Language Impairment Centre has raised questions notably about language emergence and development. We paid particular attention to a point of convergence between psycholinguistic and psychoanalytic work.

Our hypothesis is that language disorder in specific language impairment is due to a disturbance in the early days of the establishment of symbolization, and notably disruption of transitional symbolizations.

This research work proposed to study the transitional symbolizations of 23 French children aged 6 to 11 and diagnosed with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). To put to the test capacities or difficulties of transitional symbolization in children with SLI, we adopted a projective methodology (Rorschach, C.A.T/T.A.T and Scéno-test). Analysis of the material was conducted in a psychodynamic perspective.

Our results highlight a transitional symbolizations failure for all children in the sample, and this for at least two of the three proposed tests.

However, for some of the children with SLI, very transient transitional potentialities appear, revealing an intermediate level between the massive transitional symbolization failure and the success of an entrance in a “potential space”.