Epilepsy, language, and behavior: clinical models in childhood.

The complex relationship between epilepsy, language, and behavior is not well understood. Neurologic disorders such as Landau-Kleffner syndrome, electrical status epilepticus during slow-wave sleep, infantile spasms, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, autism, and developmental language disorders are useful clinical models in the investigation of this complex relationship. These disorders are reviewed in terms of their contribution to our present knowledge of the relationship between epilepsy, language, and behavior. Present management issues and directions for future research are discussed.