Introduction:
Children with specific language impairment (SLI) have poorer language ability and have difficulties understanding complex sentences even though they have no clear sensory, motor, or neurological abnormalities. Nevertheless, they may exhibit auditory processing deficits. Hence the present study was conducted to provide an overview of endogenous auditory evoked potentials in this population, potentials which may help in early identification of subtle auditory processing deficits.

Material and Methods:
Relevant articles were included from searches of two electronic data sources, Google Scholar and PubMed. Articles on endogenous potentials in children with SLI were included, but studies on exogenous potentials in children with SLI were excluded.

Results:
The results of the review showed contradictory findings in terms of mismatch negativity. Some studies report a statistically significant difference in waveform morphology, latency, and amplitude of mismatch negativity between children with SLI and a control group. This suggests that these children might have auditory processing problems at higher auditory centers. A few other studies find no difference in evoked potentials, pointing to intact auditory processing abilities in children with SLI.

Conclusions:
The study helps us understand auditory processing abilities at the level of the higher auditory areas. Endogenous potentials may be included in a battery of tests for identifying children with SLI.