本文主要介紹一群特殊的語言發展遲緩族群「遲語者」（late talker），遲語者衍生的問題不只限於溝通層面，若問題持續未獲解決，日後可能衍生出特定型語言障礙或學習障礙等，所以儘管有一部分的遲語者能自行跟上同儕的語言發展，仍有部分遲語者的語言問題值得長期關注。本文針對遲語者的鑑定標準、出現率、發展特徵、預後的情形、預測指標建立的必要性及現有研究結果加以說明，期望能呈現出一個較完整的面貌，有助於增進大眾對遲語者的認識。

　　The purpose of this paper was to introduce a group of children with language development delay-the late talkers. This group of children showed normal abilities in sensation, movement and cognition. but started to talk obviously later than children with normal language development. The difficulties of late talkers might not only be on communication but could have result in specific language Impairment or learning disability once the problems are not solved. Although some of late talkers could automatically catch up with their peers' language development, there were who may stay behind. This paper described the diagnosis criteria, prevalence, development characteristics, and the prognosis to present a comprehensive picture of late talkers.