Child Language Disorders

About

A language disorder may be described as the abnormal acquisition, comprehension, or use of spoken or written language. This includes all receptive language skills (language comprehension) and expressive language skills (language production). Receptive language skill refers to the ability to understand incoming auditory or visual messages. Expressive language skill refers to the use of symbols (words or written messages) to form meaningful messages.

Children who have problems with spoken language frequently experience difficulties learning to read and write, and children with reading and writing problems often experience difficulties using language to communicate, think, and learn. So, instruction in spoken language often results in growth in written language.

Who can this affect?

Children may demonstrate developmental language disorders (i.e., delayed language acquisition), or acquired language disorders involving the loss or interruption of language function due to illness or trauma.

Therapy services for child language disorders may be offered for infants through adolescents and in groups or individually.

Evaluation services

• case history interview
• hearing screening
• oral mechanism and articulation
• evaluation of child’s use and understanding of language

Therapy services

• exposure to language models
• expansion of current language forms
• family education and involvement