Language Disorder

Receptive Language is what children do with information when listening. It is how they process and understand what they hear. It’s how they understanding word meanings, sentences, and higher level language forms If a child has consistent difficulty understanding others or sharing thoughts, ideas and feelings, they may have a language disorder. A language disorder can be a receptive or expressive language disorder

Expressive language is the “output” of language, the ability to express your wants and needs through verbal or nonverbal communication. Children that have difficulty communicating their wants and needs may have expressive language difficulties or an expressive language disorder. Expressive language disorders in young children are often identified when children are not meeting their developmental milestones.

Cognitive rehabilitation is as a systematic, functionally oriented service of therapeutic activities that is based on assessment and understanding of the patient’s brain-behavioural deficits.

Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage in a specific area of the brain that controls language expression and comprehension. Aphasia leaves a person unable to communicate effectively with others.

Social skills are ways of interacting with others that make it easier to succeed socially. They allow you to communicate effectively and understand what others are trying to communicate to you, both verbally and non-verbally.

This will help rule out or diagnose other conditions, such as a hearing problem or other sensory impairment.

Children need to be able to do the following to develop language skills:

• receive information
• understand information
• retain information

Speech therapy focuses on testing and strengthening these skills and helping your child increase their vocabulary. A speech therapist can use word repetition, images, tailored reading materials, and other tools to help nurture your child’s communication skills

Working with your child at home can help. Here are some tips:

• Speak clearly, slowly, and concisely when asking your child, a question.
• Wait patiently as your child forms a response.
• Keep the atmosphere relaxed to reduce anxiety.
• Ask your child to put your instructions in their own words after giving an explanation or command.

Frequent contact with teachers is also important. Your child may be reserved in class and may not want to participate in activities that involve talking and sharing. Ask the teacher about class activities in advance to help prepare your child for upcoming discussions.

Having difficulty understanding and communicating with others can be frustrating and may trigger episodes of acting out. Counselling may be needed to address emotional or behavioural issues.