Language Difficulties & Disorders

Language difficulties can affect how your child understands and uses language, and may present in one of the following areas or both:

Expressive language is how your child uses language. This includes using words, forming sentences, and expressing ideas, needs, and thoughts.

Receptive language is how your child understands language. This includes following instructions, understanding questions, and making sense of what others say.

Understanding where the difficulty lies helps guide the most appropriate support and therapy.

Expressive Language Difficulties

What do expressive language difficulties look like?

In everyday life, this might look like:

knowing what they want to say but not being able to get the words out
using vague words like “this” or “that” instead of specific names
giving very short answers or relying on gestures instead of words
struggling to tell you what happened at school or during their day
finding it hard to retell a simple story in the correct order
getting frustrated when others do not understand them
taking longer to respond when asked a question
having difficulty joining conversations with peers

These challenges can impact social interactions, learning, and everyday communication.

What causes language difficulties?

Expressive language difficulties can be associated with a range of conditions, including developmental language disorder, autism, or following a brain injury. With the right support and early intervention, children can build their communication skills and become more confident in expressing themselves.

What can parents do at home?

Parents can play a crucial role in supporting expressive language development at home. Here are a few strategies they can use:

Engage in Conversations

Encourage regular conversations with your child, asking open-ended questions that require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. This helps them practice using words and sentences to express their thoughts.

Model Language

Use clear and simple language when speaking to your child. Rephrase or expand on their sentences to demonstrate proper grammar and vocabulary. For example, if they say, "I go park," you can respond, "Yes, you’re going to the park to play."

Read Together

Reading books aloud together helps children learn new words and sentence structures. Discuss the story, ask questions, and encourage your child to retell the story in their own words.

Play Interactive Games

Games like role-playing or "Simon Says" can promote expressive language by encouraging children to follow instructions, describe actions, and express themselves creatively.

Provide Opportunities for Expression

Give your child time to talk about their day, thoughts, or feelings. Listen attentively, offer praise, and create a supportive environment for communication without interrupting or finishing their sentences.

To address language difficulties, Speech Pathologist may focus on:

Storytelling: Encouraging the individual to describe events or make up stories.
Expanding Sentences: Practicing more complex sentence structures.
Role-Playing: Engaging in pretend play to encourage the use of language in various contexts.
Articulation Practice: Working on the clarity of speech sounds when needed.
Use of Visual Aids: Using pictures, flashcards, or apps to support language expression.

Receptive Language Difficulties

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) and receptive language difficulties are related, but they are not the same thing. Here’s a simple way to understand how they are connected:

What is Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)?

APD happens when the brain has trouble understanding the sounds we hear, even though the ears can hear them fine. So, while a person may hear the words, their brain might have trouble figuring out what those words mean or how to put them together.
Example: A child with APD might not hear the difference between words like “cat” and “bat” or might have trouble understanding what someone is saying if there’s background noise.

What are Receptive Language Difficulties?

Receptive language difficulties mean a person has trouble understanding spoken or written language. This could be because they don't understand the meaning of the words, how sentences are put together, or what the words mean in a certain situation.
Example: A child might be told, “Please put your shoes by the door and bring me your backpack,” but they might not understand everything being asked, or they might only hear part of the instruction.

How Are They Related?

APD can lead to receptive language difficulties. This means if a child has trouble processing sounds (because of APD), they might also have trouble understanding spoken instructions or conversation. If they can’t fully process the words or sentences, they may struggle to understand what is being said to them.
Example: If a child with APD is told, “Go get your red pencil,” they might not hear the word “red” clearly or might miss that the instruction is about a pencil. This leads to them not fully understanding the request, which is a receptive language difficulty.

The Difference Between APD and Receptive Language Issues:

APD is a problem with hearing and processing sounds correctly. It’s about how the brain handles what we hear.
Receptive language difficulties are about understanding language—whether it’s spoken or written. A child with receptive language difficulties may hear everything clearly, but still have trouble understanding the meaning.

How Can Parents Help?

For APD: A specialist like an audiologist might work with the child to help them process sounds better. Strategies like sitting in quieter places or using hearing devices can help too.
For receptive language difficulties: A speech therapist (SLP) can help a child by teaching them ways to understand instructions, build vocabulary, and follow more complex sentences.

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