Developmental Language Delay
Parents listen as their child talks, and they observe how he or she interacts with peers and other adults. They also listen to their child's friends talk. They may even be able to remember how older siblings or other relatives talked at the same age. Before long, parents are consciously or subconsciously comparing their child' s language skills with the skills of these other children, and the end result is an impression of whether or not language is developing at a normal rate. If they sense that their child's language development is slow, parents may check this out with other parents, relatives, or their paediatrician. People may tell them different things such as "Don' t worry. He will outgrow it."
If you are concerned about your child's language development
If you are worried, a speech and language evaluation can determine whether language skills are developing normally, and
whether or not professional intervention is needed. Early diagnosis and treatment for language problems increases the chances
of improvement than simply "waiting it out" and treating any problem later. Treating language difficulties early on can prevent potential problems with behaviour, learning, reading, and social interaction.
What are the signs of a developmental language delay/disorder?
Children with a developmental language disorder have problems with receptive and/or expressive language skills.
Receptive language problems (how a child understands language) may include:
• difficulty understanding language (directions, questions)
• limited receptive vocabulary
• difficulty understanding nonverbal signals, like body language
• difficulty understanding sarcasm, or indirect requests
(e.g. "it's cold in here" can mean "please close the window")
Expressive language problems (how a child speaks) may include:
• limited number of words in each sentence
• limited expressive vocabulary and grammar
• difficulty in pronouncing a number of speech sounds
• does not always use language appropriately e.g. appears to be rude by being too direct or blunt
• limited ability to consider communication partner's needs like changing topics abruptly, using ambiguous referents (lots of "he", "she" and "it" when the subject has not been clearly identified),
What causes Language Disorders?
Speech and Language Disorders can be caused by various factors. Usually more than one specialist needs to be involved in identifying them. Apart from the Speech and Language Therapist this can be an Audiologist, ENT Consultant, Educational Psychologist, Occupational Therapist and Physiotherapist. Possible causes include hearing impairments, cognitive impairments, physical handicaps, lack of stimulation or emotional problems.
As there are multiple factors affecting outcome, it is hard to predict who will "recover" or how great the gains will be. Language disorders are changeable; at different stages of development children have different demands on their language systems. Children with language impairment in the preschool years may appear to catch up to peers by age 5 or 6 years, but then in later years when demands change and children begin to learn to read difficulties become apparent.
Therapy
In our therapy sessions we focus on working with families to create an optimal environment for the children to learn language.
The following are effective communication strategies that you may use with your child:
• Be at the same physical level. Get face to face.
• Follow the child's lead. Let them choose the "topic".
• Take turns. The child's turn may be a non-verbal one.
Give them a chance to be an equal partner and show them that communication is fun!
• Use language that is at or slightly above their level. This provides them with models that they can try to imitate.
• Expand what they say to show that you have understood and value what they've said and to provide them with a model
of a more mature form. For example if your child says: "eat", the adult can respond "yes, he is eating."
• Keep in mind that the child’s receptive language is usually slightly ahead of the expressive language.
• Look for the signals they send that show they are communicating, then help them build on them.