Language delay/ disorder

Language delay/disorder

What is a Language Disorder?
A language disorder is when your child has difficulty with understanding and/ or expressing themselves and thus making it difficult to interact and communicate effectively with others. This breakdown in communication could lead to frustration and difficulty making friends.

What type of conditions affect a child’s language development?
Some of the common conditions affecting a child’s language development include:

Autism Spectrum Disorder
Language- based Learning Disabilities
Specific Language Impairments

What are some signs or symptoms of a Language Disorder?

Child does not look at people/ objects when called
Child does not respond to his/ her name
Child does not use much words/ combine words or use phrases/ short sentences in preschool
Child has difficulty understanding instructions at home/ in school and is typically looking at his friends to know what is required of him
Child has difficulty communicating effectively with peers
Child struggles with reading and writing
Child has difficulty with higher- level functioning skills like sequencing, inferencing and understanding figurative language

How can we help?
We will first assess the language difficulty using some formal or informal assessment tools. Next we will recommend appropriate activities during intervention to work on the child’s specific difficulties. If necessary, we might provide an alternative form of communication system to facilitate in effective communication. We will also educate parents on a variety of strategies to maximize communication therapy during daily routines.

New research data revealed that there is a significant increase in children diagnosed with speech and language delays or disorders in the recent years. We want to encourage parents to avoid the ‘wait and see’ approach that is all too common with speech and language disorders. The earlier we reach a child, the more successful, the less expensive, and the shorter the course of treatment. By delaying an assessment and/or treatment to see if a child outgrows a potential disorder, parents may be missing a key window of opportunity. This is why it is important for parents to educate themselves about the signs and seek an assessment from a speech therapist if they have any concern.