What is receptive language disorder?

Receptive language is the ability to listen to and understand communication. It requires one to utilize processes such as auditory attending, discrimination, organization, memory and transfer/generalization of information. Children with receptive language disorder have difficulty processing language that is spoken and/or written. A receptive language disorder may result from a medical event (such as a stroke or brain injury) or have unknown causes. A receptive language disorder does not indicate low intelligence: many children with language disorders have average to above-average intelligence.

What are some symptoms of receptive language disorder?

Symptoms include:

• Difficulty following directions (requiring clarification and repeated directions)
• Poor listening skills or comprehension
• Confusion when confronted with complex or long sentences
• Difficulty with abstract language
• Difficulty responding to questions
• Needing additional time to process information
• Problems differentiating between different letter sounds

Does a receptive language disorder cause the individual any problems?

A receptive language disorder cause difficulty with communication, academic activities, and social interactions.

How do I help treat my child’s receptive language disorder?

First and foremost, your child should be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist. An evaluation will help to determine which specific areas of receptive language may be most difficult for your child. During therapy, strategies are provided to improve the child’s ability to follow directions and increase his/her comprehension skills. Techniques for discrimination of similar sounds, sentence organization, and word retrieval are taught. Vocabulary development and practice using language in social situations is emphasized to improve receptive language skills, based on the child’s language needs.

Our approach to a receptive language disorder at North Shore Pediatric Therapy:

Speech-language pathologists provide therapy for receptive language disorders with one-on-one instruction. A speech-language pathologist on staff evaluates the child and creates goals based on the child’s individual needs. Our therapists can communicate and work together with the schools to provide accommodations in the classroom. Strategies and exercises are used to help the child develop skills for success across environments.