Language Difficulties & Disorders

Expressive Language Difficulties

Everything You Need to Know

Expressive language difficulties refer to challenges in producing and conveying thoughts, ideas, or emotions through speech, writing, or other forms of communication. Individuals with expressive language difficulties may struggle with organizing their thoughts, finding the right words, constructing sentences, or using appropriate grammar. These difficulties can impact social interactions, academic performance, and daily activities.

Expressive language difficulties can occur due to various conditions such as developmental language disorders, brain injuries, or autism spectrum disorders. Early intervention and therapy can help improve communication skills and support individuals in expressing themselves more effectively.

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.

Contact Us

Online Enquiry