Language disorders can make it difficult for kids to understand what people are saying to them and to express their own thoughts and feelings through speech. They can also affect how kids learn and socialize. If you’re concerned your child has a language disorder, you’re not alone. They’re surprisingly common childhood conditions. And there are many ways to treat them.
Types of Language Disorders-three kinds of language disorders
1 Receptive language issues involve difficulty understanding what others are saying.
2 Expressive language issues involve difficulty expressing thoughts and ideas.
3 Mixed receptive-expressive language issues involve difficulty understanding and using spoken language.
Experts aren’t sure what causes language disorders. Most of the research has focused on the broader category of speech and language impairments (SLI), which includes language disorders and speech disorders. That research has been extensive and suggests some possible causes for SLI, such as:
Genes and heredity: Research has found that 20 to 40 percent of children with a family history of speech and language impairment have the condition themselves, compared with about 4 percent of those with no family history of SLI.
Prenatal nutrition: Some research has shown that when a woman takes prenatal folic acid supplements during pregnancy, her baby is less likely to have severe language issues.
Other conditions: Autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities and premature birth might also cause language disorders.