About Expressive Language Disorders Like Autism

An expressive language disorder occurs when an individual has difficulties expressing herself through the use of spoken language. There are many different kinds of expressive disorders but the most well-known is autism.

Definition

• A person with an expressive language disorder has problems using words to express his ideas and needs to others. In some cases, receptive language is not affected--meaning that the person is still able to understand and process language.

Misconceptions

• Although expressive language disorders can be accompanied by learning problems or intellectual disabilities, the presence of such a disorder is not an indicator of lower intelligence. Many individuals with autism, in fact, score as geniuses on standard IQ tests.

Causes

• The cause of most of these disorders remains a mystery, although there are many theories that relate autism to diet, genetics, environment and exposure to chemicals. In some cases, an expressive language problem has an immediately obvious cause, such as a stroke or brain damage that has affected the language processing center of the brain.

Treatment

• Treatment varies greatly dependent upon the extent of the problem, age of the patient, cause of the disorder and other individual circumstances. A speech language pathologist is able to help people develop expressive language skills through activities, exercises and training and may also suggest speaking devices.

Considerations

• The earlier any language disorder is uncovered, and treatment started, the better the long-term prognosis. There is no "cure" for disorders such as autism, but early intervention will help an individual to reach her maximum potential.