Problems With Receptive Language

A child who has receptive language disorders has difficulties understanding and processing the things that other people say to them. This creates a number of problems for the child as well as for those charged with raising or educating him. If you suspect your child has this disorder, you should have your child's hearing checked to rule out hearing loss.

Symptoms

• A child with receptive language disorder may seem to not be listening when you speak to her. You may notice that the child seems to be disinterested when you read story books to her or be unable to understand anything but the most basic sentences. The child may be unable to follow verbal instructions and repeat words or phrases back to you.

Expressive Language Disorder

• Receptive language disorder often goes hand-in-hand with expressive language disorder. This means that the child has difficulty expressing himself, using words when talking or frequently searching for the right one. He may make grammatical mistakes and rely on short and simple sentences, falling back on common phrases. He may even be unable to hold a conversation.

Cause

• The cause of receptive language disorder is usually unknown, and doctors may attribute it to a developmental disorder although it sometimes stems from a brain injury. Receptive language disorder is common in children with autism, hearing loss and other learning disabilities. The disorder does not usually indicate a lack of intelligence.

Treatment

• Seek out your child's pediatrician, a child health nurse or a speech pathologist to treat your child's condition. The professional may conduct hearing tests to ensure the problem isn't hearing-related, test the child's comprehension and observe him in different settings before making a diagnosis. If the child does have receptive language disorder, he can take speech and language therapy as a treatment method. Psychological therapy or counseling may also be necessary because your child may develop emotional and behavioral problems due to frustration with the disorder.