Barriers to Language Development

Thousands of children suffer from learning, physical and language development delays due to reasons out of their control. Medical conditions, birth defects and child environments have much to do with the manner in which children evolve. Those with cleft palates, hearing loss, auditory disorders and children who are internationally adopted deal with many barriers to language development.

Unilateral Hearing Loss

• Unilateral hearing loss describes a condition, often from birth, demonstrating a deafness on either the right or left side. Substantial language delays are common in those children with the disability. It is not proven that all children with hearing loss have a language barrier, but those with severe unilateral inaudibility did display developmental delays.

Auditory Processing Disorder

• Auditory Processing Disorder is a condition preventing sounds, often presented in speech, to be converted to correct information to the child's brain. Early detection of the disorder can help to keep language development on track but if left unnoticed can also cause academic delays.

International Orphans

• Children placed in orphanages awaiting American adoption often have language development delays. Orphanage care does not motivate the children to learn language skills. Physical growth delays, partly due to low birth weight and lack of prenatal care, are partially responsible for the lack of language development.

Cleft Palate

• Children born with a cleft palate are prone to many developmental delays including language. The condition must be treated with medical, dental, therapeutic and auditory intervention. A speech pathologist is often assigned to the child for further individualized treatment, including pronunciation, articulation, and language skills focused on vocal expression and alertness.