CAN\'T COMMUNICATE CLEARLY

EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE DISORDER

Topics in Mental Health

By Shlomo Y. Radcliffe

What is Expressive Language Disorder?

If your child or teen has inexplicable trouble expressing him or herself then he or she may have expressive language disorder- a language disorder that usually first appears during childhood. People with expressive language disorder find it hard to make themselves understood due to a variety of language deficits such as poor vocabulary, incorrect grammar and so on. The communication difficulty doesn’t make sense in light of the individual’s age, education or intelligence. In addition, the person can understand much more language than he or she can produce. The results are similar to what occurs when a traveler finds it easier to understand the language in a foreign country than to produce grammatical sentences himself – except that in the case of Expressive Language Disorder, the person is having this trouble in his own mother-tongue

Symptoms of Expressive Language Disorder (DSM-IV Criteria)

In order to diagnose a person with expressive language disorder the person must meet the following criteria:

• As measured by standardized individual tests, the child’s expressive language development scores are significantly lower than his or her scores for both nonverbal intelligence and receptive language development. The person may have a relatively small vocabulary, have trouble recalling words, make errors in verb tense, or create sentences that are shorter or less complex than that expected for his age.
• The patient does not meet the criteria for mixed receptive-expressive language disorder or a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).
• The disorder interferes with the child’s academic performance or social life.
• If the person has Mental Retardation, environmental deprivation, or a speech-motor or sensory deficit as well, the problems with language are worse than would be expected due to the primary disorder.

Treating Expressive Language Disorder

When treating expressive language disorder, best results are obtained from therapies that address the child’s communication skills both at home and at school. The child’s parents and teachers can work together to incorporate new language skills into daily routines and activities. The child should also work regularly one-on-one with a speech therapist to practice speech and communication skills. Both treatments are commonly utilized and results are best when they are used simultaneously. With treatment, good progress is expected in most cases of expressive language disorder.