Language Based Learning Issues Overview (Language Based Learning Issues, Helpful Article)
Language processing difficulties are the most common type of learning disability. Youngsters with processing problems might have trouble in any of the following areas or in a combination of areas:
1. Comprehension. Language-impaired children tend to have problems understanding conversation and directions, especially when distracted in noisy rooms.
2. Hearing words correctly. A child may have trouble hearing the sounds in words (phonemic awareness), and problems with grammar and word sequencing. They may not, for example, be able to discriminate the difference between the phrases “blocking the punch” and “punching the block.”
3. Remembering verbal directions: While they may be able to process simple instructions adequately (“bring me the green ball”), difficulty sets in when the language increases in complexity. (“Put the green ball back in your room and then wash your hands; go to the kitchen and take a seat.”)
4. Expressing themselves appropriately. Even children who understand and can use words correctly may have great difficulty finding the words they want. So-called word-retrieval or word-finding problems can manifest themselves in various ways. Either a child is frightened into silence by his inability to get his meaning across, or he uses a huge number of words to make himself understood. A child explaining that he’d like his sister’s stuffed kangaroo might say, for example, “Please, uhm, could I have that furry brown animal that jumps a lot and has, uhm, that pouch thing in front?”
Language processing difficulties don’t suddenly appear in early elementary school; they are usually a continuation of specific language problems present in early childhood. Children who have difficulty with speech-sound discrimination early on may have problems reading and spelling as they reach school age.
Lisa Strick and Corinne Smith, coauthors of PARENT’S GUIDE TO LEARNING DISABILITIES, offer the following checklist to help parents determine whether their child has a language problem. It is normal for children to display a few behaviors on the list. But a persistent pattern of symptoms may indicate a language disability.
•Delays in learning to speak
•Does not modulate tone of voice appropriately; speaks in monotone or too loud
•Has problems naming objects or people
•Uses vague, imprecise language; has small vocabulary
•Speech is slow or halting; uses verbal “stalling” mechanisms (“uh, uhm, you know”)
•Uses poor grammar
•Frequently mispronounces words
•Confuses words with similar sounds (such as frustrate and fluctuate; may produce hybrids such as flustrate)
•Often uses hand gestures and body language to help convey message
•Avoids talking (especially in front of strangers, authority figures or groups)
•Insensitive to rhymes
•Little interest in books or stories
•Does not respond appropriately to questions (replies “Monday” when asked “Where do you go to school?”)
•Frequently does not understand or remember instructions
There’s no single way to assess a language processing problem, says Mona Thomas, spokesperson for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in Rockville, Maryland. Testing may be formal or informal and include any combination of standardized tests; direct observation of play and interaction with caregivers; reports by parents, teachers or physicians; and collection and detailed analysis of spontaneous speech samples. Several sessions as well as ongoing evaluation may be required to obtain enough information to make an accurate diagnosis.
Children diagnosed with language processing problems often benefit from speech therapy. The current thinking is that when a language delay is expected, therapy should begin as soon as possible. In some cases where a child has failed to meet other developmental milestones, the therapy may best be started even before a child begins to speak.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association suggests parents ask the following questions before hiring a speech therapist:
•Are you certified and licensed?
•What age groups do you work with?
•Do you work primarily with particular speech, language or hearing disorders? What are they?
•Once my child has been evaluated, is there a waiting list for treatment? If so, how long is it?
•Does my child need to be referred to your program by a particular source, such as a community agency?
•Once my child has been evaluated, will you be able to anticipate the amount of time needed to treat the problem?
•How much do you charge?
•Will my insurance pay for the evaluation, and for some or all of the treatment?
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