Receptive Language

Receptive Language

Receptive language disorder is believed to involve difficulty with language processing centers of the brain. Children with a receptive language disorder demonstrate appropriate hearing, but they can't make sense of certain sounds, words, or sentences. Often times a breakdown can be seen within one or more of the following areas:  basic concept development, vocabulary skills, sequencing skills, task analysis or breaking down of mutliple step directives and oral comprehension of more complex ideas (inferencing, prediction skills).

Early signs and symptoms:

• Echolalia (repeating back words or phrases either immediately or at a later time.)
• Inability to follow directions. (Following of routine, repetitive directions may be OK.)
• Inappropriate, off-target responses to "wh" questions.
• Re-auditorization (repeating back a question first and then responding to it.
• Difficulty responding appropriately to:
       Yes/no questions
       either/or questions
       who/what/where questions
       when/why/how questions
• Not attending to spoken language
• High activity level and not attending to spoken language
• Jargon (sounds like "unintelligible speech")
• Using "memorized" phrases and sentences.