Children’s Language Disorders
Understanding Challenges and How Speech Therapy Helps
Children’s language disorders affect a child’s ability to understand, express, and use language effectively. These challenges can impact communication, learning, and social interaction—especially as language demands increase in school.
Whether a child struggles with understanding spoken words, forming sentences, or engaging in conversation, early identification and speech therapy can make a meaningful difference. This guide explains the main types of language disorders in children and links to in-depth resources for each condition.
Table of Contents
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Developmental Language Disorder is a persistent difficulty with language development that is not explained by hearing loss, intellectual disability, or neurological injury.
Children with DLD may experience challenges with vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and academic language.
Learn more about Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Receptive Language Disorders
Receptive language disorders affect a child’s ability to understand spoken language, follow directions, and process verbal information.
Children may struggle with comprehension, vocabulary learning, and understanding complex sentences.
Learn more about Receptive Language Disorders
Expressive Language Disorders
Expressive language disorders impact how a child uses words and sentences to communicate ideas.
Common challenges include limited vocabulary, word-finding difficulties, grammar errors, and difficulty telling stories or explaining thoughts.
Learn more about Expressive Language Disorders
Expressive-Receptive Language Disorders
Some children experience difficulties with both understanding and expressing language.
These challenges may affect comprehension, vocabulary use, sentence formulation, and conversational skills.
Learn more about Expressive-Receptive Language Disorders
Social (Pragmatic) Language Disorders
Social (pragmatic) language disorders affect how a child uses language in social situations.
Children may struggle with conversational turn-taking, staying on topic, understanding nonverbal cues, and adapting language for different settings.