PRAXIS: LANG DISORDERS IN KIDS OVERVIEW

limited amount of language

significant deficiency in the amount of language that is learned and understood (expressive and receptive language). Major characteristic in kids with language disorders

deficient grammar

issues with learning and producing proper syntax and morphology

inadequate/inappropriate pragmatic skills

issues with turn taking, convo repair, gestures, facial expressions, or body language. also a significant aspect of language disorders

deficient literary skills

difficulty in school with reading, writing, and spelling

cognitive deficits

difficulty with working memory, attention, and speed of processing

risk factors for language disorders

teratogens when in womb

complications with birth

genetic syndromes (DS, fragile X)

environmental factors

failure to point by 1

failure to follow simple instructions

delayed speech

general characteristics of SLI

impairment to specific language that is not secondary to other developmental disabilities or associated condition

language development sequence is the same as typical kids, but morphology is hard for them

can have frontal lobe abnormalities in language specific areas and executive functioning areas

SLI - normal variation

kids with SLI are on the lower edge of developing language skills. Some people are bad at math, some are bad at language.

SLI - underlying deficits

SLI deficits due to deficits in cognitive, auditory, perceptual, or intellectual functions

Specific characteristics of SLI

often have SSD (A + P) and phonological patterns like final consonant deletion

use less complex syllable structure (CCVC, CVCVC, etc.)

smaller vocab when developing (can have 30 - 40 words at 2)

can overextend or underextend words

word finding/retrieval problems

figurative language is hard

filler words and mazing

shorter sentences

pragmatic skills vary greatly

narratives are less complete

the younger ones are at risk for reading, writing, and spelling issues

Specific characteristics of SLI - Morphology

perceptual problems: do no perceive morpho features as well as others

syntactic problems: more complex sentences to comprehend make morphology weaker

morphological features that an SLI child is usually missing are possessives, present progressive -ing, ir/regular plural morphemes, third person singular, articles, aux and copula “is”, regular past tense, comparatives, and superlatives

telegraphic speech

saying only core words in a sentence (“cat eat food”) seen in younger kids with SLI

order of mention

kids with SLI may take directions literally and not in the way they were intended (before you eat lunch wash your hands and then they will eat lunch first)

cognitive processing/executive functioning deficits - SLI

kids with SLI can struggle with executive functioning skills like processing speed, attention, working memory, emotional regulation, task shifting, planning, and organization