Child Language Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorder

what are the legal criteria that must be met before a child qualifies for special education services in US public schools

1. “has an intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, an orthopedic impairment, a hearing impairment, deafness, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf blindness, or multiple disabilities AND

2. needs specially designed instruction as determined by an evaluation team; specially designed instruction is tailored to your child’s needs; it adresses the goals and challenges your child has in accessing the general education curriculum

what are the main risk factors for child language disorders

being male, having ongoing hearing problems, having a more reactive temperament, coming from a low socioeconomic status background, having a family history of language disorders, having cognitive impairment

what are the primary characteristics of developmental language disorders (DLD)

• no obvious cause, children otherwise seem typical, often underidentified or identified late

  • 5 risk factors: late language emergence, maternal education level, 5 minute Apgar score, birth order, biological sex

• lifespan impact: high risk for reading disorders, low academic achievement, peer relationship difficulties, heightened risk for peer victimization and bullying, increased risk for ADHD identification, increased social anxiety, less independence than peers

what are the core principles of langauge assessment in children

• distinguish between children who have a disorder vs those who don’t

• identify and describe all areas of concern accurately

• key considerations: cultural and linguistic diversity, risk for misdiagnosis, comprehensive evaluation needed

• multiple intervention methods needed, focus on stimulating language beyond immediate target, include other individuals who work with the child, teach adults to be language teachers

describe the language characteristics frequently seen in autistic children

• communication as early indicator: communication problems are one of the first indicators of possible ASD

• speaking patterns: 25-60% of individuals with ASD remain nonspeaking; some have immediate or delayed echolalia; prosodic features often attached (mechanical quality)

according to the DSM-5 what are the criteria for autism

• must have all of the following

  • persistent problems in social communication and interaction across different contexts

  • restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities characterized by TWO or MORE of

    • stereotyped or repetitive motor movements, use of objects, or speech

    • excessive reliance on routines, ritualized patterns, or resistance to change

    • highly fixated and restricted, abnormally intense interests or focus

    • hyper or hypersensitivity to environmental input or unusual sesnory interests