language disorder lecture 4 review

what is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

a significant difficulty learning and using language that begins during development and affects everyday functioning

Primary DLD

a language disorder without a known biomedical condition that explains the language difficulties

important features of DLD

1. significant language difficulties

2. difficulties affect communication, learning, or participation

3. difficulties begin during development and may continue over time

is one low standardized test score enough to diagnose DLD?

No. an SLP needs multiple sources of information, including testing, language samples, observations, developmental history, and information about everyday functioning

does a child need average nonverbal intelligence to have DLD?

no. a difference between verbal and nonverbal IQ is not required for DLD

Can DLD occur with other conditions?

yes. DLD can cooccur with conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, or a speech sound disorder.

• having another condition does not automatically rule out DLD

does DLD have one single cause?

no. genetic, neurobiological, cognitive, and environmental influences may interact

• no single cause

what does functional impact mean?

the language difficulties affect a child’s everyday communication, learning, or participation

application:

• a child struggles to follow classroom directions, explain ideas, or tell a story

what is the difference between primary DLD and associated language disorder?

• primary DLD: no known explanatory biomedical condition; language is the central concern

• associated language disorder: language difficulties occur as part of a broader clinical profile involving an identified condition

does very child with DLD have the same language difficulties?

no. children can have different strengths, needs, and level of difficulty

• same diagnosis does not mean same profile

what is morphology, and what difficulties might a child with DLD have?

morphology involves word parts and grammatical markers such as verb tense and plural endings

application: “yesterday he walk” instead of “yesterday he walked”

what is syntax, and what difficulties might a child with DLD have?

syntax involves how words are arranged to form sentences. a child may struggle to understand or produce complex sentence structures

application:

• difficulty understanding a sentence with several parts or embedded information.

what is semantic, and what difficulties might a child with DLD have?

semantics involves word meanings and relationship between concepts. a child may learn words more slowly, have difficulty retrieving words, or know a word without understanding its meaning deeply

application:

• a child knows a few labels for animals but struggles to describe what animals do and how they are related.

whta comprehension difficulties might a child with DLD have?

difficulty understanding longer, multistep, or grammatically complex messages

application:

• the child struggles to follow “before you sit down, put your folder away, and give me your pencil”

what is a narrative difficulty?

difficulty organizing and telling a story in a clear logical order

application:

• a child tells a story but leaves out important events or does not explain why something happens

what is pragmatic communication and what difficulties might occur?

pragmatics involve using language appropriately in social situations. a child may struggle to provide enough context or maintain a clear, connected conversation

application:

• the child talks about an event without explaining who was there, leaving the listener confused

what is phonological processing examples

some children have difficulty repeating unfamiliar multisyllabic non words

application:

• the child struggles to repeat a made up word with several syllables

non word repetition = repeating unfamiliar made up words

what may a child with DLD need to learn vocabulary or grammar?

repeated exposure to words and grammatical patterns

• a child may need to hear and practice a language pattern many times

what is a language profile?

a description of a child’s specific language strengths and difficulties

• the diagnosis tells you the general condition. the profile tells you what the child needs

can two children with DLD have different strengths and needs?

yes. one child may mainly struggle with grammar, while another may struggle with vocabulary, comprehension, and storytelling

can children with different diagnoses have similar language difficulties?

yes. similar language difficulties can occur in children with different diagnoses

• do not assume a child’s needs based only on diagnosis

what are some language difficulties an SLP should look for when assessing DLD?

• grammar and verb tense

• sentence structure

• vocabulary and word meanings

• language comprehension

• storytelling and organization

• pragmatic communication

• language processing and learning

what does it mean when a child’s expressive and receptive language abilities differ?

the child may have different levels of difficulty with producing language vs. understanding language

application: a child may understand more words than they can say

• expressive: saying or producing language

• receptive: understanding language

why is it important to look at more than one language domain?

a child may have strengths in one area and difficulties in another. looking at multiple areas helps the SLP understand the child’s overall language profile

what information should an SLP collect when assessing a child for DLD?

1. standardized and informal language assessments

2. language samples

3. observations

4. developmental and medical history

5. information about the child’s daily functioning

what should an SLP assess in a language sample?

grammar accuracy and how the child organizes language, including storytelling and spontaneous conversation.

application:

• listen for verb tense, sentence structure, and whether the child tells events in a logical order

why is functional impact important when identifying DLD?

the SLP needs to determine whether the language difficulties affect classroom learning, reading, writing, social communication, or everyday particpation

what is developmental and medical history should an SLP investigate?

language development, hearing status, language exposure, and possible associated medical conditions

what is differential assessment?

considering whether other factors may contribute to the child’s observed difficulties, such as attention, working memory, speech production, or other environmental skills

• ask what might be contributing to the difficulty instead of assuming every problem comes from language alone

why isn’t nonverbal reasoning enough to rule out DLD in or out?

a child’s nonverbal reasoning may be within expectations, but does not automatically rule out DLD. a verbal — nonverbal IQ discrepancy is not required for diagnosis

what is the purpose of comprehensive assessment?

to understand the child’s individual language profile, determine how the difficulties affect evreyday life, and identify areas that need support

ex: a 7 yr old child says, “yesterday he walk”, instead of “yesterday he walked”. What language is area is affected?

morphology

• why? the child is leaving out the past tense -ed

ex: a child has difficulty following longer directions that include multiple steps or complex sentence structure. what areas should the SLP investigate?

receptive language and comprehension, including syntax

• why? the child may have difficulty understanding complex grammatical structures or holding and processing the message.

ex: a child describes a story but skips important events and does not explain how the event occur. what area is affected?

discourse/ narrative organization

• why? the child is having difficulty organizing and connecting story information

a child knows what they want to say but has trouble retrieving the right word. what langauge area should the SLP investigate?

semantics and word retrieval

• why? word retrieval and vocabulary depth are part of the semantic language profile

a child has difficulty repeating unfamiliar words containing several syllables. what should the SLP investigate?

phonological processing

• why? nonword repetition is one of the clinical markers

a child does not provide enough background information, so the listener cannot follow what they are talking about. what area should the SLP investigate?

pragmatic communication

• why? the child may struggle to give the listener enough context or maintain a coherent exchange

the child has persistent language difficulties that affect classroom learning, but their nonverbal reasoning is within expectations. can the child still have DLD?

yes

• why? a verbal— nonverbal IQ discrepancy is not required for DLD

two children both have DLD. one struggles with mainly grammar, while the other has difficulty with vocabulary and narratives. should the SLP use the exact same intervention plan for both children?

no

• why? assessment and intervention should be based on each child’s individual language profile