Lecture 1 - Understanding differences in children’s speech, language and communication development

Comprehension of single words

• Normal range at 10 months, from 0-144 words
• Normal range at 16 months, from 80-300 words -

Production of single words

• Normal range at 12 months, 0-24 words
• Normal range at 24 months, 89-534 words

Production of 2 word combinations

• Between 16 months and 2 years of age

Language delay and language disorder

• Delay and disorder are terms used to describe more extreme variation than typical variation in children’s speech and language development

Risk factors of Language delay and language disorder:

• Low IQ/poor cognitive development – general learning disability
• Genetic and chromosomal syndromes of learning disability
• Family history of speech, language and communication difficulties/developmental disorders
• Physical/motor difficulties, e.g., cerebral palsy
• Chronic illness including prematurity and low birth weight
• Sensory difficulties, i.e. hearing and visual impairments
• Environmental factors, e.g., social disadvantage, neglect
• Biological factors, e.g., gender/male, prematurity, low birth weight

Language delay

• Follow the typical rate and progress of speech and language development but it is slower than expected for the child’s age
• These children are expected to catch up
• Language delay is common, up to 10% of 3 years olds have a language delay (Dale et al., 2003)
• There may be some factors that can explain the delay such as mild fluctuating hearing loss or there may be no obvious reason.
• Children with delays do not usually have significant medical factors such as a learning disability

Language disorder

• These is often an obvious or clear cause for the disorder
• These children do not follow the typical rate and progress of speech and language development
• These children will not catch up and the disorder will persist throughout the child’ s life.
• Negative outcomes in literacy, education, psychosocial outcomes, well-being
• Some children with a language disorder will also have a significant learning disability
• Some children with a language disorder will not have a significant or other learning disability

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Continuum of delay and disorder:

• There is a point at which a delay becomes so severe that it is considered a disorder, e.g., a child who is 8 years old whose speech and language ability is equivalent to a 3 year old child. This is a very SIMPLISTIC approach.

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Critical age hypothesis:

• If language difficulties (delay or disorder) are still present by age 5 years then they are much more unlikely to resolve than if the child is younger.

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At the age of 2;06 years, a child should be:

• Understanding words without context
• Expressive vocabulary of 2 – 300 words
• Putting 2 words together, e.g., ‘more juice’
• In the stage of moving onto or already: Understanding basic question words Saying simple sentences, Using space words, e.g., ‘in, on’ , Using negation  Word endings, e.g., -ing, plural /s/

Why is it important to differentiate between a language delay and language disorder?

• A delay in acquiring first words and phrase level language is a common sign of developmental disorders, e.g., ASD, LD
• Identify children at risk of language disorder/persistent language impairment
• Language delays do resolve, 50% of children at age 3 years with a language delay had resolved by school age (Dale et al., 2003; Rescorla et al., 2011).
• Inform how to target interventions to most in need

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