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9-Point Checklist: Your Child May Have a Language Disorder

1/8/2017

4 Comments

 
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Nae- age 6 (School #9 Mrs Sieberts Kindergarden Class, Linden, NJ)
In today's blog post, I am going to list some signs that might determine if your child is not just shy but struggling with a language disorder.
​Did you know that language disorders are classified differently than speech disorders?

There are 3 types of language disorders:

​Receptive: difficulty understanding what others are saying.
Expressive: difficulty expressing thoughts and ideas. 
Mixed receptive-expressive- difficulty understanding and using spoken language.

There are some ways a child may have acquired a language disorder. It could have been inherited from a parent. The child may not have received the proper nutrition in the uterus or experienced a premature birth. Or, the child may have Autism or Down Syndrome which could cause intellectual delays that could cause a language disorder.   

However, if your child has none of these issues, then this checklist below can be used as a measurement to see if you need to get your child evaluated. 
 

9-Point Checklist

​Your child might have a language disorder if he or she :
​
  1. Has a limited vocabulary compared to children the same age
  2. Frequently says “um” and substitutes general words like “stuff” and “things” for more precise words
  3. Has trouble learning new vocabulary words
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Nae-age 19. (Photo Credit: Promografx)
4.  Leaves out key words and confuses verb tense
5.  Uses certain phrases over and over again when talking
​6.  Seems frustrated by inability to communicate thoughts
7. May not talk much or often, but understands what other people say​
8. Is able to pronounce words and sounds, but sentences often don’t make sense
9. Uses a limited variety of sentence structures when speaking

Things I Wish I Could Have Done That You Can Do Now

​In my daughter Nae's case, she developed her language disorder which caused her intellectual delays due to having multiple heart surgeries plus battling a nasty RSV(Respiratory Syncytial Virus) infection all before the age of 5 months. 
She started receiving speech therapy once she was evaluated and placed in a structured special education kindergarten class.

But, did you know that there is now a law called the The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that allows children and youth (ages 3-21) to receive special education and related services as well as empower parents to seek FREE intervention services for their infants and toddlers under the age of 2?  And, if you have a diagnosis for your child already, you don’t have to wait for a referral from your child's pediatrician. You can contact your state’s public early childhood system for a free evaluation. 

This law was not in effect when my daughter was born. She struggles socially at times and is very shy and sometimes distant. Even though she knows how to read, her writing suffered because of her limited vocabulary. So I am writing this blog because as parents, we do not want our children to be left behind.


In following my yearly theme of "Staying Keen in 2017", I plan to remain focused in making sure this knowledge gets out to any parent who might need it. It is also empowering to know what is out here so you can be well informed ahead of time before approaching agencies and school districts.​ #StayKeen17 
​If you enjoyed this post, please leave a comment below and share with your friends on social media. Let's connect!
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Author

My name is Cee Strickland, and I’m the founder of Cee & Learn. I live in New Jersey and have 3 daughters and 2 grandkids. I super love literacy! Read my full bio by clicking here. Literacy Matters!


Sources:
​ 
Csebestyen. "NJ Parent Link." NJ Parent Link. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. <http://njparentlink.nj.gov/>.

"IDEA - Building The Legacy of IDEA 2004." 
IDEA - Building The Legacy of IDEA 2004. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. <http://idea.ed.gov/explore>.
​
Team, The Understood. "Understanding Language Disorders." 
Understood.org
. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2017. <https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/communication-disorders/understanding-language-disorders>.


4 Comments
Christine Whitmore link
1/21/2017 11:52:17 am

Well written and very informative. I didn't know there were differences between language and speech disorders. Hopefully, more parents can be made aware of this and be more proactive in getting help for their child.

Reply
Vanessa Coppes link
1/25/2017 06:05:21 am

Great info Cee! Great advice for parents! Thanks so much for sharing!

Reply
Dixie link
1/25/2017 05:06:52 pm

Great article. This checklist is such an important tool, for both parents and educators. Way too many times, children's disorders go unnoticed and untreated because either the parent, the teacher or both aren't aware of what's happening. And sometimes if they are aware of something out of the ordinary, they don't know what to make of it. So this really can help them make early decisions and get the appropriate resources for the child.

Reply
Juanita Beverley
1/26/2017 01:57:15 pm

Great! This is awesome information Cee!!! As a parent we want the best for our children and sharing your story will help another mom become aware of the signs and get help for their child in need.
Beautiful ❤

Reply



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    Picture
    Cee Strickland

    Author​

    .I’m the founder of Cee & Learn. I live in New Jersey. I am a Literacy Awareness Coach,  Advocate, Tutor, Speaker, Facilitator & Writer. I have  3 daughters and 4 grand-kids. I love dark chocolate! I am also a pageant queen whose platform is literacy! Read my full bio by clicking here. Literacy Matters!


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