10 Common Symptoms Of Language Disorders/Delays

Students with delays in language often present similar symptoms, these symptoms can impact the way these children function in a classroom. Without proper intervention, these children will often be at a significant disadvantage. There are approximately 44 sounds in the English language and 17 vowel sounds. That is a lot of processing for children and even more so for those struggling with language disorders.

The 10 common symptoms include:

1. Weak memory for visual sequences.

2. Weak memory for audtitory sequence.

3. Difficulty inferring or predicting. (This relates to comprehension in stories with questions like: What do you think will happen next? Why do you think the character did that? etc.)

4. Slower processing rate. (When 2-3 instructions are given, this child is often still processing the first instruction and will therefore miss the next instruction.)

5. Lacking permanence or transference of skill. (May appear to know something one day but not the next, or can do it in one subject but not another.)

6. Sound symbol relationships are often weak and the ability to de-code text is also weak.

7. Academic performance is full of gaps and often weak overall.

8. Word retrieval will be weak.

9. Will have a strong reliance on familar things and routines, needs to stay in the comfort zone.

10. Difficulty distinguishing between foreground and background noise.

It is important to address these symptoms and remediate as the gap will widen over time otherwise.