Language disorders involve problems processing linguistic information and can affect grammar, semantics, and other aspects of language. They can be receptive, involving comprehension, expressive, involving production, or both. Common examples are specific language impairment and aphasia. Receptive language disorders impair understanding of input while expressive disorders affect output. Symptoms vary but can include difficulties with sentences, vocabulary, instructions, and frustration. Other types of language disorders discussed are sensory impairments, apraxia, dyslexia, dysgraphia, stuttering, autism, and ADHD.

1. Language Disorders/ Impairments
(Psycholinguistics)
Level-6

2. Definition
Definition:
• Language disorders or language impairments are disorders that involve the
processing of linguistic information.
• Problems that may be experienced can involve grammar (syntax and/or
morphology), semantics (meaning), or other aspects of language.
These problems may be;
1. Receptive (involving impaired language comprehension),
2. Expressive (involving language production), or a combination of both.
• Examples include specific language impairment and aphasia, among
others.
• Language disorders can affect both spoken and written language, and can
also affect sign language; typically, all forms of language will be impaired.

3. 1-Receptive Language Disorder
• Receptive Language Disorder is the understanding of
language ‘’Input’’.
• Receptive language means the ability to understand and
comprehend language heard or read.
• A receptive language disorder is an impairment in the
comprehension of a spoken, written, gestural or other
symbol system.
• It also effects the social and academic life.

4. Symptoms of receptive language
disorder
There is no standard set of symptoms that indicates receptive
language disorder, since it varies from one child to the next.
However, symptoms may include:
 not seeming to listen when they are spoken to
 appearing to lack interest when storybooks are read to them
 inability to understand complicated sentences
 inability to follow verbal instructions
 parroting words or phrases of things that are said to them
(echolalia)
 language skills below the expected level for their age.

5. 2-Expressive Language Disorder
• Expressive Language Disorder; is a Communication
disorder in which there are difficulties with spoken or
written expression.
• Expressive language disorder is most simply the‘
’Output’’ of language. This includes not only words, but
also the grammar rules that indicate how words are
combined into phrases, sentences and paragraphs as
well as the use of gestures and facial expressions.

6. Symptoms of expressive language
disorder
Children with an expressive language disorder have problem using
language to express what they are thinking or need. These children
may;
 Have a hard time putting words together into sentences, or their
sentences may be simple, short and the word order may be off.
 Have a difficulty finding the right words when talking.
 Have a vocabulary that is below the level of other children the
same age.
 Leave words out of sentences when talking.
 Use certain phrases over and over again.
 Frustration.

7. Speech Disorder:
Speech disorders or speech impairments are a type of
communication disorder where 'normal' speech is disrupted. This
can mean stuttering, lisps, etc. Someone who is unable to speak
due to a speech disorder is considered mute.
Communication Disorder:
A communication disorder is any disorder that affects somebody's
ability to communicate. The delays and disorders can range from
simple sound substitution to the inability to understand or use one's
native language.

8. Slip of tongue:
Slips of the tongue are almost inevitable. For every 1,000 words
spoken, we make one or two errors. Considering that the average
pace of speech is 150 words a minute, a slip is bound to occur
about once every seven minutes of continuous talk. Each day,
most of us make somewhere between 7 and 22 verbal slips.
Tip of tongue:
The tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon (TOT), sometimes called
Presque vu, is the failure to retrieve a word from memory,
combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is
imminent. The phenomenon's name comes from the saying, "It's on
the tip of my tongue. “The tip of the tongue phenomenon reveals
that lexical access occurs in stages.

9. Types of Language Disorders
1) Sensory impairments
2) Apraxia
3) Dyslexia
4) Dysgraphia
5) Stuttering
6) Autism
7) ADHD

10. 1-Sensory impairments
There are two types of sensory impairments:
a.Blindness – A link between communication skills and visual
impairment with children who are blind is currently being
investigated. It impairs ones speech ability. One cannot
recognize gestures and facial expressions.
b.Deafness/frequent ear infections – Trouble with hearing
during language acquisition may lead to spoken language
problems. Children who suffer from frequent ear infections may
temporarily develop problems pronouncing words correctly.

11. 2- Apraxia
Apraxia is a general term. It can cause problems in parts of the body, such as
arms and legs. Apraxia of speech is a motor speech disorder. It is caused by
damage to the parts of the brain related to speaking. People with apraxia of
speech have trouble sequencing the sounds in syllables and words. The severity
depends on the nature of the brain damage.
Symptoms of Apraxia:
 difficulty imitating speech sounds
 difficulty imitating non-speech movements (oral apraxia), such as sticking out
their tongue
 groping when trying to produce sounds
 in severe cases, an inability to produce sound at all
 inconsistent errors, slow rate of speech
 somewhat preserved ability to produce "automatic speech" (rote speech),
such as greetings like "How are you?"

12. 3-Dyslexia
• Dyslexia or developmental reading disorder is characterized by difficulty
with learning to read fluently.
• Dyslexia or developmental reading disorder is characterized by difficulty
with learning to read fluently and with accurate comprehension despite
normal or above average intelligence.
• This includes difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological
decoding, pressing speed, orthographic coding, auditory short term
memory language skills/ verbal comprehension and rapid naming.
• Dyslexia is the most common learning difficulty and most recognizing
reading disorder.
4- Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a transcription disability, which means writing disorder
associated with impaired handwriting, orthographic coding (orthography, the
storing process of written words and processing the letters in those words),
and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required to write).

13. • 5-Stuttering/Stammering
Stuttering is a speech disorder in which sounds, syllables, or words are
repeated or prolonged, disrupting the normal flow of speech. These speech
disruptions may be accompanied by struggling behaviors, such as rapid eye
blinks or tremors of the lips. Stuttering can make it difficult to communicate with
other people, which often affects a person’s quality of life.
Causes of Stuttering:
 Abnormalities in speech motor control. Some evidence indicates that
abnormalities in speech motor control, such as timing, sensory and motor
coordination, are implicated.
 Genetics- Stuttering tends to run in families. It appears that stuttering can
result from inherited (genetic) abnormalities in the language center of the
brain.
 Medical conditions. Stuttering can sometimes result from a stroke, trauma or
other brain injury.
 Mental health problems. In rare, isolated cases, emotional trauma can lead
to stuttering.

14. 6-Autism
• Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by
impaired social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication,
and by restricted and repetitive behavior.
• The diagnostic criteria require that symptoms become apparent
before a child is three years old. Autism affects information
processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their
synapses connect and organize.
7-ADHD
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most
common childhood disorders and can continue through
adolescence and adulthood.
• Symptoms include difficulty staying focused and paying attention
(inattention), difficulty controlling behavior (impulsivity), and over-
activity (hyperactivity).

15. ADHD is a condition of the brain that affects a person's ability to pay attention. It
is most common in school-age children.
• Children who have symptoms of inattention may:
 Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from
one activity to another.
 Have difficulty focusing on one thing.
 Become bored with a task after only a few minutes.
 Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or
learning something new.
 Not seem to listen when spoken to
 Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
 Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
 Struggle to follow instructions.

16. • Children who have symptoms of hyperactivity may:
 Fidget and squirm in their seats
 Talk nonstop
 Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
 Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
 Be constantly in motion
 Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities.
• Children who have symptoms of impulsivity may:
 Be very impatient
 Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint,
and act without regard for consequences
 Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in
games
 Often interrupt conversations or others' activities.