Language Disorders

Acquired Language Disorders

An acquired language disorder, also referred to as aphasia, is a language impairment that is the direct result of trauma to the brain, which occurs after birth (i.e., not congenital). There are many causes for this type of language disorder including a stroke, abnormal growth of brain tissue (i.e., a tumor), seizures, oxygen deprivation, environmental exposure of neurotoxins (e.g., lead poisoning), brain infections, traumatic brain injury, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis.

Developmental Language Disorders

A developmental language disorder (DLD) refers to a language disorder that is present at birth or occurs prior to the onset of typical language acquisition. It can be defined as the abnormal acquisition, comprehension, or use of spoken or written language and can include any aspect of receptive and/or expressive language skills. This type of disorder can be primary or secondary, can involve delayed or deviant acquisition, and can range in severity. DLDs can involve many aspects of the linguistic system including content, form, and/or use.     

Communication Requires Both

  • Receptive Language

    Receptive language, also referred to as comprehension, is the understanding of words and language. It involves making sense of spoken or written information. Deriving meaning from spoken language is a complex task that involves knowing the meaning of words and understanding what is intended when those words are put together in a certain way. 

  • Expressive Language

    Expressive language, also referred to as language production, is the use of words, sentences, gestures and/or writing in order to exchange information with others. It involves a complex set of skills include being able to label objects in the environment, describe actions and events, put words together in a logical sequence in sentences, use grammar correctly, retell a story, and answer questions, to name a few.