An overview of language disorders
Language disabilities can impair oral and/or written communication. Sometimes only one aspect of communications (comprehension or expression) is sufficiently impaired to be problematic. Occasionally the student is unable to use different communication styles for different situations. In practical terms, language disabilities often underlie problems with following directions, asking or answering questions, learning new ideas, negotiating with adults or peers, reading, and/or writing.
Following Directions
Following directions requires that you hear the directions
(attention and hearing abilities), that you understand the vocabulary
and any non verbal cues, that you can remember all of the steps
presented, and that you are motivated and able to carry out the
request. Students with language disabilities may have difficulty with
one or more of these abilities that are assumed by the teacher giving
the directions.
Often students with a language disability
do not comprehend instructional vocabulary. For example, some students
do not understand the usage of "after". They may understand the
sequence in "after you eat you brush your teeth" because of
experience and/or sentence order. However, if you tell the student to
"write spelling words after you write sentences", the student will have
neither sentence order nor experience to guide them.
Asking and answering questions
Teachers frequently complain that the students who have performed
poorly in their class never asked any questions. I sometimes explain
that if that teacher listened to a graduate school lecture on
astrophysics, in all likelihood he or she would be unable to formulate
a question. Asking questions requires some grasp of the vocabulary
and information being presented. Beyond the global knowledge
problem, some language disabled students haven't figured out how to
structure a question even about familiar topics. Knowing when to use
"who" vesus "what", or how to use "if" must sometimes be explicitely
taught.
For a language disabled child, answering questions
about know topics may also be difficult. Some students have word
finding problems that we might expect in an elderly person but not in a
child (e.g. remembering the name of a store, character, etc. that is
familiar but not coming to mind). Other students are confused by
sentence structure and may be able to give a one word answer but may
struggle to say something more complex. The students understanding of
the vocabulary of question words may also be limiting (e.g. who
question requires a person answer, when question requires a relative or
exact time).
Reading
Reading requires a complex of skills with a foundation in oral
language. Acquiring reading involves mastering the decoding process
(how to use the sounds of the letters to determine the word
pronunciation). The components of reading most relevant to decoding are
phonological awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds
in words) and phonics (letter - sound correspondance). Fluency is the
ability to ready, quickly, smoothly and with appropriate intonation.
Typically fluency is linked with comprehension. Comprehension requires
oral vocabulary knowledge and the ability to decipher sometimes complex
grammatical forms. Both decoding and comprehension skills are necessary
to become a good reader.
Disabled readers actually use different
parts of their brain when trying to read than those who have mastered
the process. To read a given passage, disabled students truly work
harder than able students at the same reading level. Is it then a
surprise that the disabled student often shys away from reading,
falling further and further behind. It takes time and a consistent,
systematic approach but it is possible to reprogram the brain pathways
to develop a direct and easier route to reading.
Writing
It is almost impossible to write better than we speak. If a student has
difficulty with word finding, generating complete or complex sentences,
or retelling a story with the appropriate sequence and details, writing
will also be difficult. Students who take the time to work on their
writing skills also help their oral skills. Although appropriate use of
oral language is often assumed, the rules associated with writing can
help clarify the mostly invisible rules that also guide our oral
language.
Negotiating with adults or peers
Middle school is an important time for the development of more adult
social structures and more verbal approaches to problem solving.
Students with language disabilities often have difficulty negotiating
with others in order to meet their wants and needs. Without sufficient
language skills to master this task, it is common for these students to
use other, often less acceptable, approaches to their problems. These
students may need explicit instruction in the negotiation process as
well as a mediator to provide them the time and support needed to
clarify their positions and reach a mutually acceptable solution.
