Language Delays/Disorders

Language disorder refers to any impairment in:

  • Form, including phonology, morphology, and syntax, for example, misuse or misunderstanding of the information provided by word endings: “The boy eat his dinner.”
  • Semantics (meaning), for example, difficulty understanding idioms: “It’s raining cats and dogs.”
  • Pragmatics (function), for example, using language for different purposes (promising, requesting), changing language for listener needs (peer vs. teacher), or following the rules of conversation (turn taking, introducing topics of conversation, and staying on the topic).