Signs of language difficulties

Someone with receptive (understanding) difficulties might:

• Seem disinterested in conversations or social situations,
• Have difficulty following directions,
• Often misunderstand what is asked and answer or act inappropriately,
• Have difficulty getting jokes,
• Appear shy or withdrawn.

Someone with expressive language difficulties might:

• Have a limited vocabulary for their age,
• Use a lot of filler words like “um,” or use “stuff” and “things” instead of more specific words,
• Confuse verb tenses,
• Repeat phrases when telling a story or answering a question,
• Frequently say sentences that do not make sense,
• Have trouble learning new words,
• Feel like words are constantly stuck “at the tip of their tongue”,
• Often seem frustrated by their inability to communicate thoughts.