Literacy and School‑Aged Language Skills Therapy

Supporting Reading, Writing and Language Success for School‑Age Children

Does your child have difficulty telling you about their day (i.e. events out of order, incorrect tense, unconnected ideas)? Do they overuse words in their vocabulary, or resort to using non-specific words (i.e. this one, that, it)? Does your child have difficulty following instructions or answering questions, with either understanding the instruction or with formulating a response? Does your child confuse letters and sounds, or is unable to recognize previously read words? These challenges are often characteristics of a language delay, language disorder, and/or learning impairment in literacy. Language delays occur when a child’s language abilities are developing at a slower rate than children their age. Children can be delayed in their understanding of language (receptive delay) and/or their use of language (expressive delay). When language deficits persist below the expected level for a child’s age, interfere with their ability to communicate effectively with others, and without a known biomedical condition, an identification of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is designated. DLDs can greatly affect learning and may persist across the entire lifetime. The severity and symptoms can vary. Literacy encompasses more than an understanding of letter-sound associations and word recognition. Rather, skilled reading occurs with the combination of decoding skills and language comprehension (i.e., vocabulary, background knowledge of concepts, language structure, and reasoning). Reading is therefore entirely a language process. A learning disability in reading (Dyslexia) is neurobiological in nature, and is characterized by challenges with fluent and accurate word recognition, decoding, and spelling. It arises from deficiencies in phonological awareness, and is separate from cognitive ability.