Most babies or toddlers can understand what you are saying long before they can speak clearly. As they grow and their communication skills develop, most children learn to express their feelings with words. But some children have language disorders. They may have:

-Receptive language disorder . A child has trouble understanding words that he or she hears and reads.

-Expressive language disorder. A child has trouble talking to others and expressing thoughts and feelings.

A child will often have both disorders at the same time. Such disorders are often diagnosed in children between 3 and 5 years old.

Which children are at risk for language disorders?

The cause is often not known, but children at risk for a language disorder include those with:

Family history of language disorders.

-Premature birth

-Low birth weight

-Hearing loss

-Autism

-Poor nutrition

A child with Receptive Language Disorder may have problems:

-Understand what people say -Interpret gestures of understanding -Understand concepts and ideas -Understand what he or she reads -Learning new words -Answering questions -Following instructions -Identifying objects

A child with Expressive Language Disorder can understand what other people say but has trouble:

-Use language. -Try to speak and often cannot express what you feel and think. -It can affect both written and spoken language. -And children who use sign language may still have trouble expressing themselves.