What is Language Disorder associated with Autism?
Having a language disorder means that you have significant, on-going difficulties understanding and/ or using spoken language, in all the languages you use. It is not caused by speaking more than one language.
Language disorder can affect different parts of language, such as vocabulary, grammar, understanding questions and instructions, understanding jokes and sarcasm, and conversation skills. People with a language disorder might have difficulties in one or more of these areas.
It is very common for children with a diagnosis of Autism to have a language disorder as well. The official term for this is Language Disorder Associated with Autism.
What does Language Disorder Associated with Autism look like?
A language disorder will present differently in every individual depending on their unique strengths and needs. Some common issues are:
- Difficulty making grammatically correct sentences
- Interpreting language literally (e.g. difficulty understanding sayings like “this room is a pigsty.”)
- Difficulty understanding jokes or sarcasm
- Difficulty with conversation skills, such as turn-taking or staying on topic
- Difficulty structuring a story
- Including too much or too little information when speaking
- Difficulty learning vocabulary
- Difficulty understanding, or remembering, what has been said
Why does my child need two diagnoses?
The language needs of children with autism and language difficulties have sometimes been overlooked. Using the label of Language Disorder associated with Autism helps to make clear that a young person is likely to need ongoing support to develop their language skills.
How can I help my child with their language?
Encourage and praise them for saying when they haven’t understood something.
Call your child first before giving an instruction. Sometimes children do not understand that words such as “everyone” includes them.
Give your child lots of time to process spoken language. Wait about ten seconds before repeating the instruction.
Break down instructions into small parts.
Where possible try to give instructions in the order you would like your child to follow.
Use visual methods alongside spoken language where you can. This might include using pictures, written words, photos, and objects.
When learning new vocabulary, try using methods that involve engaging more than one sense at a time to help your child such as feeling the object, listening to the sound, smelling the object or if appropriate tasting. This can support them to learn the words.
Colour coding parts of words can help children to build sentences.
