An expressive language disorder may manifest itself as difficulty with verbal or written expression, while comprehension is within normal range. Expressive language disorders may be developmental or acquired as a result of brain injury.

Description of this Disorder

  • Expressive language disorder is a communication disorder in which there are difficulties with verbal and written expression.
  • It is a specific language impairment characterized by an ability to use expressive spoken language that is markedly below the appropriate level for the mental age, but with a language comprehension that is within normal limits.
  • There can be problems with vocabulary, producing complex sentences, and remembering words, and there may or may not be abnormalities in articulation.

An Expressive Language Disorder Symptoms

An expressive language disorder occurs when language is slow to develop and sequence of development/pattern or errors is atypical.word finding problems

  • smaller vocabulary than same-age peers
  • problems with verb tense and pronouns
  • difficulty putting sentences together
  • trouble asking questions
  • difficulty retelling stories
  • an inability to start or hold a conversation

It is also not uncommon for children to have a mixed receptive-expressive language disorder, in which comprehension is also affected. These language disorders do not go away by themselves, and require speech-language intervention.