LANGUAGE DISORDERS FROM INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE (Essay Sample)

LANGUAGE DISORDERS FROM INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE Name: Course: Date: It is imperative to identify the requisite skills for communication in order to understand language development. However, the relationship between communication and the development of language is difficult to understand because of the complexity by which the two relate. The importance of language in communication cannot be overstated because it is used to express emotions, develop ideas and lean new things, among others. The expression of language is not limited to verbal features. Non-verbal features such as gestures and facial expressions are important factors in language development. The most active stages of language development include the period when babies are in the womb, through infancy to adolescence. Therefore, language disorders are common during this development period, and can be evident in speech, listening or writing. The infancy period is the most crucial stage of language development. This is also the period when different language disorders start manifesting. Infants in their first year start paying attention to the cognitive nature of language by playing with different sounds and responding to speech made by other people. By the end of the first year, infants learn to distinguish meaningful speech from sounds that do not identify with the language they are used to. Manifestation of language disorders in infants ranges from trouble in answering questions, identifying definitive objects to understanding common gestures. Language disorders that occur during this stage of life are caused by different factors including autism, premature birth, poor nutrition and low birth-weight among others. Language disorders in children aged between 3 to 5 years can be identified using different signs such as trouble in understanding as well as speaking. Children with these disorders may also have trouble asking questions, using gestures as well as learning songs. This type of disorder, where children have problems in talking and understanding, is called preschool disorder. Other children may also have difficulties in both understanding and expressing themselves in the language spoken around them. In such cases, children show difficulties in naming numbers and letters, following instructions as well as learning the complete alphabet. Another language disorder that occurs in children is called selective mutism. This disorder is manifested when children have difficulty in speaking in certain situations such as school or around strangers but speak well at home or around their parents. This disorder is also associated with poor social communication, problems with school work. However, failure to speak due to selective mutism has been commonly confused lack of comfort and knowledge because the affected children show excessive shyness and anxiety. Language disorders are not common to young children only, but to adolescents too. In school going adolescents, language disorders cause irregular learning patterns, difficult social life and communication. Adolescents with language disorders have difficulties in interpreting questions, learning new words, following directions, comprehending written material and expressing clear ideas. Language disorder in infants and adolescents can also be medically diagnosed as dyslexia according to the signs manifested. Children with dyslexia have problems with both the written and spoken aspects of language. For example, a child with dyslexia may substitute a concept, idea or word with a vague word that would normally not make any grammatical sense. In addition to that, they often use filler words such as “um” to buy time to arrange ideas and wor...