I have been posting about a potential auditory processing disorder for my 2nd grade (turning 8 this weekend) daughter. The audiologist asked several times if she had ever been tested for a language disorder. Well, I wasn't sure if there was a definite "test", but the school has her listed as SLI, which they are calling "speech/language impairment". I have also seen SLI as "specific language impairment". The speech pathologist said "oh, yes, she most definitely has a language disorder". Her problems were definitely more speech related when she was younger, but now that her articulation has gotten better I am noticing language to be the bigger of the problems. Her sentences are not structured properly, making it difficult for her to tell a story or rather for others to follow along. She also has difficulty following oral directions, especially multi step. Of course she is delayed in reading, writing and math, but her phonics skills are excellent as is her spelling. She is extremely visual and can memorize pretty much anything she sees if she wants to. I think that's why her spelling is good because she studies it visually.

Anyway, I am wondering if anyone out there can shed some light on improving her language skills. The speech/language pathologist that she sees said they are currently working on "concepts" like "in front of" or "behind", "forward", etc.... things that most people pick up on naturally.

I ordered a grammar and punctuation workbook (grade 1) that I thought we could go through. I liked it because it has 30 different "rules" to follow and figured we could work on those one at a time.

Thanks in advance,
Kathryn

Hi Kathryn,
You might recall last year, that I mentioned that I was researching some called: Sub-Vocalisation. Though I have adopted the term: Minds Ear, as it is easier to make sense of? Where people are more generally familiar with Minds Eye, as the ability to Visualise in our Mind.
Minds Ear is parallel to this, except that it is Auditory. Where instead of imagining something Visual in our Mind, it involves using our Auditory imagination, to imagine a sound or sounds in our Mind.

Minds Ear and Minds Eye, are both Working Memory skills. Though importantly, they are not 'skills' that we are 'born with', but rather they are skills that we develop through practise.
Yet, we aren't directly taught how to use Minds Eye and Minds Ear. It is assumed that we will naturally learn these skills?
But, in my research, I have found that often people never developed these skills, simply because they never knew that people could do this?
Whilst the term: 'Picture this in your mind', is a part of common language'. Which uses our Minds Eye.

For Minds Ear, we dont actually have any common term, for: 'Imagine hearing this in your mind'?
It is in fact a well kept secret, that no-one ever talks about?
In my study with numerous children and teenagers, I have found that when raising the subject of Minds Ear and; 'imagining the sound of words in their mind'?
They often take this idea as a suggestion that they are 'crazy', and must have a mental disorder? Where a common reply is: 'Of course I dont hear voices in my head!'
Kathryn, I wonder if your daughter, might give the same sort of reply to this question?
Yet a complicating factor, is that when presented with a Visual Image, this might cause an Auditory Recall of the 'sound'. Which relates to your mention that she can visually memorise anything, and has good spelling.
Yet in 'structuring a sentence correctly', this involves Minds Eye, where we go through a process of Auditory Rehearsal of the sentence.
Anyway Kathryn, pehaps you could talk about this with your daughter?
Geoff,

Geoff,

I have read your posts before. This is way too abstract for me to talk to her about, except to ask her questions where I might figure out the answers on my own. She does read to herself in her head and she does sound out words in her head when she is reading, so I know she has a voice in her head, but the planning ahead of time is the problem. I know we store words in our head as someone is talking and we must hold onto those words until the end of the sentence. This is her problem with memory. It's not that I don't know what the problem is, but how should I help her with developing her language? That's what I am wondering about. if you have any helpful ideas I would love your input.

Does anyone else out there have a child with a language disorder?

Thanks,
Kathryn

Hi Kathryn,
Good to hear that minds ear: sub-vocalising doesn't seem to be the problem.
Though you wrote: "The speech/language pathologist that she sees said they are currently working on "concepts" like "in front of" or "behind", "forward", etc.... things that most people pick up on naturally."

When you think of: " behind, forward, in front of'.
These are terms that we think of Visually.
Through a combination of Visual-Spatial thinking.

Yet I have recently been looking into Auditory-Spatial thinking, in relation to APD, where 'Sound Localisation' difficulties are not uncommon.
Though perhaps you might like to try a simple Auditory-Spatial exercise with your daughter?
Simply have her stand in the middle of a room.
Where she closes her eyes and keeps them closed.
Then you walk around her, at a bit of a distance.
Stopping at different points, and then saying:'Where am I'? Without opening her eyes, [or sneaking a look], ask her to point at where you are standing?

Try this at different points around her, but go back and forth, so that she cant predict where you might be?
So maybe you try this and see how she goes?
Geoff,

Kathryn,
I can relate to your situation. I have an 8 year old son with PDD-NOS. He has few challenging behaviors and presents more as achild with a speech/language impairment and processing difficulty. He's had years of various interventions and has made much progress, but he is starting to struggle in 2nd grade. I'm conflicted over which direction to go at this point. I'm receiving so many different opinions!!

Linda

Geoff,

I'll definitely try the spatial thing with Michelle. I'm not sure how she will respond. I'll make a prediction right now and let you know if I am right or not. I am predicting that if I ask her where I am in terms of behind, in front of, to the right or to the left, she may or may not answer. She does know right and left. Once driving home as we were pulling into our neighborhood I asked her which way will I turn, "right or left" for about 3-4 turns and she got it right each time. She pointed right and left and said "right" and "left" as pointed. So she used the right words and pointed in the right direction. But with her eyes closed I'm not sure. I think if I say to point to me she will be able to do that. But I wont know for sure until I try it. Once I do that I'll let you know.

Linda,

Is PDD like autism? I know that the speech and language impairment is common with autism, but I have been told several times that she is not anywhere near autistic by the pediatrician. I have heard that you can be on the autism spectrum and not be autistic, so I suppose that's possible. The speech pathologist said that Michelle's best bet in learning these complex terms is with lots of repetition. Today we played a game to determine if things are separate or together and she really got that. As with most things if we can fit them into our conversation a lot she will pick up on it. My son, who is 4 and does not have the learning difficulties of my daughter, uses the term "similar" a lot because we purposely discussed it. Now he points out things that are similar and tells how they are the same and how they are different.

I never realized how complex language can be. It's amazing how we take this stuff for granted because most people just learn language through life experiences.

Thanks again,
Kathryn

Hi Geoff,

I tried the spatial test with Michelle. She knew exactly where I was each time. I had her test me as well so I could see how difficult a task it was. I have to say that while I knew where she was, I was not 100% confident that when I opened my eyes I'd be pointing directly at her or just near her. Kind of a fun game, though.

Kathryn

Hi Kathryn,

I have an 8 yr old son in a similar situation. He will be 9 soon. He has difficulty with language, but has good spelling, phonics, decoding skills. He always progressed slowly in his academic subjects, but now it seems like his language is starting to interfere. His SLP is also working on concepts and catagorizing. There is a book that we used with our older son and had much success. Am I allowed to post the name of it? This is only my second post, so I don't want to break any rules!
Missy

Hi there,

I'm pretty sure you can post the names of books. I have seen many other posts with links to helpful websites and articles as well as helpful software and books to read.

Michelle is cruzing along quite well in reading right now, so I am thrilled about that, but what scares me is when she will have to start understanding the hidden meanings in things they read in school and while her spelling is good, her grammar is very poor, so when it comes to writing, she writes like she speaks.

Any information you can give me will be greatly apprciated.

Kathryn