A person with a language disorder may have trouble understanding what other people are saying or expressing their own needs and feelings. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for individuals to struggle with language. Some have difficulty understanding what others are saying, others find it challenging to express their own thoughts, ideas, and feelings. What is a Language Disorder? A language disorder is a type of communication disorder that makes it difficult to use, process, and comprehend language. While many people associate language with verbal communication only, there are several types of language. It can affect our vocabulary, reading abilities, sentence structure formation, gestures, conversations, and written language. There are two main types of language disorders, and understanding their differences is necessary to getting the help you need. Expressive Language Disorder: People with an expressive language disorder might struggle with using new vocabulary, organizing words into a sentence, conveying stories, or making their wants and needs known through verbal communication. This can be particularly frustrating for individuals - they know what they want to say, but can’t produce intelligible sentences when they talk. Receptive Language Disorder: People with a receptive language disorder have difficulty understanding and extracting meaning from words they hear. They may have trouble grasping what others are saying, or interpreting written words. As a result, they may struggle to respond to questions, or do so in a way that doesn’t make sense. In some cases, a person may demonstrate both receptive and expressive language issues. They have trouble both using and understanding language. How are Language Disorders Treated? Treatment for language disorders will largely depend on the age of person and the cause and extent of their condition. Your speech therapist will often start by identifying the areas of strength and weakness, and develop a tailored treatment plan to help people master their language skills and communicate more effectively. The SLP will also help set the foundation for reading and writing skills by promoting the patient's oral language. All therapy is delivered online via face-to-face video conferencing.