
                           YOUR CHILD:
                       Questions & Answers



QUESTION:   What is delayed language and what causes it?


ANSWER:  Delayed language is a child's inability to express 
himself fluently and meaningfully relative to his or her age and 
intellectual functioning ability. 

   There may be several reasons why a child's language has not 
developed properly. 

  A child's innate mental ability may cause him or her to 
progress at a slower pace than other children of the same 
chronological age and grade placement. 

  Physical defects such as inability to hear language patterns 
clearly, difficulty in associating meanings, and defects 
affecting speech production (for instance, a cleft palate) may 
create delayed language ability. 

  First-generation children may hear family members speak in a 
language different from the one used for instruction in school 
and, consequently, may not have the necessary preparation to 
apprehend and use English fluently. 

  When children are from homes where parents have only an 
elementary school educational level, there is little or no 
modeling of the language. 

  For some reasonfor instance, family situation or work 
obligationsthe parent may not be able to give the necessary time 
to the child for a language pattern to be started or 
strengthened. 

   Whatever the cause of delayed language in childhood, the best 
first step is diagnosis. Initial evaluation is, in fact, one of 
the main services provided by our many Scottish Rite Childhood 
Language Disorders Centers across the Southern Jurisdiction. If 
you know a child who seems to have delayed language abilities, 
contact your local Scottish Rite office for assistance, 
diagnosis, or referral.     


by Dr. Baron D. Conaway, 32
Director, Reading Diagnostic Clinic, 
Arkansas State University, Arkansas 72467 


