Individuals with Oral / Written Language Disorder and Specific Reading Comprehension Deficit struggle with understanding and/or expressing language often in both oral and written forms.
These individuals often exhibit Specific Language Impairment related to deficits in semantic processing and syntactic processing.
Semantic processing relates to encoding the meaning of words. Syntactic processing relates to the understanding of the order of words and how that can change the meaning. For example, the sentences “The blanket is on the baby” and “The baby is on the blanket” use the same words, but have different meanings.
Causes
There is no specific cause that has been discovered for Written Language Disorders, but there are a few factors which may have an influence on a child’s ability to learn or develop their language skills. One of these factors may be genetic, so it is possible that a parent or family member can pass the condition on. It is also possible that it can be connected with the development of the brain.
There are a few other possibilities, including the experiences during a child’s upbringing, such as not having as much access to reading and writing materials in comparison to their peers. Symptoms from other conditions may have an influence, such as if the child also has symptoms or a diagnosis of ADHD, which tends to affect their attention span, then their reading ability may be impaired due to inability to focus on the words. However, these are simply possibilities and not definite reasons for a child to have a Written Language Disorder.
Diagnosis
As with other conditions, a conversation between the parents and teachers involved is normally the starting point. If the child’s reading or writing ability seems to be consistently lower than their peers or the average for their age group, then a Written Language Disorder may be suspected.
The conversations between the parents and teachers may result in some initial tests, simply to observe the child’s symptoms and to assess the level that they are working at. These tests will form the basis for whether a formal assessment and potentially a diagnosis is required.
Treatment
There are many treatment options for this condition and for similar conditions. One option is to ask the child to write new letters and words via tracing paper, to allow them to get a grasp and an idea of how to write the letters, the movement involved and what it looks like on the page afterwards.
There are a few ways to treat and improve their comprehension of language, such as asking them to regularly feedback on pieces of writing. For example, asking them to explain what they have been reading every few minutes, to observe what information they are absorbing. Another option would be to advise them to create mental images in their mind of what they have read, to encourage their memory of written language.
Physical sports can be recommended to help improve motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and this may also encourage the child to engage with their peers and make friends.
It will be possible to give the child a special, simulated social scenario to monitor their natural social skills, and to allow time for them to be given feedback on their behavior. This can be done in an academic environment, but the child may be more comfortable doing this with their parents or a trusted adult.