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Neurodevelopmental

Language disorder

Persistent difficulties in acquiring and using language (vocabulary, grammar, constructing sentences or understanding) well below what is expected for age, not explained by hearing loss or other condition.

Common signs

Small vocabulary and short or jumbled sentencesDifficulty telling what happenedTrouble following long instructions

Tips

For you

  1. Assessment by a speech therapist and, if needed, a neuropsychologist
  2. Expand their sentences: if they say "dog", answer "yes, a big dog"
  3. Give them time to express themselves and avoid constantly correcting

For family and friends

  1. Read them stories and ask about the pictures
  2. Repeat what they say correctly, without correcting them

When to ask for help

  1. If at 2 years they don't say single words
  2. If at 3 years they don't put two or three words together

Test for families

For parents or relatives: answer thinking about the child or person you are worried about, over the last few weeks. There are 8 questions and you get your result straight away. Your answers are not saved or sent.

0 of 8
1. Uses fewer words than other children their age
2. Their sentences are short or jumbled
3. Finds it hard to tell about something that happened to them
4. Mixes up the order or form of words
5. Finds it hard to understand long instructions
6. Searches a lot for words when speaking
7. Gets frustrated when not understood
8. Finds it hard to follow a conversation or a story

Free resources

Downloadable PDF sheetSigns, tips and resources to print or saveFree guide: Childhood and youthFree resource from Clínica Vivaldi

Related disorders

Intellectual disabilityNeurodevelopmentalGlobal developmental delayNeurodevelopmentalSpeech sound disorderNeurodevelopmentalStuttering (fluidity disorder of childhood onset)Neurodevelopmental

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Reviewed by María Teresa Fernández Vicente, health psychologist and neuropsychologist (registration no. CV17304), in November 2026. Educational information prepared by the Clínica Vivaldi team based on the DSM-5-TR classification. It does not replace a professional assessment and cannot be used to diagnose.