Language Development Delays

Children acquire specific language skills at widely varying ages. By age 3, however, children who have not met developmental milestones may need to be screened for language delays or disorders. Early intervention is crucial. In general, the risk for reading difficulties is greatest when a language delay or disorder is severe and persistent (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998; Kaderavek & Sulzby, 1998, in press).

At children's routine checkups from infancy through preschool years, health care professionals can watch for language development delays. Burns, Griffin, and Snow (1999) note that health care professionals can screen children for the following kinds of risk:

• "Severe cognitive deficits. Within the normal range, IQ is moderately associated with future reading ability. But severe cognitive deficits are usually associated with very low, if any, reading achievement.

• Hearing impairment. It has been well documented that children with hearing impairments are at risk of future reading difficulties. Although hard-of-hearing children tend to do better than deaf children, they are still at risk, even if they have good speaking abilities.

• Early language impairment. Children acquire language at tremendously variable rates during the first four years of life. Yet some children are clearly behind by age 2 or 3. This is an important signal. Delayed language development can be the first warning of a pervasive developmental disability, hearing impairment, or neurological problem. Any of these conditions puts a child at risk of future reading difficulties. Often an evaluation by a speech-language professional reveals that these children have early language impairment. About 40 to 75 percent of preschoolers with such an impairment develop reading difficulties later--often along with other academic problems.

• Expressive and receptive language delays. Children's development of language during preschool years is strongly related to how well they will later learn to read. An infant's achievement of 'expressive' language milestones appears to have a particularly strong link to later reading achievement. Assessment of these milestones is part of regular well-baby visits and can be used to identify chidren at risk." (p. 136)

For further information on children's developmental milestones and early detection of learning disabilities, refer to Early Warning Signs (Public Libraries Learning Disabilities Initiative, n.d.).

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