Language Components & Domains
A child says “He go store.” Which language domain is primarily affected?
form (syntax/morphology)
What early communication stage involves caregivers interpreting infant behaviors as communicative?
perlocutionary stage
During MLU analysis, a clinician notes frequent omissions of third person /s/ and verb arguments. What additional analysis is most appropriate?
Grammatical error analysis and syntactic complexity evaluation.
What prevention level focuses on stopping disorders before they occur?
primary prevention
Name biological risk factors for a language disorder.
Prematurity, genetic syndromes, neurological disorders.
A student uses advanced vocabulary but struggles to maintain topics and interpret social cues. Why is labeling this solely a “vocabulary deficit” clinically inaccurate?
because pragmatic language use is impaired despite intact semantic knowledge.
A child points and vocalizes to request a toy but does not use words yet. What stage are they in?
Illocutionary stage
A preschooler’s MLU increases after intervention, but spontaneous communication remains limited. What does this suggest about treatment outcomes?
Gains in structure occurred, but functional language and generalization may be lacking.
Newborn hearing screening is an example of which prevention level?
Secondary prevention
Name environmental risk factors that may impact language development.
A child produces grammatically complete sentences but frequently misinterprets figurative language and struggles with conversational turn-taking. Which domains are impaired, and why might this profile be missed on standardized testing?
Content and use are impaired; standardized tests often emphasize form (syntax) over pragmatics and semantics.
A toddler says “Mommy sock.” What type of semantic relation is this?
possessor-possession
A clinician notes that a preschooler’s MLU increases during structured elicitation but decreases during spontaneous play. What does this discrepancy most likely indicate?
The child can perform language forms with support but lacks spontaneous generalization
Providing speech therapy services to a child with an established language disorder is what prevention level?
Tertiary prevention
A minimally verbal child with ASD uses echolalia. What is the most appropriate clinical response?
Shape echolalia into functional communication rather than eliminating it.
A child has limited vocabulary, which results in short sentences. What does this demonstrate about language domains?
Language domains are interdependent, weak content (semantics) can limit form (syntax).
A child does not show joint attention or intentional communication. What should be the primary intervention focus?
Building intentional communication and joint attention before targeting words.
Two children show identical MLUs, but only one demonstrates grammatical accuracy. What does this illustrate about quantitative versus qualitative language measures?
MLU captures length but not linguistic accuracy or functional communication skills.
A preschool implements universal classroom language supports for all students. What RTI tier is this?
Tier I
A toddler with minimal verbal output also lacks symbolic play and joint attention. Why does this raise concern for neurodevelopmental disorder rather than isolated language delay?
combined deficits in social communication and symbolic play suggest broader developmental involvement.
During assessment, a child understands directions but cannot express ideas clearly. How would you describe this language profile?
Strong receptive language with an expressive language impairment
A 2-year-old uses gestures but no consistent words. What developmental level are they functioning at, and what therapy approach is most appropriate?
Prelinguistic/emerging level; child-centered, naturalistic intervention.
Why is language sampling essential for differential diagnosis even when standardized scores appear within normal limits?
Natural language samples reveal pragmatic, grammatical, and discourse deficits missed by formal testing.
A child receives individualized intensive therapy after failing to respond to Tier II supports. What RTI tier is this, and why is it appropriate?
Tier III; the child requires individualized intervention d/t persistent needs
A 36-month-old bilingual child (Spanish/English) is referred due to limited expressive language. Case history reveals premature birth at 32 weeks and a NICU stay of 4 weeks. Caregivers report the child uses approximately 15 single words across both languages, primarily labels, with minimal word combinations. During observation, the child demonstrates inconsistent joint attention, limited symbolic play, and frequent echolalic repetitions of adult phrases. Receptive language appears stronger than expressive skills, but the child shows difficulty following novel directions without gesture support. Parents report limited peer interaction and repetitive play behaviors.
Which interpretation best explains this profile?
The child presents with multiple biological risk factors and social-communication deficits suggesting a neurodevelopmental disorder, rather than isolated langauge delay or a bilingual difference.