Receptive & Expressive Language Delay

Ok, I admit it…sometimes SLPs use industry terms that aren’t the easiest to understand! And hey, we’re in the business of communicating clearly and effectively!

Here are 2 key terms you might have already come across in your speech therapy journey; will come across when you begin therapy; or have come across on your own when tracking your child’s language development. 

So what do these terms really mean?

RECEPTIVE LANGUAGE refers to the ability to recognize and understand language. This encompasses skills such as recognizing words (nouns, action words, prepositions, pronouns), responding to requests (‘look at mommy’!), following multi-step directions (‘go get your shoes and put them by the stairs!’), answering who, what, where, when & why questions, and making inferences (‘what do you think will happen next in the story?’). 

EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE refers to using words, gestures, sign language, or assistive devices (such as an iPad, speech generating device, or picture board) to express thoughts, wants, needs, and feelings. 

The word ‘DELAY’ after these words refers to the notion that your child might not be keeping up with their developmental norms. For example, a toddler should be using 200-300 words by age 2 – if they are using less than this number, they might need a speech-language assessment to evaluate whether a receptive or expressive language is present. 

It’s so important for speech pathologists and families to be on the same page when it comes to understanding what’s going on with a child’s communication development so that the path to success is clear!