Language

Receptive Language

Receptive language, also called auditory comprehension, refers to the process of perceiving language and assigning meaning to it. A receptive language or auditory comprehension impairment may include difficulty with the following skills:

• Following directions 

• Basic concepts 

• Understanding of grammar 

• Receptive vocabulary 

• Comprehension of questions (yes/no, who/what/where/when/why/how) 

• Semantic relationships(relationship between words) 

• Understanding of figurative language 

Suggestions for Facilitating Language:

1. Reading books with your child has many language building opportunities. Some examples include:

   • Talking about character feelings and traits

   • Encouraging predicting (e.g., “What do you think will happen next?”) 

   • Asking wh- questions, both literal and inferential 

   • Talking about vocabulary 

2. Encourage social problem solving in everyday situations. Ask your child “What do you think you should do?” 

3. Verbalize your thought process with statements such as “I wonder..” 

4. Model structurally correct language. If your child says something incorrectly, model the correct production. 

5. Have your child follow directions around the home. Increase the complexity by adding more steps or embedding concepts in the direction (e.g., under, on, in front). Allow your child time to process the direction before repeating or rephrasing it. 

6. Focus on the meaning of your child’s message rather than focusing on any errors that it may contain.