S&L delay: learning knew words but also losing acquired words. normal?

[chocjunkie]

does anybody know if this is normal?

DD (3) with S&L delay has about 150-200 words but little linking. she is learning new words but we noticed that she also stops saying words she clearly had acquired and used quite regularly. so while her vocabulary on the whole is expanding, she nevertheless keeps losing words. is it something to be concerned about?

I think little linking of words at 3 is a potential concern (though may self resolve) . Can you ask HV/GP how to get an assessment ?

we saw the salt - on waiting list for group therapy and we have been referred to dev paed (there are also some asd concerns)... but wondered about the word-losing nevertheless.

Hi Chocjunkie. If I remember right, your DD doesn't have a DX of ASD, does she? It is known that DC with ASD can lose words they have aquired in a sort of regression, but I wouldn't know if that is the case with your DD. I'd certainly ask your SALT about it. Do you keep a list of words she uses? Children can repeat words straight after hearing them sometimes but not actually add them to their list of expressive language immediately unless they hear them often. It can take quite a while for DC to transfer their receptive language (what they understand) to their expressive language (what they say).

I'm sure someone with more SALT experience will have some better advice for you.

How lost are they ? Loss of receptive understanding of a word might suggest there is a potential problem (though no one could really say until proper assessment done)

Yes, as willow said, is she just not using these words she has lost, or does she no longer understand them?

yes ellen, no dx yet (apart from receptive/expressive delay). still waiting for the appointment with dev paed to come through. at present asd is only a concern.

she isn't losing loads of words and one the whole, language is improving (e.g. little linking started only recently) but we noticed that she stops saying words which she used to really use...

she still understands them but isn't using them anymore.

I really don't know, Choc. You need a SALT or someone more experienced.

thanks anyways :) will check with SALT on next appointment.

Not really my area od knowledge, but i put together an "Autism and Regressio" research paper collection ad favour for a Speech and Language Pathologist, and is listed in my Invisible Disabilities PubMed research paper collections web page.
Hopefully you may find some useful information

thanks - will have a look!

Think my ds wld lose words at that age, his lang development was v disordered, he had a similar level of language at three to what you describe. So i wld say its not normal, but ime can be part of the language delay.

Wld strongly recommend a hanen book, you make the difference or it takes two to talk they have lots of practical ideas to help you help your child communicate.

Also does your child mainly know nouns, if so, try working on some simple verbs to help build up combinations.

have the hanen book already. they are great!

she know many nouns but also a number of verbs but does not use them in combination. E.g. when we see a crying baby somewhere she will always remark "cries" but would never say "baby cries" (she can "baby")...

TC - did your DS outgrow his s&l delay? I sometimes feel DD will never talk properly :(

My ds has mostly outgrown the language delay, sometimes has difficulties expressing himself and is socially immature but has made a lot of progress over the last four years and was discharged from salt about eighteen months ago as testing in normal range. He had asd traits but not enough for a diagnosis at four, possibly when he is in juniors he will find school harder and end up with a diagnosis.

My son had this and our paed thinks it could be a sign of a metabolic disorder which we're about to test for. Maybe ask your gp for referral?

we have a referral to the dev paed...

never come across a metabolic disorder for s&l delay. interesting. will ask the paed when we see him.

Our paed said it was more to do with the loss of previously acquired skills. But that it could also refer to language.
Good luck!
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