Difficulty understanding language that is spoken or written by others; problems relating speech and words to meaning.
| Symptoms | Strategies |
|---|---|
| Delayed speech development, vocabulary problems — difficulty attaching meaning to words. | – Use simple language. – Tape record resource material; can rewind if necessary. – Build vocabulary. |
| Has trouble understanding figurative language, seeing different shades of meaning: i.e., “go fly a kite,” “six of one, half a dozen of the other.” Takes literally. | – Begin with simple, more concrete words; build to more abstract. – Provide hands-on activities. – Make use of facial expressions, body language or dramatics to illustrate. |
| Slow to respond to verbal stimuli — takes extra time to process, repeats directions to himself/herself. | – Needs extra time; just wait. – Give short, simple directions whenever possible. – Provide auditory highlights – song and rhythm. – Break into pieces, step by step. – Provide visual clues, use a highlighter. |
| Has difficulty understanding cause and effect; may have social problems because he/she fails to understand the rules of the game. | – Give simple examples, like, “If you shove, Johnny, he will… ” (the effect) – Take specific situation and discuss each choice. – Use concrete examples from different subject areas. – Have student keep a log or journal of choices and consequences with dates |
| Difficulty in problem-solving ability or ability to use strategies. is often at teacher’s desk for help. | – Give examples of different ways questions can be worded. – Teach student to look for answers to who, what, when, where, how questions. – Ask, “What would you do if…?” questions. – Provide brief overview and summary of lesson. – Reinforce independent work. – Reinforce listening skills. – Teach comprehension of directions. |