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Expressive language disorder - developmental - Overview

Alternative Names

Language disorder - expressive

Definition of Expressive language disorder - developmental:

Developmental expressive language disorder is a disorder in which a child has lower-than-normal proficiency in vocabulary, the production of complex sentences, and recall of words.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Approximately 3 - 10% of all school-age children have expressive language disorder. The causes of this disorder may vary, or may be unknown. Cerebral damage and malnutrition may cause some cases -- perhaps in combination with genetic factors.

  • Reviewed last on: 6/13/2006
  • Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.