Language is the foundation of our existence as Social Beings.

Without Language we cannot communicate our wants and needs, we cannot connect with those around us and we cannot express our ideas and intellect. Sometimes language does not develop as one might expect.....

Language Disorders affect how we communicate and process language and can lead to numerous difficulties throughout life if not treated. Not only will a child be affected academically but social isolation will also occur as children are excluded from conversation due to their difficulty in understanding and responding appropriately. There are 3 types of Language Disorders: Expressive language disorder: children have trouble getting their message across when they talk. They struggle to put words together into sentences that make sense. Receptive language disorders: children struggle to get the meaning of what others are saying and may therefore respond in ways that don't make sense. Mixed expressive and receptive disorder occurs when children struggle with both of these aspects of language. Language disorders are often developmental in nature in that they start in early childhood and continue into adulthood, however injuries to the brain can also result in language disorders. It is important to note that language disorders are NOT associated with intelligence. People with language disorders are as smart as others, they just struggle with certain skills. In early childhood one may notice that a child is late to start talking or that they may use very few words, which would point to an expressive language disorder. Others may have difficulty following instructions or respond off-topic when spoken to, which would point to a receptive language disorder. So what can we do? It is important to first have a hearing assessment done to rule this out as a cause. QEEG analysis can then be done to identify areas of dysregulation within the EEG which may be causing language related difficulties. One would expect to see left sided dysregulation within the EEG. Expressive language disorders would show up in the left frontal area where speech production and articulation are controlled in Broca's area. Receptive language disorders would show up in the left posterior area where language comprehension is controlled by Wernicke's area. Speech production is also a function of motor planning as the muscles in the mouth need to form words, therefore dysregulation over the motor strip may also be present. Neurofeedback can then be used to regulate these areas and resolve language disorders!