Receptive Language Disorder: Why Can’t I Understand What People Say?

Ability Central answers the top questions about receptive language disorder, including what it is, the associated symptoms, and how it is treated.

By Ability Central

12 February, 2024

Middle school students in red school uniforms work on a class assignment while one blonde girl sits confused, not understanding the instructions

There are multiple forms of communication and speech disorders, and they can become confusing. This article will dive into what receptive language disorder is and how it differs from other diagnoses. It will address the following questions.

  • What is receptive language disorder?
  • What is the difference between developmental RLD and acquired RLD?
  • What are the early signs and symptoms of receptive language disorder?
  • What does RLD look like in adults?
  • Is RLD a communication, speech, or language disorder?
  • What is the difference between receptive language disorder and aphasia?
  • What impact does RLD have on communication and social skills? 
  • What treatments are available for RLD?
  • Where can I find help for receptive language disorder? 

 

What is receptive language disorder?

Receptive language disorder (RLD) is a communication disorder that affects how people receive and process spoken and written language. It is also referred to as receptive language processing disorder. People with this disorder struggle to understand words and connect them with ideas. 

Affecting both children and adults, RLD impacts receptive language tools like:

  • Understanding spoken information, like instructions.
  • Following spoken narratives, like a movie plot or a story.
  • Recognizing your own name. 

 

What is the difference between developmental RLD and acquired RLD?

Like expressive language disorder (ELD), RLD is more commonly seen in children than adults. 

The two types of RLD are:

  • Developmental RLD. Children with RLD show significant delays in language development, which can play a major role in social and academic success. Kids with RLD have major difficulties understanding what others say, no matter the context. The cause of developmental RLD is often unknown, though it may have something to do with genetics or other intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD). 

  • Acquired RLD. When someone with RLD develops symptoms later in life, this is called acquired RLD. Generally, acquired language disorders come from injuries or illnesses that damage the brain’s language centers. Medical conditions that can cause acquired RLD include: 

 

What are the early signs and symptoms of receptive language disorder?

Children with a receptive language deficit have trouble:

  • Understanding questions.
  • Knowing what a parent wants them to do.
  • Learning how to respond appropriately.
  • Waiting their turn to speak.
  • Paying attention to someone speaking.

Once kids start school, RLD symptoms may become more apparent. These include difficulty with:

  • Making friends.
  • Taking turns speaking in conversations or lessons.
  • Understanding language concepts like plurals and verb tenses.
  • Learning age-appropriate vocabulary.
  • Identifying objects and pictures.
  • Waiting to see what other students do before they act, even though they seemed to pay attention to directions.

 

What does RLD look like in adults?

An adult with receptive language disorder may:

  • Seem disinterested in social situations or conversations.
  • Misunderstand what someone asks.
  • Respond with something that doesn’t make sense for the conversation. 
  • Act inappropriately due to not understanding social cues.
  • Not understand jokes.
  • Take expressions or sarcasm too literally.

In the workplace, someone with RLD might also:

  • Struggle to focus in a loud room.
  • Have difficulty keeping up during meetings.
  • Be confused by multi-step verbal instructions.
  • Seem shy or withdrawn in group settings.

 

Is RLD a communication, speech, or language disorder?

Communication disorders are neurodevelopmental conditions involving persistent language and speech problems, like stuttering or social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Speech disorders and language disorders are two different kinds of communication disorders. RLD is a language disorder. 

Speech disorders affect verbal communication, or what someone says. These disorders include:

Meanwhile, language disorders affect what people understand and how they communicate information, not just through speech. Language disorders include:

  • Expressive language disorder (ELD). Someone with ELD struggles to express themselves.
  • Receptive language disorder (RLD). A person with RLD has difficulty understanding the meaning of what others say.
  • Mixed receptive-expressive language disorder (MRELD). Someone with MRELD shows symptoms of both ELD and RLD. 

 

What is the difference between receptive language disorder and aphasia?

Aphasia is an acquired language disorder caused by something like severe illness or brain injury. Damage to the brain’s language centers can make someone lose language skills they’ve had all their life. Aphasia can affect both expressive and receptive language. 

RLD and aphasia are not the same thing. Rather, aphasia can be a cause of acquired RLD in adults. There are four types of aphasia:

  • Broca’s aphasia (non-fluent or expressive aphasia). Someone with Broca’s aphasia finds it extremely difficult to find and say the right words, even though they usually know what they want to say.
  • Wernicke’s aphasia (fluent or receptive aphasia). Someone with Wernicke’s aphasia can speak well and use long sentences, but their words often don’t make sense.
  • Anomic aphasia. Someone with anomic aphasia struggles to find precise words, particularly important nouns and verbs, often relying on vague expressions instead.
  • Primary progressive aphasia (PPA). PPA is the only type of degenerative aphasia, meaning its symptoms get worse over time. Someone with PPA gradually loses the ability to write, read, and speak, as well as the ability to understand what other people say.

All four types of aphasia can cause RLD, but RLD is most commonly attached to Wernicke’s aphasia or PPA. Broca’s aphasia and anomic aphasia tend to impact expressive language skills first but can also play a role in the loss of receptive language skills.

 

What impact does RLD have on communication and social skills? 

One of the most common RLD symptoms for both children and adults is appearing withdrawn or shy. Not understanding what people say to you can make it difficult to participate in conversations, make friends, or get along with coworkers. 

Some people with RLD misinterpret friendly conversation as insulting or strange, and their reactions may not make sense to people around them. They may respond to questions inappropriately or feel embarrassed when they realize they’ve misunderstood. RLD symptoms can also take a toll on self-esteem or lead to feelings of inadequacy, isolation, or loneliness. 

To that end, it’s important to offer social and mental support to people with RLD. Accessibility features and apps on mobile devices can also be a great help for encouraging communication.

 

What treatments are available for RLD?

A speech pathologist can evaluate and diagnose receptive language disorder. Treatment is tailored to each person’s needs. It often includes speech therapy and the use of technology, including apps for your mobile device. To find a cell phone that meets the specific needs of receptive language disorder, see Ability Central’s searchable list of devices.

 

Where can I find help for receptive language disorder? 

Ability Central offers a constantly expanding library of articles about disabilities and a database of nonprofits specializing in conditions like receptive language disorder.

To learn more about language and speech disorders, see:

Article Type:
Learning