Go get a speech eval. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. By 4, he should be able to understand that slightly more complicated example and execute correctly.
If he cannot understand spoken speech, it makes perfect sense that he'd struggle to learn from it.
I have found that there are places that will get you in for the initial evaluation very quickly, and others that give the same evaluation have a mile-long list. With a 4 year old, you don't want to wait 6 months. Get a referral, and also get on the phone. These are standardized tests that are relatively easy to administer, and I don't worry about how giftedness affect the interpretation of the results.
Agreed... 100%. Don't wait. There are things you can do as a parent that are as simple as modifying the way you speak to him (make sure he's looking at you, speak v-e-r-y c-l-e-a-r-l-y, etc). With my DS I researched CAPD and treated him like he had it, and it's made a big difference. It's not about his ears, it's about his brain being able to take in language and develop linguistically.
