Thanks for posting the link blue - I don't have time to read through all of it now, but it looks like a wonderful resource. I did have time to read through the list of signs... and fwiw... my ds fit many of them! Including my all-time *not* favorite symptom: "Writing assignments create parental stress". That was a HUGE symptom here in my house lol!
I noticed one of the "signs" is Mom has a tenancy to "talk" for that child. I used to do this for both my children, and it was brought to my notice that this is not helpful.
I used to have to do this for ds all the time - still do in some situations. I wouldn't say it's "not helpful", but rather, it's not what other adults expect - there's an expectation that a child will speak up for himself or answer a question when it's directed at him/her. When a child won't answer, adults tend to assume the child is either shy or not interested or being rude or being a child or whatever, when for a child with an expressive language disorder what it really means is they have no idea what to say or how to respond. In that instance - when you are speaking for a child who doesn't know what to say and can't know in the moment because they have a genuine for-real challenge - I think it's actually helpful to speak up for them - it is in one sense an accommodation - just as letting a dysgraphic child type or letting a dyslexic child listen to audio textbooks - to bypass the challenge to accomplish the task. More importantly, every time you speak up for your ds you are showing him how to answer a question with words - and that's a huge part of what a child with an expressive language challenge needs to learn - how to answer with their words. Or at least it has been for my ds.
Best wishes,
polarbear
