Language Disability
Language Disabilities: There are two types of oral language, spontaneous language (we initiate a conversation) and demand language (someone asks a question). With spontaneous language one can organize thoughts and find the words before their spoken; with demand language one does all this as one speaks. Some children have a demand language disability. What is confusing is that when he or she speaks (spontaneous language) it sounds normal. When the same child is asked a question then they may talk aimlessly or have trouble finding the right words. If you have a child in class who seems to speak up when he or she wants to but refuses to answer any questions you ask, it is possible that he or she is not misbehaving but might have a demand language disability.
Two forms of language are used in communication, spontaneous language and demand language. You use spontaneous language in situations where you initiate whatever is said. Here you have the luxury of picking the subject and taking some time to organize your thoughts and to find the correct words before you say anything. In a demand language situation, someone else sets up a circumstance in which you must communicate. A question is put to you, for example. Now you have no time to organize your thoughts or find the right words; you have only a split second in which you must simultaneously organize, find words, and answer more or less appropriately.
Children with a specific language disability usually have no difficulty with spontaneous language. They do, however, often have problems with demand language. The inconsistency can be quite striking. A youngster may initiate all sorts of conversation, may never keep quiet, in fact, and may sound quite normal. But put into a situation that demands a response, the same child might answer "Huh?" or "What?" or "I don't know." Or the child may ask you to repeat the question to gain time, or not answer at all. If the child is forced to answer, the response may be so confusing or so circumstantial that it is difficult to follow. She or he may sound totally unlike the child who was speaking so fluently just a minute ago. This inconsistency or confusion in language behavior often puzzles parents and teachers. A teacher might put a child down as lazy or negative because he or she does well when volunteering to speak or answer a question, but won't answer or says "I don't know" when called on. The explanation could lie in the child's inability to handle demand language, but contradictory behavior like this makes sense only if you know about the disability.
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