“He never listens.”
“She just ignores instructions.”
“My son always looks blank when I tell him what to do.”
These are comments we often hear from concerned parents or teachers. But what if these children aren’t being difficult — what if they’re just not understanding what’s being said?
🧠 What the Research Says
Language comprehension (or receptive language) is the ability to understand what others say. It involves more than just recognising words — children need to process sentence structure, concepts, and context.
According to Bishop et al. (2017), many children with language comprehension difficulties are mistakenly labelled as inattentive, stubborn, or defiant, especially in early childhood settings. These children may appear disinterested or “zoned out,” but in reality, they may simply be lost in a sea of words they don’t fully understand.
🚩 Common Signs of Language Comprehension Difficulties
- Doesn’t follow instructions unless they’re repeated or simplified
- Has trouble understanding time words (“before,” “after”), location words (“under,” “between”)
- Rarely asks clarifying questions
- Frequently guesses when responding to questions
- Appears to “switch off” during conversations or group activities
- May have behaviour issues due to frustration or feeling “lost”
🔄 Real-World Example
A parent shared with us:
“We used to think our 4-year-old was naughty. She’d ignore simple instructions like ‘Put your shoes by the door’. We’d get frustrated. But after a language screen, we realised she just wasn’t processing multi-step directions.”
🧠 Why It’s Often Missed
Unlike speech (which is visible and audible), comprehension difficulties are invisible. A child may speak fluently but still struggle to understand what’s being said. They may nod, smile, or say “okay” — giving the illusion of understanding.
Teachers and parents might assume the child is not paying attention, when in fact, they simply didn’t catch the meaning.
💡 What Parents Can Do
- Use short, clear sentences
- Check for understanding
- Use visuals and gestures
- Give time to process
- Model language in context
📌 When to Seek Support
If your child is:
- Consistently not following instructions
- Showing frustration when asked to do things
- Struggling in preschool or early primary school group activities
- Unable to answer basic “who, what, where” questions
A speech pathologist can conduct a comprehension assessment, which includes both verbal and non-verbal tasks, to identify where the difficulties lie and create strategies to support the child at home and in learning environments.
🇦🇺 Australian Perspective: Local Research Confirms the Impact
Closer to home, researchers from Macquarie University’s Centre for Language Sciences have found that children with undiagnosed receptive language difficulties in their early years often show increased challenges in literacy, attention, and classroom participation as they move into primary school.
Their 2020 longitudinal study followed over 200 children in NSW and concluded that:
“Children who experience persistent difficulties in understanding spoken language are significantly more likely to struggle with reading comprehension by Year 2.”
(Macquarie Language Sciences Group, 2020)
Importantly, the study also emphasised that many of these children were not identified until after starting school, despite parents reporting concerns earlier.
This highlights the critical need for early language screening before formal schooling begins, especially when children seem quiet, passive, or “tune out” in group settings.
🧩 Final Thought
Some children aren’t being uncooperative — they’re trying their best in a world that doesn’t always make sense to them. By understanding the signs of receptive language difficulties, families can replace frustration with support and help children thrive through clarity and connection.
📞 Concerned your child may not be understanding language as expected?
SPOT Allied Health provides early screening and personalised support across Sydney. Reach out for a free discovery call or language screen today.
REF:
Bishop, D. V. M., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., Greenhalgh, T., & CATALISE Consortium. (2017). CATALISE: A multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study. Identifying language impairments in children. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 52(3), 265–274. https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12284
