Receptive Language

When should I choose this Area of Focus for my Gabadoo?

Receptive language refers to our ability to understand words, phrases, spoken language and written language.

If your child is having difficulty with understanding what is being said by others and therefore can't respond appropriately, this can impact on their social skills and behaviour. Your child may appear distracted or disorganised as they may have difficulty following instructions. They may ask you to repeat what you or others say frequently. They may not respond appropriately to questions or misunderstand what is being asked of them. They may also appear withdrawn or shy in interactions as they may not understand what is being said.

It's important to rule out any hearing issues prior to completing a Gabadoo if you have any concerns in relation to this.

Our Gabadoo Team are experienced at working with children and families to support the development of receptive language skills. Get individualised strategies and support today through a Gaba Plan.

Important to Note:

There is a separate 'Area of Focus' for auditory processing which you can learn more about here. If this is more appropriate for your child, you should select auditory processing when completing your Gabadoo.

Attention is a very important pre-verbal skill and there is a separate 'Area of Focus' for auditory memory which you can learn more about here. If this is more appropriate for your child, you should select auditory memory when completing your Gabadoo.

What information do I need to include in my Gabadoo?

As our Gabadoo Team have never met your family before and know nothing about your child, they can only provide strategies based on the information you provide so be very detailed!

After you have filled in the relevant information in your Gabadoo, go through this checklist to make sure you have included the following:

Family & Home Life:

Description of your family & the structure of your family including siblings, pets or any extended family who are living in your home. Also include if anyone else in the household has identified difficulties with their speech or language.

Your daily routine including school hours, child-care, free-time in evenings and weekends.

Strengths and Interests:

What does your child like to do?

What games, toys, T.V. programs, characters do they like?

What type of activities do they enjoy?

What daily activities do they enjoy doing with a parent or family member? e.g. cooking, baking, jobs, walking the dog.

Do they respond to praise from adults?

Do they enjoy playing with other children?

Additional Information:

What class is your child in at school?

What type of schooling do they receive? i.e. homeschooling, mainstream N.S., gaelscoil, preschool, ASD class, Special School.

Have you seen any professionals in the past in relation to their language skills? Or has your child ever had a medical review in relation to their hearing or receptive language? If so, what was the outcome?

How does your child currently communicate? E.g. speech, Lamh, PECS, AAC

Make sure to include:

What have you tried before to work on this skill e.g. interventions, specific programmes, courses, books such as More Than Words.

Include a list of toys or books that you already have at home that your child likes to engage with so our team can use what you already have at home.

Detailed observations of what level your child is at with their receptive language. If you are unsure, below are some probing questions that you can reflect on. Some of the questions may not be appropriate due to your child's age so only include what is relevant.

Follow one-step commands e.g. "put your shoes on" or two step commands.
Point or get objects when you say them.
How many body parts can they point to on self.
Identify objects in a picture or in a book.
Respond to name and/or can respond to 'where', 'when' and 'what' questions.
Respond and understand “no”
Understands prepositions like under, over, behind etc.

Detail observations of how your child's receptive language difficulties is impacting on them day to day.

Very Important: What would you you like to gain from this Gabadoo? What are some of your goals? E.g. I would like to get strategies to support my child's ability to..

Next include videos and images of your child and their environment:

A variety of video-clips where you or another family member is talking to your child, giving them unfamiliar commands, multi-step instructions or single step commands (dependent on developmental age).

Remember: The more information you give our team, the more individualised and relevant your plan will be. Videos are vital when reviewing a child's receptive language.

What support will I receive for my child?

Your information will be reviewed by one of our Gabadoo Experts who is experienced in the area of language development. They will detail individualised strategies, activities, next steps and helpful organisations and products that you can use at home to support your child.