Know the Signs • Language Disorders • Most infants or toddlers can understand what you’re saying well before they can clearly talk. As they get older and their communication skills develop, most children learn how to put their feelings into words. But some children have language disorders. They may have: Receptive language disorder. A child has trouble understanding words that he or she hears and reads. Expressive language disorder. A child has trouble speaking with others and expressing thoughts and feelings. A child will often have both disorders at the same time. Such disorders are often diagnosed in children between the ages of 3 and 5.