Children with DAS can exhibit characteristics ranging in severity from mild to severe. Generally, the more severe the DAS, the more characteristics exhibited. Some of the most common characteristics that have been reported in the literature follow. Speech Characteristics 1. The longer the word, phrase, or sentence, the more speech errors the child makes.
Child has significant difficulty imitating words and phrases.
Child makes slow progress in speech therapy. Nonspeech Characteristics 1. Child's understanding of language is better than the child's expression of ideas. DAS occurs in boys more often than in girls. The following lists our proposed core of the most important features of DAS, compiled from the characteristics previously discussed.