For many children with language related learning disabilities, this lack of comprehension is common. Communication is the framework for all human interaction, and language is the tool that enables it to work. Language is described as a code whereby ideas about the world are represented through a conventional system or arbitrary symbols used for communication. These symbols, which can be auditory, visual, and kinesthetic, allow the child entry into social and academic cultures. The degree to which the child develops language depends on the amount of success the child achieves in both of the above cultures.
Spoken language is the earliest tool that children use to enter the social culture.
The child must learn the sounds, words, and word sequences of his or her language in order for communication to occur. In addition, the child must master the rhythm, intonation, and the pauses that define the beginnings and endings of word groupings. Much of this mastery takes place prior to the commencement of formal schooling. When the child enters school, spoken language continues to be the tool for social communication, but now the emphasis is placed on the use of language for academic learning. After this transition to school, academic problems may begin to suggest the presence of a learning disability.