[Communication interventions: windows of opportunity]

An understanding of how verbal and non verbal language develops and how it is related to social behavior is essential in order to devise effective interventions for children with disorders of communication. We review the literature on interventions for children with communication disorders from the perspective of the clinical neurologist emphasizing both therapeutic and pharmacological interventions.

Our knowledge on effective interventions in children with disorders of communications is limited due to the heterogeneity of the population and the lack of well controlled studies. There is some limited data suggesting that therapeutic interventions for children with language impairments are most effective if all forms of communication are emphasized. Interventions should be adapted to the age of presentation and associated clinical findings of the child.

A multimodal intervention approach is essential to maximize the potential of children with communication disorders. The role of medication in interventions for children with disorders of communication is limited to the treatment of associated symptoms that may interfere with the ability of a child to receive non pharmacological therapeutic interventions.