Diagnostic and management considerations of acquired epileptic aphasia or Landau-Kleffner syndrome

A small number of children have been identified as having an interruption in their communicative progress known as Landau-Kleffner syndrome, acquired epileptic aphasia, or aphasia with convulsive disorder. Although presenting symptoms have differed among the cases reported, a progressive or acute language loss and inattentiveness to auditory stimuli are the most common manifestations. Typically, these children begin developing language normally and then, for no apparent reason, language progress is disrupted. This disruption is accompanied by the onset of seizure activity and/or abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) findings. While this disorder appears to be relatively uncommon, its frequency is questionable due to its unfamiliarity among the audiology and otology communities and, thus, it is subject to the likelihood of misdiagnosis. A case of acquired epileptic aphasia is described herein. A team diagnostic and management approach, which can include audiology, otology, psychology, neurology, and speech-language pathology is recommended for such cases. Earlier identification of this debilitating disorder is needed in order to secure appropriate intervention and reestablish communication systems for these children.