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Semantic-Pragmatic Disorder or
Developmental Language Disorder
Semantic Pragmatic Disorder is a developmental disorder closely linked to autism and Asperger's by many health professionals. As the name implies, people with SPD have difficulty understanding the semantics of language (the meaning of what is being said) or the pragmatics of language (using language in the appropriate way).
It is widely believed that those with SPD are almost always autistic, but since most are verbal and have normal IQ's, they are considered high functioning autistic. This makes the disorder very similar to Asperger's Syndrome, and some feel that SPD and Asperger's are the same. However, many note that those with SPD have better social functioning skills than those with Asperger's, and often more impairment in the use of language.
Children with SPD display symptoms including: delayed language, repeating phrases heard over and over, often in inappropriate context, confuse pronouns like "I" and "you", have difficulty in following and understanding stories, and difficulty extracting the main point of a story. Characteristics similar to autism include lack of eye contact, sensory and eating issues, deep interest in a few topics, and muscle/coordination problems. They are often strong in areas like math and science.
Treatment for SPD typically involves speech and language therapy.