A 3-year-old child learned English first and is now being taught Spanish. The child demonstrates age-appropriate skills in English but significant difficulty in Spanish. Which statement best describes the child's language status?

• A. Expressive language disorder in both languages
• B. Receptive language disorder due to delayed Spanish
• C. Bilingual language disorder requiring immediate intervention
• D. This child does not present with a language disorder

Answer: (D)

In bilingual development, uneven skills across languages are common and usually reflect differences in exposure and practice rather than a disorder. This child has age-appropriate English, indicating no problem in that language, while Spanish is still being learned and shows lower proficiency due to less exposure. A true language disorder would show persistent problems across both languages or deficits that aren’t explained by how much the child has been exposed to each language. So this pattern fits typical bilingual development, not a disorder. To support progress, continue meaningful Spanish exposure and monitor improvement over time in both languages.