Cause

While no one knows exactly what causes LKS, all children with the syndrome have brain wave abnormalities that can be measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG). About 80 percent of the children with LKS have epileptic seizures related to abnormal brain waves as well.

Time Frame

According to Medicine Net, children typically develop Landau-Kleffner Syndrome between the ages of three and seven years.

Early Signs

When a child first develops LKS, her parents may notice that she's having difficulty understanding what they say to her. This sign, known as auditory agnosia, can be misinterpreted as a hearing impairment, deafness, autism, or another developmental delay.

Potential

Landau-Kleffner Syndrome typically progresses to affect the child's ability to speak; some children experience mutism, or complete inability to speak.

Outcomes

By the age of 15 years, teens with LKS generally have normal brain waves on EEG, and most children outgrow their seizures. While some people with LKS outgrow their language disorder, many adults continue to have communication difficulties that range from trouble following simple commands to total mutism.

Source:

Medicine Net: Landau-Kleffner Syndrome

More Information:

Children's Hospital Boston: Landau-Kleffner Syndrome