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Misdiagnosed, a 5-year-old boy stopped talking. The culprit: a rare treatable brain disorder, shares neurologist
ET Online | March 3, 2026 9:19 PM CST

Synopsis

A five-year-old boy, Rishi, who lost his ability to speak and respond, was diagnosed with Landau-Kleffner syndrome. This rare neurological disorder, identified by Dr. Sudhir Kumar, caused him to appear deaf despite normal hearing. Prompt treatment with anti-seizure medication led to a remarkable recovery, restoring his speech and communication within months.

Unlike traditional hearing loss, LKS disrupts how the brain processes sound, often without obvious seizures. (Istock- Representative image)
Rishi, a bright and playful five-year-old, seemed like any other child, but his parents faced a worrying mystery. Around age three, he stopped responding to his name, ignored instructions, and gradually ceased speaking. Despite normal hearing tests, doctors initially labeled him as deaf and mute. His parents’ concern grew as the silence deepened, leaving them confused and heartbroken, until a CMC Vellore-trained neurologist, Dr Sudhir Kumar from Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad, identified a rare but treatable neurological disorder.

Diagnosis

Careful evaluation revealed a subtle pattern: Rishi had developed normally early on, speaking and responding appropriately, before suddenly losing language comprehension, followed by speech. Recognising this unusual trajectory, Dr Kumar recommended a sleep EEG, which showed epileptiform discharges in the temporal regions, characteristic of Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS). Unlike traditional hearing loss, LKS disrupts how the brain processes sound, often without obvious seizures, causing children to appear deaf despite normal ear function.

The results?

Once diagnosed, Rishi began anti-seizure medication to suppress abnormal brain activity. Within three months, he started responding to voices and attempting words. By six months, he was speaking normally, playing, and conversing again. The transformation brought immense relief and joy to his family, replacing months of silence with laughter.



Landau-Kleffner syndrome is rare, and delayed diagnosis can lead to persistent language deficits. Early recognition and treatment are crucial, highlighting how careful observation, pattern recognition, and timely intervention can change the course of a child’s development. Dr Sudhir Kumar emphasises that while the disorder may mimic deafness, proper care can restore communication and drastically improve outcomes.

What do studies say about Landau-Kleffner syndrome?

According to the National Library of Medicine, Landau-Kleffner syndrome is a rare, age-related epileptic encephalopathy that primarily affects a child’s language development. It is marked by a noticeable regression in speech and comprehension, along with characteristic electroencephalogram abnormalities that are usually concentrated around the temporoparietal regions of the brain. When seizures occur, they often present as absence seizures or tonic-clonic episodes and tend to happen more frequently during sleep. Behavioural disturbances can also be part of the condition.

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