Developmental Language Disorder
Friday 20th October 2023 is ‘DLD day’ which is a worldwide campaign to raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) so we wanted to use this blog to explain all about DLD.
What is DLD?
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is a relatively new term (2017) for a condition we have known about for hundreds of years. It is used to describe a condition where children have difficulties with talking and/or understanding what other people say. There is no obvious reason for these difficulties; for example the child doesn’t have a hearing impairment, Autism, or a syndrome / condition (e.g. Downs Syndrome / Cerebral Palsy). A child can be diagnosed as having DLD if their language difficulties are likely to persist into adulthood and they have a significant impact on progress at school or on everyday life.
How common is DLD?
DLD is a very common condition affecting 7.5% of children – that’s an average of 2 or 3 in every classroom (making it more common than Autism). But it is little known and poorly understood. The reasons for this are unclear but we know that DLD is often confused with other conditions. People tend to assume that language difficulties will be obvious, but they are often quite subtle and hard to recognise without experience or training. Furthermore, children with DLD are often very good at ‘masking’ their difficulties.
What are some of the signs/difficulties associated with DLD?
Late talker (reaching spoken language milestones later than peers). Although some late talkers eventually catch up with peers, children with DLD have persistent language difficulties.
Late to put words together into sentences.
Struggles to learn new words and make conversation.
Difficulty saying what they want to, even if they have the ideas
Difficulty understanding words and long instructions/directions.
Frequent grammatical errors when speaking.
Sounding muddled; it can be difficult to follow what they are saying
Limited use of complex sentences
How can I help?
It is important that children with DLD are identified and the right support is provided (such as from Speech and Language Therapists and Specialist Teachers). Raising awareness of DLD to teachers, parents and the general public is crucial so there is a greater understanding of the difficulties these children (and adults) face. If you are concerned that your child or a child you work with may have DLD, here are some simple strategies you can carry out to support them:
Get the child’s attention – say their name before you ask questions and give instructions so they know that they have to listen.
Use visuals such as gestures and pictures or act things out. This will help them to understand and remember information.
Give the child more time to process information and check that they have understood.
Use simple sentences and short instructions – keeping the information short and simple will help the child understand it and remember it.
Check the child has understood instructions or new information.
Praise their effort and acknowledge what they have to said, to support their confidence in speaking.
DLD is the most common difficulty affecting children but with the right support they can make progress. If you think your child might have DLD and you want support then please get in touch.