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Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

Adult helping child with language development

What is DLD?

  • Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is when a person has long term difficulties with talking and understanding language. In Welsh it’s called ‘Anhwylder Datblygu Iaith’ (ADI).
  • It will affect all languages they speak.
  • It is not caused by other medical conditions such as hearing loss, Autism, severe learning difficulties.
  • DLD used to be called Specific Language Impairment (SLI).
  • There is no known cause of DLD which can make it hard to explain.
  • DLD can be ‘hidden’, difficulties with language may not be obvious. However, DLD affects 7% of the population, that’s 2 children in every classroom.

 

What does DLD affect?

  • Understanding questions, instructions or information.
  • Using sentences, putting words in the right order, using the right grammar.
  • Learning new words, using lots of different words and thinking of the right word.
  • Telling a story or describing what has happened.
  • Remembering what has been said.
  • Speech sounds (talking clearly).

 

How will DLD affect my child?

  • DLD looks different for each person. Difficulties will change over time, as they get older and as the kinds of language they need to understand and use changes. You may find difficulties have a bigger impact at times of transition (e.g. move up to secondary school).
  • It can affect learning or friendships.
  • Many children with DLD also have difficulties with their attention and with reading. They can have ADHD and/or Dyslexia alongside DLD, this is common.
  • Children with DLD can do well and progress with their learning and friendships. Knowing how best to support them and how they learn will support their ongoing progress.

 

How may Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) help? The role of SLT:

  • Identifying and diagnosing DLD, assessing language to work out what your child’s strengths are and what they need support with.
  • Needs-led intervention, this will look different for every child with DLD and not everyone with DLD will need intervention directly from a Speech and Language Therapist. It may include sessions to work on specific parts of speech or language or it might be supporting families and schools with the strategies they can use to support a child.
  • Raising awareness of DLD, helping people to understand the diagnosis and the best ways to help.
  • Helping children to communicate to the best of their ability. There is not a ‘cure’ for DLD, it is a long-term condition, Speech and Language Therapy aims to help children be able to communicate, learn and make friends by using strategies and helping everyone around them to understand how to help them every day.

 

How can I support my child/young person?

  • Get their attention before talking to them. Say their name, make sure they can see you when you’re talking.
  • Use simple language and repeat often to support memory and word learning.
  • Give them time to process what you have said and to respond. Try to give at least an extra 10 seconds, if you are unsure.
  • Use visual support – this could be pictures, signs, gestures, writing, showing.
  • Check they have understood instructions or information, ask them to tell you what they have been asked to do.
  • Repeat what they say using the right words, full sentences and/or right sounds.
  • Give lots of praise and tell them what they did well.
  • Follow their lead, talk about what they are interested in. Use this to model (show them) how to use good sentences or new words. Try to model/show language more than asking questions.
  • Talk in everyday activities (e.g. play, sharing books, watching TV, eating meals, walking to school, shopping, at the park), this makes language real and relatable.
  • Encourage them to communicate however they can, this will change over time.

 

Useful Links For Parents

 

Useful Links For Schools

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