Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) – information for parents

Did you know that DLD is predicted to affect 7.6% of children and young people in the general population?

This is more common than autism, however, DLD is not as widely known about.

What is DLD?

DLD stands for Developmental Language Disorder. Having DLD means that you have significant, ongoing difficulties understanding and or using spoken language, in all the languages you use. DLD was previously known as Specific Language Impairment (SLI).

There is no known cause of DLD which can make it hard to explain.

A child or young person with DLD may also have other difficulties, such as, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and or speech sound difficulties.

DLD is not caused by other medical conditions, such as, hearing loss, physical impairment, Autism, severe learning difficulties or brain injuries.

However, these children and young people with these difficulties may also have a Language Disorder.

What are the signs a child or young person has DLD?

• They may not talk as much and find it difficult to express themselves verbally.
• They may struggle to find words or use varied vocabulary.
• Their sentences may be shorter and simpler more like a younger child.
• They may struggle to tell a story or give an explanation.
• They may not understand, or remember, what has been said.
• Older children may have difficulties reading and using written language.
• Remember, language difficulties may also underlie behavioural issues such as anxiety or misbehaving in class. (Bishop, 2012).
• DLD looks different in each individual child or young person. The child’s specific difficulties can also change as they get older and need to develop more complex skills.

How will DLD affect my child?

• DLD is a long term condition that may affect a child’s learning and achievement at school.
• Children with DLD are at risk of reading difficulties when they reach school age.
• Sometimes DLD can affect children’s social interaction skills and friendships.
• Children with DLD usually learn and understand better through visual or practical methods, rather than listening to lots of language. For example, they may understand a story better if they watched it being acted out, or learnt through hands on experience.

How can I support my child at home?

• Get your child’s attention – say their name before asking questions or giving an instruction so they know they have to listen.
• Ensure your child can see your face to support their attention and listening.
• Use simple language and repeat often to support memory and provide as many opportunities for them to hear and use words.
• Talk calmly and slowly to help them process words.
• Give your child more time to respond to help them process information.
• Use pictures, signs and gestures to support their understanding and help them learn new words.
• Check if they have understood instructions or new information – ask them to tell you what they have been asked to do to check they understood correctly!
• Encourage your child to communicate with you however they can, accept gesture, pointing, facial expression.
• Give praise and provide correct models, not criticism – if they say something the wrong way, you repeat it correctly.
• Help them learn skills to join in with other children. For example, play games at home to support turn taking and listening to others.
• Talk together all the time when in play, sharing books, watching tv, eating meals, walking to school, …every day events are better than flashcards to teach talking!
• Use photo’s to talk about past experiences together, share happy memories and tell stories.