Mark DLD Day with Free Resources
Musician, actor, chef, entrepreneur, physiotherapist – these are some of the professions my past students are engaged in. Can you spot the young adults with Developmental Language Disorder? Unlikely. It is a hidden condition, characterised by language difficulties (understanding and/or use) that have no known cause. It is not a cognitive disability. With the right support, children and adults can develop the skills to ultimately achieve their education and employment goals and minimise the impact of Developmental Language Disorder. Without support, they are at a high risk of disengaging, perhaps even entering the youth justice system. Research by Professor Pamela Snow and others has revealed that a disproportionate number of young people completing custodial sentences have undiagnosed language difficulties.
So what is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)? According to Dorothy Bishop (recently retired Professor at the University of Oxford), it is “the most common condition you’ve never heard of”. It is 5 times more prevalent than autism, which most people know about. According to data from the SCALES Project, led by Professor Courtney Norbury, it affects 1 in 14 children, which equates to approximately 2 children in every classroom. Each person’s language profile will look different but common features include difficulties with:
Learning and using new words
Word finding
Understanding and using complex sentences
Understanding the nuances of conversation
Working memory
Reading
The fortunate ones have their language difficulties identified and supported early. Others only receive a diagnosis as an adult. (Learn about Grant's story here.) While there is a collection of risk factors associated with DLD, including family incidence and gender, it is an indiscriminate condition, affecting people of all races, education backgrounds and economic status.
One of the reasons DLD is relatively unknown is that it does not have any physical markers. Another reason is that until 2016, there has not been international consensus on the terminology used to describe this condition. In addition, it is more likely than not, that pre-service teachers are not introduced to DLD, its features and how to support students.
There are some excellent resources to assist educators, speech pathologists and others supporting children and adults with DLD. The RADLD (Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder) campaign has a comprehensive collection of videos in many languages on its YouTube channel as well as downloadable and interactive resources on its website. DLD and Me has a comprehensive selection of resources including videos providing different perspectives. The University of Western Ontario’s Language and Working Memory Lab has a treasure trove of podcasts, projects and websites. The DLD Project has Australian-focused resources as well as a free What is Language? What is DLD? module. The Think Forward Educators website also has links to research and resources.
This year’s International Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day is on Friday 14 October. Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge and City Link Sound Tube along with landmarks around the world, including The National Library of Wales; The Peace Bridge in New York; Bournemouth Pier, England; Mansion House, Dublin, Ireland; Triple Bridge, Ljubljana, Slovenia; The Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada and Rochester Cathedral, England are lighting up in purple/yellow to raise awareness for DLD.
As my contribution to raising awareness this year, I have curated a Padlet with general resources as well as a special focus on supporting adolescents with DLD. Please share them widely.
Chances are that someone in your everyday life has this hidden condition. Please take the time to learn a little more. It could make all the difference.
Dr Charlotte Forwood
RADLD Global Ambassador
Teacher/Speech Language Pathologist