Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) - Information and Support

What is DLD?

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a type of speech, language and communication need (SLCN) that means a child has long term difficulties in being able to use and/or understand language. If they speak more than one language, these difficulties will be present in every language they speak.

This condition was previously known as Specific Language Impairment (SLI). It's extremely common - one study showed 7.5% of children have DLD but because it is a hidden difficulty, it can be difficult to diagnose. It can have a big impact on a child’s learning and achievement at school, as well as their, mental health and long-term life prospects, so it is important to get the right support in place.

How does it affect children?

Every child with DLD is unique, so the difficulties they have may be different to each other. Your child’s difficulties can also change as they get older and they need to develop more complex communication skills.

Children with DLD may have a range of difficulties, including:

Not talking much or finding it difficult to express themselves.
Being unable to make themselves understood.
Relying on gesture or pointing to communicate.
Finding it harder to learn new words or use a range of vocabulary.
Not using words or sentences at the right level for their age.
Not understanding or remembering information or instructions.
Finding reading and writing hard.
Becoming frustrated because they are finding it difficult to communicate.
Having unclear speech sounds.
Not being able to keep up with their friends when playing because they don’t understand the rules to a game.
Becoming anxious or withdrawing from social situations.
Not doing what they are told in class because they do not understand what they are supposed to be doing.

What causes DLD?

There is no known cause of DLD but it does seem to run in families. It is not caused by learning or speaking more than one language.

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

However, children and young people with DLD are likely to also have another condition such as dyslexia or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) alongside DLD.

How can Speech and Language Therapy help?

Speech and language therapists (SLTs) support children and young people with DLD and those around them in some of the following ways:

Assessment of your child’s language skills including their strengths and areas they find more difficult.
Use of Speech and Language Therapy resources to develop your child’s language skills.
Advice and guidance to staff who work with your child about the nature of your child's difficulties and how they will affect their learning.

Support and training for school staff and parents about DLD and how to support your child in school to develop their language abilities to achieve their maximum potential.

How to help your child?

Here are some strategies parents/carers and school staff can use to support a child or young person with DLD:

Get the child’s attention before you ask them something by saying their name to check they are listening.
Use clear, simple words and sentences that the child finds easy to understand.
Show the child what you want them to do rather then telling them.
Use practical learning activities as much as possible as those with DLD often learn better when they’ve experienced something first-hand.
Reduce the number of questions you ask your child as this puts additional pressure on them to process the question before responding.
Instead, talk about what you are doing so the language is heard along with the action or demonstration of the activity.
Repeat information, instructions and activities where needed to help the child.
Make sure instructions are given in a logical order and one step at a time (e.g. first hang your coat up, then put your shoes on, then get your bag).
Check the child has understood instructions by asking them to repeat what they need to do.
Pause to give them extra time for thinking and processing what has been said.
Use visuals (pictures, symbols, gesture) to support information (e.g. visual timetable).
Focus on positives and what the child does well.
Read with the child and talk about what is happening in the book.

Explicitly teach new vocabulary words that are needing to understand topics at school and talk about these words several times per week.

Referral

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) in your child's school can refer to our team and should be your first point of contact to find out about accessing our service.

Please see the Speech and Language Therapy page for more details about our service.