Understanding DLD
Developmental Language Disorder or “DLD” is a diagnosis given to children and adults who have language difficulties in both understanding what is said to them and responding clearly. These difficulties create barriers to communication and learning and they don’t resolve themselves by the age 5.
It is estimated that as many as 1 in 14 people have DLD (RADLD 2025). Despite DLD’s prevalence, it is still not as widely known as other conditions. This is partly due to the fact that DLD presents itself differently in different individuals, although they may share common difficulties. The extent to which these difficulties are challenges varies from person to person.
So what does DLD actually look like?
Young people with DLD have difficulty in understanding language which can result in them not following instructions correctly or completely. Their responses to questions may be off topic or incorrect and they may find it difficult to learn and understand vocabulary. DLD also affects young people’s ability to express themselves using language. Their spoken language may be structured in short phrases and contain less sophisticated vocabulary. They may also have word finding difficulties and as a result their word order can sometimes be jumbled up as they speak or their speech may contain long pauses as they struggle to retrieve a word to say aloud.
Due to these areas of difference, children with DLD can sometimes find social interaction challenging and their ability to make and keep friends may be affected. Any child who has a communication difference may also develop issues around anxiety or begin to misbehave in class. It is also worth mentioning that a child’s challenges with these areas of difference may change over time due to the requirement of developing more complex communication skills and the cognitive load of what is said to children as they progress into secondary school.
DLD is a life-long condition that can have a big impact on a person’s learning and achievement at school. By raising awareness and putting into place support the negative implications of DLD can be greatly reduced.
Strategies for supporting children with DLD at home
There are many ways of supporting children with DLD at home. It really is about looking at your child, identifying what their difficulties are and then matching a support to help reduce that difficulty.
Time and space to talk
The biggest way that you can support your child at home with their talking is by making sure that you make time for talking. In a very busy world, where routines are fast paced and the need to get to school, to get to football practice, to run errands are ever present. Provide an environment where your child feels comfortable to talk, without any rush or pressure to hurry up with what they are saying. Where they know that you will give them the time to say exactly what they need to say and also take the time to ensure that they have been fully understood, is crucial in supporting your child’s confidence and ability in communicating.
Supporting understanding
Children with DLD often struggle to understand and process things that are said to them, so simply reducing the length of your sentences when talking to your child can be really supportive. Try rephrasing what you are saying in a simpler way and consider the vocabulary that you are using. It may be that there is a specific word in your sentence that is preventing your child from understanding what is being said. For example, you may exchange “gigantic” for “big”. Ensure that your child knows that it’s OK to ask about words that they don’t understand and that you will always find time to explain what different words mean.
Asking for help
Talk to your child about what they find difficult and if needed support them in identifying what it is exactly that they find challenging. Teach your child that it’s ok to ask for help and provide suggestions of specific phrases that they can use to ask for help. For example, “I didn’t understand that” “Can you say it again?” “Can you explain it in a different way?”.
Visual supports and modelling
Dependent upon your child’s level of spoken language it may be useful to provide supportive pictorial visuals around the house. For example, having a visual displaying the choices for breakfast that you point to as you talk will help your child to process and understand all of the choices available. By keeping it there, you are also providing your child with a means of communicating their choice by pointing, when putting words together is challenging. Pictorial representations of processes such as getting ready for school can also be supportive. Finally, going through physically how to do something by modelling the process alongside your spoken instructions will also be supportive.
Strategies for supporting children with DLD at school
Everyone with DLD presents differently and will have different challenges to others. With this in mind, it is important to match the support that you provide in school to the child that is sitting in front of you. Rather than finding a strategy known to help with DLD and finding that it is ineffective. As with high quality adaptive teaching, it is important to continually monitor and assess how a child is accessing a task and provide additional supports in the moment as and when required.
Get to know them
Where possible teachers should talk to children about what they find difficult at school and what kinds of things help them to understand. If this is not possible due to a child’s age, then a conversation with parents may provide some instant ideas of how best to support their child in the classroom. Tips such as saying a child’s name before speaking to them to ensure that you have their attention can be really effective.
Explanations and instructions
Ensure that explanations and instructions use short and concise language so that they are easier to follow. Best practice for providing explanations and instructions would also include the use of pictorial prompts or recorded elements for children to revisit during the lesson. Frequently model skills and processes during lessons so that children can see first-hand what it should look like. For a child with DLD they may require this model more than once.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is often a barrier to understanding spoken language. Ensure that any new and unfamiliar vocabulary is explained prior to specific lessons to help reduce this barrier. Best practice for vocabulary work is to ensure where possible that it is hands-on and interactive so that a child is able to truly understand what a word means. Using methods such as “vocabulary webs” where a child is given time to complete a visual proforma which allows for a definition, synonyms, pictures and use of that word in a sentence are extremely beneficial. Any resources such as these can then be used at the table for reference during the next lesson.
Check ins
Frequently check in with children who have DLD at different points of the lesson to ensure that they are clear with their next steps and how best to achieve them. Address any misconceptions as they arise and provide further support through additional visual prompts, vocabulary explanations, technological tools, additional modelling or breaking the task down into manageable steps. For older children it is empowering to support them to better understand which strategies help them the most and whether they can begin to access these supports independently.
Local Resources and Support Services
If you would like to learn more about DLD or access further advice and support then below are some links to supportive websites.
- org is a website focused upon raising the awareness of Developmental Language Disorder. It contains fact sheets, information, videos and links to books all focused upon DLD. RADLD – Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder – RADLD
- Speech and Language UK is an organisation that focusses on improving outcomes for children with speech and language differences in the UK. They create tools for nurseries and educational establishments, they provide information to support families as well as frequently campaigning for better outcomes for children with speech and language differences. They have a specific section of their website that looks in particular at Developmental Language Disorder. Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) awareness – Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- DLD and Me is a website for kids and teenagers to learn about Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and to share with others their stories and how they told other people about their experiences. What is DLD? | DLD and Me
- The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists is the professional body that governs Speech and Language Therapists in the UK. They facilitate and promote research that produces guidance for best practice. The website has lots of information about DLD. Clinical information on developmental language disorder (DLD) | RCSLT
- Afasic is a parent led membership organisation and registered charity that provides information for families who have Speech Language and Communication Needs with a focus on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). They even have a helpline for parents to ring to discuss their concerns around their child’s speech and language needs. Home – Afasic
Family Support
There is no known cause for Developmental Language Disorder but it often runs in families suggesting that there is a genetic element to its presence. Receiving a diagnosis of DLD can often be overwhelming but it is important to know that DLD is not caused by a lack of anything in early childhood, it is simply a difference in processing language.
Take time to research DLD and to find out more about it so that you are able to better understand some of the challenges that your child may be facing and ways in which you can support.
It is also important to continue to reach out to your Speech and Language Therapist. Remember that they are experts in their fields and will be able to offer continued advice and support that is specific to your child. Do not be afraid to go back to your Speech and Language Therapist and ask them to explain their report findings with you again and to go over strategies that can help so that you are confident in supporting your child.
Reach out to other families who have received diagnosis of DLD for support and understanding. You may find parental groups on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #devlangdis. It is important to remember that because the presentation of DLD ranges from person to person that other families’ journeys may be very different to your own but may also contain similarities.
The “Talking DLD” podcast has a range of episodes talking to families and professionals about their experiences of DLD which you may find both interesting and reassuring The Talking DLD Podcast | The DLD Project.
Remember that you are the expert in your child, and no-one knows them quite like you do. You are an invaluable resource for advocating for them, helping them and ensuring others understand their strengths and needs.
This article has been written by Louise Holmes
A note from me to parents/carers
The first thing that I would like to say to parents who are worried about their child’s language development is that you know your child best and if your instinct is that there is something not quite typical about their language development then seek support. I had my concerns dismissed by doctors and was clearly labelled as an anxious parent. I chose to then seek support through my daughter’s nursery who made a speech and language referral to the NHS for me. Please note that you do not have to wait for an NHS referral as there are plenty of private practicing Speech and Language Therapists that are practicing in your area with very short waiting lists.
Actually receiving a diagnosis for my daughter was met with mixed feelings of both relief in finally understanding her challenges and the validation of my concerns alongside worry and concern for her future knowing that DLD is a life-long condition. By receiving the label of DLD it has allowed me to understand her developmental differences. It has also been a revelation for both myself and other members of my family who are now discovering within ourselves reasons for things that we have found and continue to find difficult. The label DLD has also been helpful for her to be understood in her primary school setting and to receive the supports that she needs there.
Finally I wanted to talk about talking! I was originally reluctant to engage in conversations with my daughter about DLD as I feared that she might become upset at the thought of being somehow ‘different’ to others. What I actually found was that by talking about things that she finds difficult and sharing some of my own difficulties, it has opened a dialogue between us which allows us to discuss strategies and things that work and don’t work for both of us. I now feel in a position that I know more clearly what she finds difficult and can therefore find ways of supporting her both today and ongoing into the future as she enters secondary school.
