Developmental language disorder

Also called DLD, Specific language impairment

Language that does not develop as expected, with no other cause. Around two children in every classroom, and hardly anybody has heard of it.

What it is

DLD affects roughly 7% of children, which is about two in every classroom of thirty. Compare that with autism at around 1%, and then consider how rarely anybody mentions DLD. That gap is the whole problem.

It means language does not develop as expected, and there is no other condition explaining why: hearing is fine, there is no autism, no brain injury, no intellectual disability. The difficulty is with language itself.

Because it is invisible and has an unmemorable name, these children are described instead as not listening, not trying, or badly behaved.

Signs you might notice

Instructions with several steps falling apart. The child does the first part and stops.

Word-finding difficulty: "the thing, you know, the thing for the" and then frustration.

Sentences shorter and simpler than their ideas. Grammar errors persisting past the age they usually resolve.

Following classroom talk poorly while managing one-to-one.

Behaviour that looks like avoidance, because avoiding a task you cannot understand is entirely rational.

How it can affect day-to-day life

The academic cost compounds. Reading comprehension depends on language, so a difficulty that looked small at five becomes a substantial gap at eleven.

The social cost is often worse. Playground negotiation runs on fast, subtle language. Children with DLD get left out, and then get described as preferring their own company.

The long-term figures are uncomfortable: DLD is over-represented among young people excluded from school and among those in the youth justice system. When a child cannot process a verbal instruction quickly, the resulting behaviour looks like defiance to almost every adult in the room.

Supporting someone well

Cut the sentence length before you cut the content. Short sentences, one instruction at a time, then a pause.

Give processing time. Count to ten silently after asking. The silence feels long to you and is exactly what the child needs.

Show as well as say. Visual timetables, pictures, gesture, written words. Anything that takes the load off spoken language alone.

Check understanding by asking them to tell you the plan, not by asking whether they understood. They will say yes.

Pre-teach vocabulary before a topic starts. It is the single highest-value classroom adjustment.

Our neurodiversity and SEND pre-screening covers communication and interaction as one of its four areas and produces a written profile in the language a SENCo will act on. Fiducia Talk gives a symbol-based route for a child whose spoken language runs behind their thinking.

Where to get help

Ask for a speech and language therapy referral. You can usually self-refer to NHS children's SLT without going through the GP, and school can refer too.

Tell the SENCo. Support does not require a diagnosis, and DLD is a recognised special educational need.

Speech and Language UK have excellent parent guidance and a progress checker.