What is Developmental Language Disorder

1. HOME ABOUTUS OURSERVICES OURPROGRAMMESFORPROFESSIONALS KNOWYOURCHILD BLOGS&SOCIAL More... Login/Signup More AllPosts SpeechandLanguageTherapy Maths Dyslexia&Dyscalculia WhatisDevelopmentalLanguage Disorder(DLD)? So,you’veprobablyheardkidsstumbleoverwordsorstruggleabittoexpressthemselves, right?Well,forsomechildren,thisgoesbeyondtheusualchallengesoflearningtospeak. KeytakeawaysaboutDLDthatmightsurpriseyou Let’s getdownto somefacts, shallwe? 7%ofthepopulation: DLDaectsabout7%ofpeople,makingitmorecommonthan youmightthink. Boysvs.Girls:DLDismorecommoninboysthangirls,althoughit’snotclearwhythis isthecase. NoKnownCause:Asfrustratingasitis, there’snosinglecauseofDLD.Itjust happens. TherapyHelps:WhileDLD is alifelongcondition,therapycanmakeahuge dierence.TherightsupportcanhelpchildrenwithDLDnavigatetheirchallenges andndwaystocommunicatemoreeectively. DevelopmentalLanguageDisorder,orDLD,asit’smorecommonlyknown.It’soneof thosethingsyoumightnotnoticerightawaybecause,well,itdoesn’tshowuponthe surfacelikeotherconditions.ButDLDisveryrealandcansignicantlyimpactachild’s life,particularlytheirabilitytocommunicateeectively. DLDisessentiallyaconditionwhereachildndsitdiculttouseandunderstand language,eventhoughthey’re just asbrightastheirpeers.Imaginebeingabletothinkof

2. athousandthingstosaybut ghtingtogetthewordsout.That’swhatDLDfeelslikefor manychildren.Theymighthaveahardtimesocializingwiththeirfriends,expressing how they feel, or even just keeping up with their schoolwork. And it’s not because they’re not trying–it’sbecausetheirbrainprocesseslanguagedierently. WhyDoesDevelopmentalLanguageDisorder(DLD)Happen? Ah, themillion-dollarquestion–whydoesDLDhappen?Well,here’s thekicker:wedon’t reallyknow.There’snosinglecausewecanpointtoandsay,“Aha!That’swhy.” It’sa bitofa mystery, honestly. What we do know isthat it’smore common in boys than girls, and it aects about 7%of the population. Yep, you read that right. It’smore common than AutismandADHD,yetitdoesn’tgetnearlyas muchattention. Someresearchersthink geneticsmightplayarole,whileothers suggestthat environmental factors could be involved. But the truth is, there’s no de nitive answer. It’s oneofthosethingsthatjust,well,happens. HowCommonisDevelopmentalLanguageDisorder(DLD)? Now, you might be wondering just how common DLD really is.Imagine you’re ina classroom with 28 students. Statistically, 2 of those kids could have DLD. That might not seem like a lot, but when you think about how many classrooms there are across the world, it adds up. It’s a lifelong condition, too. While DLD is usually identi ed and treated in childhood, it doesn’t just disappear as a child grows older. It’s something they learn to manageandlivewiththroughouttheirlives. Norbury, C.F.,Gooch,D.,Wray,C.,Baird,G., Charman,T., Simono,E., et al.2016.Theimpactofnonverbalabilityon prevalence andclinical presentationoflanguage disorder:evidence fromapopulation study.J.Child Psychol. Psychiatry57:1247–57.doi:10.1111/jcpp.12573 TheImpactofDLDonLearning Alright, so how does DLD actually aect a child’s learning? Well, language is at the heart of pretty much everything we do in school – from reading and writing to understanding math problems and following instructions. For children with DLD, these things can be a realstruggle. Kids with DLD might nd it hard to understand what their teachers are saying or to keep upwiththepaceofclassroom discussions.Thiscan leadtopooracademicperformance, notbecausethey’renotsmart,butbecausethey’renotgettingthelanguageinputthey

3. needtosucceed.Readingcanbeparticularlytoughbecausetheystruggletodecodeneedtosucceed.Readingcanbeparticularlytoughbecausetheystruggletodecode words and make sense of what they’re reading. And let’s not even get started on math – tryingtointerpretcomplexproblem-solvingquestionscanbeliketryingtoreadaforeign language. So,whatcanyoudoifyourchildhasDLD?Well,rstthingsrst,don’tpanic.Withtheright support, children with DLD can absolutely achieve in school and in life. It all starts with a comprehensive language assessment by a speech and language therapist. This helps to understand where your child is struggling and to create a personalized plan to address theirneeds. Herearesomepracticaltipstohelpyourchildathomeandinschool: Make Language More Accessible: Instead of vague instructions like “Get ready for school,” try something more explicit, like “Time is up! The bus is here. You need to changeintoyouruniform,grabyourbag,andhead out.” Repeat and Rephrase: Keep instructions short and simple. Repeat them as needed andusedierentwordsifyourchilddoesn’tunderstandrightaway. UseVisualSupports:Visualcueslikecharts, planners, andposterscanbeincredibly helpful.Theygive your childsomething torefertoandhelpreinforce verbal instructions. Practice,Practice,Practice: ChildrenwithDLDneedlotsofrepetition and opportunitiestopracticetheirlanguageskills.Consistent,well-plannedactivities can makeahugedierence. At Total Communication, we understand just how challenging Developmental Language Disorder(DLD)canbeforchildrenandtheirfamilies.That’swhyweoerfocusedservices adapted to meet therareneeds of eachchild.Ourteam of experiencedspeech- languagetherapistsandeducationaltherapistsworkcloselywithyou tocreatea supportiveandenrichingenvironmentforyourchild. But here’s the thing – the earlier you act, the better. Early intervention can signi cantly improveoutcomesforchildrenwithDLD,sodon’twait. Reach out to us today to schedule a consultation and get started on your child’s journey tobettercommunication. Callus:+6591158895 E-mailus:enquiries@totalcommunication.com.sg Address - 10 Winstedt Road, Block A #20-01, SINGAPORE 227977 Website - https://www.totalcommunication.com.sg/ Don’tletanotherdaygobywithouttakingaction–yourchilddeservesthebestsupport possible,andatTotalCommunication,we’reheretoprovidejustthat.