DLD

One of our very lovely and talented specialist speech and language therapists Beth Potter (MSc SLT, MRCSLT, HCPC Reg), previously worked at a specialist school and college for children and young people with language disorders. I interviewed Beth to gain some more information around her experience with DLD.

Anna: Hi Beth, tell me, what has your experience and journey been like working with children who have DLD so far?

Beth: It has been incredibly rewarding supporting childen and young people with DLD. By providing appropriate support, it allows individuals to thrive in both social and academic environments. Language difficulties are often misinterpreted as behavioural issues but by raising awareness of DLD, we can help families, schools, and work places to support those with DLD.

Anna: What’s one thing you wish more people would know about DLD?

Beth: That DLD is a hidden but very common condition… ‘it has been described as the most common childhood disorder you’ve probably never heard of’ with an average of two children in every classroom affected. It’s really important we continue to raise awareness of DLD so children and young people get the support they need.

Anna: A commonly asked question, what is DLD caused by?

Beth: There is no known cause of DLD; it is not caused by other medical conditions such as hearing loss, physical impairment, autism, severe learning difficulties, or brain injuries. Like other developmental conditions, DLD can be related to genetic and environmental risk factors. These factors appear to impact subtly on language learning in the brain. DLD can also occur alongside other conditions such as ADHD and Dyslexia.

Anna: Why is raising awareness for DLD so important?

Beth: Lots of people have DLD but most people don’t know it. It’s so important for there to be more awareness raised about DLD. This can support the understanding of others and help put strategies in place for children.

Anna: Another good question, if a child has English as an additional language does this mean the child is more likely to have DLD?

Beth: Having English as an additional language does not cause DLD. However, both multilingual children and children who speak only one language, can have DLD. For multilingual children, DLD will impact all languages spoken by the child; they will present with difficulties in both/all languages.