Developmental Language Disorder - helping your child at home
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a condition where children/young people struggle with:
- using spoken language
- understanding spoken language
There is no known cause of DLD, and it is not a result of other medical conditions. A child or young person with DLD may have other difficulties, such as, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia and/or speech sound difficulties.
If your child has DLD
Your child might have a range of difficulties, including:
- paying attention and listening to what others say
- remembering and understanding what has been said
- following instructions and answering questions
- your older children may have difficulties reading and using written language
They might:
- use words in the wrong order
- use simple shorter sentences like a younger child
- struggle to find words and use repeated ones instead
- tell a story in the wrong order or miss events altogether
All children and young person with DLD are different and will learn differently.
With support they will be able to:
- do well at school
- make and keep friends
- enjoy learning
Helping your child at home
- keep it short – keep is simple – keep it fun
- keep all activities and learning as visual and practical as possible (show and do rather than talk and listen)
- order tasks into first, next and last
- ask your child to do things one at a time or in the order they need to carry them out
- make sure your child understands the words being used
- make links between words they know by using questions:
- what is it used for?
- where would you find it?
- what is it like?
- have lots of conversations with your child about what they are doing and things that they enjoy
- listen to what your child is trying to share and give them time to think
- use simple language and shorter sentences
Some games to try
- ‘I Spy’ – something that:
- begins with the letter
- rhymes with the word
- you use to...
- set up a treasure hunt with hidden instructions to help your child to understand words like:
- in
- on
- under
- behind
- next to
- between
Give your child the first clue and then hide all the instructions in the right places. You could have some treasure at the end.
- set up a shop/café and practice the language needed for those situations
- play ‘I went shopping’ – adding an item each time to help their memory
- use first, next and last to talk about what you are going to do
Further information available at:
Help for families - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
If your child is having difficulties
If your child is having difficulties using and understanding language due to learning English as an Additional Language:
Learning English as an additional language (EAL) will not cause or add to your child’s speech, language and communication needs.
A child or young person with EAL and DLD will have difficulties in both (or all) of their languages.
If your child is finding it hard to understand and use the language of the home
If you think your child's home language is not developing appropriate to their age, please speak to the Special Needs Coordinator (SENCo) or class teacher at their school or setting.
The school or setting may already have identified some language needs. If necessary and with your permission, they will request an assessment from either:
- the Specialist Advisory Teacher for DLD
- the Specialist Advisory Teacher for EAL
Helping your bilingual child
Being able to speak in 2 or more languages is a great gift. To be able to learn a new language we need a secure foundation in the language of the home.
It is important to talk to your child in your home language to help those language skills develop. Ask your child’s school to give you topics they will be teaching and share new word lists – you can teach your child those words in your home language.