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DLD: Hidden Language Disorder Affects 1 in 12 Children
20 Jan
Summary
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) affects about 8% of children globally.
- Multilingualism does not cause or worsen DLD in children.
- New diagnostic tools aim to improve DLD identification in diverse settings.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a significant condition impacting a child's ability to learn, use, and understand spoken language. It affects approximately 8% of children globally, presenting challenges in classrooms where many students speak a first language other than English. Identifying DLD in multilingual children can be complex, as temporary vocabulary differences are common. However, DLD manifests as difficulties across all of a child's languages.
Experts emphasize that learning multiple languages does not cause or worsen DLD and can even promote linguistic, social, and cognitive strengths. Support for DLD should embrace all of a child's languages, vital for their well-being and identity. The lifelong consequences of DLD extend to mental health, social interactions, academic achievement, and employment prospects.
Challenges persist in diagnosing DLD, particularly in linguistically diverse areas, due to a lack of reliable assessment tools and insufficient multilingual expertise among speech and language therapists. However, promising new resources, such as the UK bilingual toddlers assessment tool and the Litmus battery, are being developed to aid in accurate detection.
