DLD: Hidden Language Disorder Affects 1 in 12 Children

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.

Newcastle University is also creating a dynamic assessment resource to explore multilingual children's learning potential. Timely diagnosis and comprehensive support from families, schools, and therapists are crucial for transforming life outcomes for multilingual children affected by DLD.