DLD Awareness Day 2023 was held on Friday, 20th October. DWSP speech pathologists, Amanda & Norah, treated the team to an informative PD presentation that sparked a lot of conversation about DLD. Read more from Amanda and Norah below!
What is DLD?
DLD stands for Developmental Language Disorder which causes difficulties with speaking and understanding. While the reason for this is unknown, we know that it has a genetic component. DLD is common (1 in 14 people have DLD), however it often gets overlooked for support and has long-term impacts.
Children with DLD may experience difficulties with:
- Finding the words to communicate their message
- Remembering what they have been told
- Following instructions
- Learning new words
- Putting words together to speak in sentences
- Paying attention
- Reading and writing
Impacts:
- DLD can make academic achievement more difficult
- Difficulty keeping friendships, especially after year 6
- Lower self-esteem
(The DLD Project, 2023)
What we can do
- Help find your child’s strengths and areas of weakness to tailor interventions to help them succeed
- Evidence-based intervention with a speech pathologist
- Strategies for parents to support at home
- Strategies for teachers to support in the classroom setting
With adequate support, children with DLD can thrive!
Want more information?
- The DLD Project is a social enterprise dedicated to raising awareness of DLD https://thedldproject.com/families/resources-for-families/