Rudi is 5 in November and will be formally diagnosed with DLD.

Rudi needs significant help with speech and language and additional time to process. Rudi’s speech and language disorder means Rudi has limited expressive language which impacts on his ability to formulate sentences.

Rudi’s story starts off by me noticing he was late to babble and even later to talk. I found a highly respected speech and language therapist who works closely with Rudi and has done for around a 1 year. Rudi was wrongly diagnosed with hearing loss at just 2 and he wore two hearing aids. After going under general anesthesia they told me the news that his hearing is 100% normal and this will be speech rather than hearing.

I was and currently still do use British Sign Language as a brilliant tool to allow Rudi to show me what he wants or something he is trying to tell me. He can sign with confidence, it helps reduce frustration. He has used BSL since he was two and it has brought on his speech as BSL is visual and Rudi is a visual learner the sign helps him find the word he wants as Rudi needs extra time to process information.

Fast forward to now.. .We have NHS speech and language appointments to help with Rudi’s speech and language and we have a private therapist who Rudi see’s once a week for 1 hour. This private support has changed Rudi’s life. It has been confirmed Rudi has DLD, always has. He qualifies for a speech and language base but has to go to mainstream school first to show that he needs intense support from trained professionals to learn to the best of his ability. I am Rudi’s voice and I need his voice heard, He has been through so much & now I need his story to be heard to help other families. DLD needs more awareness so children get the support they need and deserve, I am spreading awareness everywhere I go. Developmental Language Disorder makes understanding and using both receptive language and expressive language extremely difficult. It has a significant impact on Rudi’s communication as he struggles to express feelings, ideas and story telling. I want to help others by sharing Rudi’s story he is amazing and he is now working on sentence structure so he is doing so well with the right support, it shows how incredibly important the right intervention is.

Rudi is the most incredible little boy with the brightest, creative brain that I’m so proud of. I’m a mum on a mission to help everywhere I go! DLD is not a sad diagnosis it’s a beautiful one I would love to get the word out there so more people know about it

• Hollie – Rudi’s mum

The post Rudi’s Story appeared first on RADLD.

在人的一生中會遇到許多困難，我們可以選擇抗爭，爭取應有的權利；也能選擇屈服，默默的承受；而有些人，會選擇用溫和、堅定的方式過自己想要的生活，即使自己遭遇許多挫折，仍然選擇為有相同境遇的人加油。

在台灣，有一位再平凡不過的DLD高中生－阿偉，在我們認為稀鬆平常的日子、成長的過程中，默默地接受許多的挑戰。

在他的日常中，最大的挑戰是說話的聲音、語速以及別人有沒有辦法聽懂他說的話，儘管如此，他和同學的相處多數是快樂的。如果有想要和朋友分享的事情，他則是抱持「想要趕快去學校跟他聊天」的想法。據筆者觀察，即便障礙為生活帶來許多不便，阿偉依然對生活抱持著堅毅不拔的態度。

國小–最純粹的惡作劇帶來最深刻的傷害

在阿偉國小的時候，會和同學聊天、打球，相處起來也算和樂，對於他有DLD的這件事情，他則表示會當作秘密和朋友分享。但由於他的性格害羞，所以會有同學故意欺負他，如阿偉曾表示「他們一直来吵我，然後亂用我的東西。」或者故意在電腦課時將他的電腦關機，阿偉說明當下的反應是「我就一直把他們的手移開，然後他們就一直故意用亂」，所以即使阿偉有制止同學，但依然沒有解決這樣的問題。所幸阿偉回家之後告訴他的父母才得以解決問題。

國中–苦難與感恩的並存

在國中剛開學時，阿偉正如同其他新生一般要融入班上的同學時，就有學生會嘲笑他的聲音，即便當時阿偉已經試圖制止同學，但這樣的情況一直沒有改善，一直到他受不了，才向家人以及師長尋求協助。這樣的情形才得以解決。

有了兩段不高興的回憶，阿偉表示「氣自己聲音變成這樣」還有「氣別人會一直聽不懂」。一直到現在都是如此，雖然阿偉說「就有時候想把它（不好的回憶）甩到一邊去。」，但如果出現別人又聽不懂的時候，即便會再一次重複他要表達的內容，還是會擔心當時的事情又重新上演。

值得高興的事情是，雖然有這麼大的困境，阿偉也在這個時期交到了要好的朋友，一直到高中時期都持續地保持聯絡。

高中–珍惜現在並展望未來

現在阿偉在自己的科系中努力的實踐，平時雖然給自己「高冷」的人設，也很少主動找同學聊天，但阿偉也表示「他們會主動來找我要不要玩。」可見在高中的社交生活中，阿偉並沒有遇到太大的問題。在需要進行小組活動時，阿偉也都可以得到公平的工作分配。

對於未來，除了學校有社福團體的協助進行職涯規畫之外，阿偉雖然也會擔心自己因為害羞而不敢主動與他人互動，但也努力地在自己的科系中學習，希望可以在之後一展長才。

家人所打造的避風港

在阿偉的人生中，他的家庭絕對占很重要的一部分。阿偉的家庭成員眾多，每個人都用各自的方式守護阿偉。有陪伴他玩遊戲的哥哥、時刻關心他的祖父母、支持著阿偉母親的爸爸，還有無論何時都給予阿偉支持的母親。

母親是最先觀察到阿偉情況的人，也主動帶著阿偉去做治療、早療課程，除課程之外，在家會和阿偉練習說話、固定出席阿偉的家長日、解決阿偉在學校遇到的所有問題。因此母親也成為阿偉在生活中最信任的人。

對於DLD，母親則表示「沒有從小去糾正他的發音去做治療，你就錯過那個黃金治療期。 所以這也是一件很可怕的事情」，呼籲家長不要在錯過最佳治療期，也因為母親有時刻關注阿偉並及早做治療，才能在之後的溝通方面更加地順利。

「不要害怕，我們都一樣」

在訪談的最後，我們了解到阿偉雖然內向、害羞，但一直是個善良與樂於助人的青少年。因為當筆者問起當如果遇到和他一樣的人時，他會怎麼做，他則說「會給他一點鼓勵」以及「說我們都一樣，不要害怕」。鼓勵其他DLD的人成為積極、主動的人。

我認為在阿偉因為DLD遭遇到許多挑戰的情況下，但仍然選擇善良、勇敢，是一件難能可貴的事情。也因為阿偉母親沒有忽視阿偉的狀況，及早帶他去做早療，才能讓阿偉在溝通上越來越順利。

希望這篇文章，能讓其他正在面臨DLD挑戰或正在認識DLD的人可以知道，這世界上有著一群這麼棒又這麼努力的人，用自己的力量使自己能夠被看見、為自己發聲。

In the course of a lifetime, we encounter many difficulties. We can choose to fight and struggle for our rights, or we can choose to submit and suffer in silence. Then there are those who choose to live the life they want in a gentle yet firm manner; even when faced with setbacks, they still choose to cheer on others who are in similar circumstances.

In Taiwan, there is an ordinary high school student with DLD named A-Wei. During the days that we take for granted and throughout his growth, he has silently accepted many challenges. In his daily life, his greatest challenges are the sound of his voice, the speed of his speech, and whether others can understand him. Despite this, his interactions with classmates are mostly happy. If he has something to share with friends, he simply holds onto the thought, “I want to get to school quickly and chat with them.” As the author has observed, even though his disability brings many inconveniences to his daily life, A-Wei maintains an unyielding attitude toward life.

Elementary School: The Purest Mischief Brings the Deepest Hurt
When A-Wei was in elementary school, he would chat and play ball with his classmates, and life was relatively harmonious. He treated his DLD as a secret to be shared only with friends. However, because of his shy nature, some classmates bullied him on purpose. A-Wei once recalled, “They would keep pestering me, and messing with my things,” or intentionally turn off his computer during computer class. A-Wei explained that his immediate reaction was to “just keep moving their hands away, but they would keep messing things up.” Even though A-Wei tried to stop them, the problem remained unresolved. Fortunately, the issue was only resolved after A-Wei went home and told his parents.

Junior High School: The Coexistence of Suffering and Gratitude
At the beginning of junior high, when A-Wei was trying to integrate into the class like any other freshman, some students mocked his voice. Even though A-Wei tried to confront them at the time, the situation did not improve until it became unbearable, forcing him to seek help from his family and teachers. Only then was the situation resolved. Having endured two unpleasant memories, A-Wei expressed, “I was angry that my voice became like this,” and “I was angry that people couldn’t understand me.” This remains true even now. Although A-Wei says, “Sometimes I want to cast those (bad memories) aside,” he worries that if others fail to understand him again, even if he repeats what he wants to express, the past might repeat itself. The bright side is that despite such significant obstacles, A-Wei made close friends during this period, and he has continued to stay in touch with them through high school.

High School: Cherishing the Present and Looking to the Future
Now, A-Wei is working hard in his field of study. Although he usually adopts a “cool and aloof” persona and rarely takes the initiative to chat with classmates, A-Wei notes, “They still come to ask me if I want to join them.” This shows that in his high school social life, A-Wei has not encountered significant problems. When group activities are required, A-Wei receives a fair distribution of work. Regarding his future, beyond the career planning assistance provided by social welfare groups at his school, A-Wei—though worried that his shyness might hold him back from interacting with others—is working hard in his studies, hoping to showcase his talents in the future.

The Safe Harbor Built by Family
In A-Wei’s life, his family plays an absolutely crucial role. A-Wei comes from a large family, and each member protects him in their own way: an older brother who plays games with him, grandparents who are always concerned about him, a father who supports his mother, and a mother who gives A-Wei support at all times.
His mother was the first to observe A-Wei’s condition and proactively took him to therapy and early intervention programs. Beyond these programs, she practiced speaking with him at home, attended every parent-teacher conference, and resolved every problem he encountered at school. As a result, his mother has become the person A-Wei trusts most in his life. Regarding DLD, his mother said, “If you don’t correct his pronunciation and seek therapy from an early age, you miss the golden window for treatment. That is a truly terrifying thing.” She urges parents not to miss the optimal time for treatment. Because his mother kept a constant watch on A-Wei and ensured early treatment, his communication has become much smoother.

“Do Not Be Afraid, We Are All the Same”
At the end of the interview, we learned that although A-Wei is introverted and shy, he has always been a kind and helpful teenager. When asked what he would do if he met someone like him, he said, “I would give them some encouragement,” and “Tell them that we are all the same, do not be afraid.” He encourages other people with DLD to be active and proactive.

I believe that even while encountering many challenges due to DLD, A-Wei’s choice to remain kind and brave is a rare and precious quality. It is also because his mother did not ignore his condition and brought him to early intervention that A-Wei has become increasingly fluent in his communication.

I hope this article lets others who are facing DLD challenges or learning about DLD know that there is a group of wonderful and hardworking people in this world, using their own strength to make themselves seen and to speak up for themselves.

Authors: JrYu Hu & Yuchun Chen.

The post 不要害怕，我們都一樣 – Do Not Be Afraid, We Are All the Same appeared first on RADLD.

We first noticed S had challenges when she turned 3. She wasn’t saying things other children of the same age did, but would come up with different ways of communicating instead. We had a lot of pictures, sign language, describing things, or writing things down. S has always enjoyed writing and drawing, and she has an amazing imagination, so would always come up with creative ways to let us know what she wanted when she could not vocalise those thoughts.

It took us just under 5 years to finally receive a diagnosis of DLD. For the majority of that time, we kept hitting dead ends, as apart from ruling other things out, no one seemed able or willing to give her an in-depth language evaluation because of her young age, despite us asking for one. We suspected DLD for a while, after taking it upon ourselves to try and find out what it might be by looking up symptoms online. I do feel like we were ignored by some in the early stages, and wonder how it could have helped us if we had been given a diagnosis earlier on, and then we could have been offered the right kind of support. These challenges with language impacted our lives on a daily basis, as she is such a smart little thing she was well aware of what she was not able to do, which caused lots of tears, both from her and me! As a mum it broke my heart to see how much she wanted to say something, but knowing she wasn’t able to get the words from her head out of her mouth.

When I first came across the RADLD website it felt almost like a cloud had lifted, as I could see that there was an answer, and I could see that I wasn’t alone. Seeing that there are organisations such as this which are researching DLD is so reassuring, as in the early years of our journey we met so many people who haven’t heard of it, despite being SLPs. I feel it is so important for people in this profession to be aware of it, instead of passing language difficulties off as other spectrum disorders.

I want to put our story out there to show others that you’re not alone, and even though it can seem like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders, especially when dealing with little ones with DLD, or suspected DLD, do not give up. Keep going, help and support are out there. I wish I’d found other stories like this when I was first searching for answers. My mental health has suffered because of our journey, but now that we’ve been given this diagnosis I’m trying to learn as much about it as I possibly can to be the best advocate for my daughter that I can be. Watching her persevere through the tough times has shown me how brave she is, which shows me if she can keep going then so can I.

The post S’s Story appeared first on RADLD.

The report highlights:

• The emotional and financial toll on families—some spending over $1,200 a month on essential therapy.

• The frustration that DLD is excluded from vital funding schemes.

• The broader impacts of DLD on learning, mental health, and future life opportunities.

Despite these challenges, Sadie’s powerful words, “I wouldn’t change the DLD because it’s part of who I am,” remind us why awareness matters. The DLD Project and RADLD International Committee member, Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz also spoke about the urgent need for better recognition and funding to support families across Australia.

This story is a win for visibility—but it’s just the beginning. RADLD will keep pushing until DLD is no longer overlooked in policy, health, and education.

Watch and Share:

📺 Watch the segment on YouTube

The post A Current Affair Shines a Light on DLD appeared first on RADLD.

I want this poster to stand out and speak out loud. Art gives me a voice.

I hope people can relate to it and are interested to find out more.

I want it to help to make a difference.

DLD is not just about kids. It is for LIFE, and the older you get, the harder it gets.

It doesn’t just disappear when you turn 18. (When this happens, you are suddenly meant to be an adult and be able to do everything on your own. But you are still battling with words and language every day, and now the words are even more complicated).

Speak Up For DLD Poster

Watch how Siouxsie created the 2024 Speak Up for DLD poster.

You may need to pause the video to read the text on each slide as there is a lot of detail that was too good not to include.

I want EVERYONE to know about DLD:

• Headteachers
• Governor’s
• Teachers
• Lecturers
• Child minders
• Nursery staff
• TA’s
• Dr’s
• All types of Reception staff
• NHS
• Local Authorities
• Parents
• Students
• Kids
• Nurseries
• Schools
• SENDcos
• Colleges
• Universities
• Managers
• Retail staff
• Hospitality staff
• Politicians
• Job Centres
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Educational Psychologists
• Occupational Therapists
• Councellors
• MP’s
• Prisons
• Carers
• Police Officers
• Tourist attractions
• Paramedics
• Police
• Judges……………and on and on……

This is because people like me, with DLD, are so vulnerable and misunderstood and lonely. No wonder a lot of us end up in trouble, depressed, unemployed or in prison.

Even with help,( and I am one of the lucky ones!), life is still really hard because EVERYTHING, EVERYDAY requires COMMUNICATION, LISTENING, UNDERSTANDING & TALKING…. It never ends, and there is no break from it. It is SO overwhelming….and exhausting.

Embroidery is good for me because I can escape from all of this noise and stress for a while. It is slow and you do it quietly. You do not need to talk. You can be expressive with it – by what you choose; fabrics, beads, threads, buttons, trims, ribbons, techniques etc….. There is something very nice about working with your hands and embroidery threads. The way it glides, once it’s through the needle and you pull it through, is very satisfying. I like the way you have to concentrate and focus, but you are in the moment.

If you struggle with DLD or any other SLCN, you should give it a go….. Or anything creative!!!! Dance, photography, pottery, poetry, music, art, etc.

Siouxsie, Webster, artist and a young adult with DLD

The post Creating a Masterpiece with Siouxsie appeared first on RADLD.

Race car driver Marie-Soleil Labelle races to raise awareness of DLD/TDL as RADLD’s first official Spokesperson

Quebec (CA) Race car driver and bilingual French-English speaker, Marie-Soleil Labelle is known affectionately as ‘Sunny’. RADLD is excited to announce that Sunny has joined us as our first official spokesperson. Sunny has Developmental Language Disorder and is eager to help others with DLD/TDL. We asked Sunny a few questions to help the RADLD community get to know our first official spokesperson. Please note the translation of DLD in French is TDL.

1. Sunny, when did you learn you had DLD/TDL?

“My sister finished my sentences and told me what to do; and at school too, my friends would do the same. In 8th grade, I talked about it with my doctor; saw a speech & language therapist and I was diagnosed with DLD/TDL.”

When Sunny first found out she had DLD/TDL she felt overwhelmed by the news.

“First, I started crying when my parents told me but after a few months, I accepted it. And I was able to say, well I have DLD/TDL without complaining or being sad.”

“I thought it was bad and I was different. Now I’m older and it’s not a big deal anymore. It’s just, it’s in me and I’m going to live with it.”

“For example, when I am explaining a story or sharing something with my mom and my sister, and sometimes they don’t really understand what I’m trying to say…when I was little, I would get mad. I didn’t want to talk any more. But now, I’m just laugh and try to explain it a better way.”

2. What was it like for you at school?

“School was ok, but in French it was really hard – in reading & grammar; in math I had trouble understanding the big problems; reading was a disaster, I’m not going to lie: when I had oral presentations, it wasn’t that bad because I practiced with my mom at home. Sometimes I would say words that were unrelated (e.g., instead of shutting down lights, it would be ‘deopen’ the light; I would say ‘the open door’).”

Strategies that helped Sunny at school included reading a book at home with her mom in the week before it would be used in class. If she just read a book for the first time in class, she wouldn’t understand even the basics of what she was reading. At home, her mom would go through the book with Sunny to help her understand. There was no resource to support Sunny at her public school.

Sunny excelled at Martial Arts where she was able to learn the moves through repeated physical demonstration: it wasn’t just verbal instruction. This learning through repetition was a strategy Sunny decided to apply in school too. She would record herself studying and listen to the recording on repeat. She wouldn’t go and play like the other kids, as she realized she had to work harder than her friends to get the grades.

Other things that helped Sunny at school included:

· seeing a speech and language therapist after school (paid) – to practice how to explain something if she forgot a word

· at school Sunny had a computer for writing and reading

· a friend helped Sunny in the evenings at home so she could understand her school work.

3. Can you tell us about your racing car journey? When did you start racing? What do you love most about it?

“I was doing go-karting when I was little at the indoor track, many times in a week. I met the staff and they let me stay and practice…like driving around cones, and doing some tricks. There was a league that asked me if I wanted to be in it.”

In 2018, Sunny started driving on the outside karting track before moving onto competitions.

“My coach was racing in the Nissan Micra Cup and I went, and we met people important to the series. We were in contact with them, and then that got me into the Nissan Micra Cup.”

Sunny quickly realised she could use her school coping strategies at the racetrack too! Repetition was key. To be a successful race car driver she needed quiet in her helmet, no talking, and to do many laps!

Sunny had to learn the rules and regulations, and complete Road Racing courses sanctioned by the Federation Internationale Automobile (FIA), to be allowed to race. At speed, the language is with flags. Sunny wouldn’t have progressed if she hadn’t studied hard and trained even harder. She was a little girl with a big dream in a male dominated sport, and then with DLD on top of that.

This young racing dynamo and RADLD’s first official Spokesperson, now hits speeds of up to 210km/hr in her Nissan race car! Sunny loves accelerating, speed and getting ready for the next big race weekend. She even has a simulator at home to help her practice.

“I’ve learned a lot of cool stuff on it. I’m trying to improve race starts, so you can practice on the simulator.”

4. What do you wish people understood about DLD/TDL?

“It’s not my fault, I’m trying to explain something. They need to be patient because sometimes when I’m talking they won’t necessarily understand. Sometimes my mom and sister and I can make a joke about DLD. It’s not going to stop me.”

5. What’s the hardest part of having DLD/TDL?

“Not being able to express myself…I wish I could just talk without any hesitation. If I’m having an interview in racing, I have difficulty talking, I feel like sometimes it’s hard.”

Sunny shared that instead of doing 7 or 8 takes, she’d like to say things once and be understood.

6. What’s the best parts of having DLD/TDL?

“In racing, now that everyone knows, I feel different and special!” Sunny shared this comment with a huge smile and sitting up proudly.

“Now that we’re in contact, meeting new people, people are nice to me now that I’m meeting about DLD. People treat me differently when they know I have DLD.”

7. What would you say to other young people who are just finding out they have DLD/TDL?

“Be proud of yourself, that’s who you are. It doesn’t matter if you have a difference, maybe it will be harder than for other people. You’re going to have to learn to live with it. It may take time to accept.”

8. What are your goals for the future?

Sunny has plans to become a Mechanical Engineer.

“My ultimate goal is to be Chief Engineer in Formula 1.”

Her other goals include racing as much as she can and to proudly represent RADLD this year. Sunny has a true desire to help others and RADLD could not be prouder to have Sunny as our first official RADLD Spokesperson in 2022.

You can read more about Sunny and follow her racing journey in the following ways:

• Website: https://mariesoleillabelle.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmbassadriceFREMAW
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariesoleillabelleracing/

The post Born to Make a Difference | Marie-Soleil Labelle appeared first on RADLD.

Amelia loves to be busy! She plays the cornet, enjoys dance, drama and pole fitness. She recently joined girls’ football, choir and film club at school. Amelia has Developmental Language Disorder and is proof DLD kids can thrive with the right supports in place.

Developmental Language Disorder or DLD is a lifelong, permanent neurodevelopmental condition affecting 1 in 14 people.

The 2021 DLD Awareness Day campaign is asking teachers to #ThinkLanguage #ThinkDLD to increase the early identification of DLD and support for students at school.

Thanks to early intervention, Amelia’s DLD was picked up at 6 years of age. She has been well supported since that time and has almost caught up to the expected academic levels for a 9 year old, despite not reaching any of her Early Years Foundation Stage targets at age 5.

Amelia’s mum Claire really wants teachers to know that early identification of DLD is vital. “Just because somebody can talk and appears to be listening doesn’t mean there isn’t an issue – Amelia still has significant gaps in her vocabulary knowledge because she doesn’t just “pick up” words as most children do,” Claire shared.

“Just taking that little bit of time to check she’s really understood and isn’t just repeating back words with no comprehension can make a huge difference. And we know we are lucky – Amelia’s language needs were very obvious, and she has her diagnosis. Not all children with DLD have been diagnosed, and so they may not be getting the support they need.”

One teacher can change a student’s life by spotting their challenges with language. RADLD is asking teachers to keep an eye out, and whenever they see a student struggling with learning, #ThinkLanguage #ThinkDLD.

Students with DLD can succeed at school when they are identified and have access to the right supports. But first they need our help. Please view and share this year’s DLD Awareness Day animated video to help raise awareness: https://youtu.be/MU1inVSISFo

Thank you Amelia and Claire for sharing your story with us.

Share your story

We’d love to hear about your experiences with DLD. Please email us at hello@radld.org and include photos if possible.

The post Amelia Proves That DLD Kids Can Thrive When Given Access to Support appeared first on RADLD.

The post DLD Hasn’t Stopped Racing Car Driver Marie-Soleil Labelle From Achieving Her Dreams appeared first on RADLD.

Imagine making a new friend, learning a new subject, or negotiating yourself out of a tough spot if your ability to use or understand language were a life-long challenge.

On average 2 students in every class of 30 have a neurodevelopmental condition called Developmental Language Disorder or DLD.

Friday 15 of October 2021 is DLD Awareness Day and this year’s campaign is asking teachers to #ThinkLanguage #ThinkDLD. The goal is to increase the early identification of DLD and support for students at school.

People with DLD are 6 times more likely to suffer from anxiety and 3 times more likely to have clinical depression. They are also at significant risk of struggling with reading, spelling and mathematics. Although DLD is a common condition affecting many areas of life, children with DLD are unlikely to receive access to services.

Shelbi, young adult with DLD: “It wasn’t just a “delay” for me and I never “outgrew” or “caught up”. Just like many people; my DLD was never identified nor was my difficulties were further investigated. DLD is a life condition; early identification and support is key to supporting those with DLD to manage everyday life.”

Spoken language is the lifeblood of the classroom. It underpins all learning, relationships and mental health, from the very beginning to the very end of school. Most students thrive in this rich learning environment, but for some, listening and talking can be overwhelming.

Jessica, a 12-year-old student with DLD: “I would like my teachers to know that I may lose focus more easily than others and some tasks may take longer. If I’m ever picked on to speak up in class, I have trouble finding words from my head, so I may stutter a lot or just keep quiet.”

Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD) is an international organization working to grow awareness of DLD, a hidden but common condition.

One teacher can change a student’s life by spotting their challenges with language. RADLD is asking teachers to keep an eye out, and whenever they see a student struggling with learning, #ThinkLanguage #ThinkDLD.

Sam, teacher: “If teachers are repeatedly saying things like ‘they just don’t listen’, then perhaps children need a language assessment. I would like teachers to realise that there is a high probability that somebody in their class has DLD and that these students are working REALLY hard to understand everything.”

Students with DLD can succeed at school when they are identified and access the right support. But first they need our help. Please view and share this year’s DLD Awareness Day animated video to help raise awareness: https://youtu.be/MU1inVSISFo

We have many families who are very eager to share their DLD story. Please get in touch and we can arrange a local face for you.

-ENDS-

For media enquiries:

Stephen Parsons | stephen.parsons66@gmail.com  or 07811 218 484

• WEBSITE: radld.org
• FACEBOOK: facebook.com/radld.page
• TWITTER: https://twitter.com/RADLDcam
• YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/RALLIcampaign

ABOUT DLD AWARENESS DAY

Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day, now in its fifth year, is celebrated annually around the world with more than 40 countries involved last year. Support DLD Awareness Day by sharing this year’s #ThinkLanguage #ThinkDLD awareness videos (due for release in early October) and/or hold an event at your workplace or in the community. Visit www.RADLD.org to access our awareness raising resources including downloadable posters and fact sheets.

The post Two children in every class of 30 have DLD appeared first on RADLD.

When my son was very little he couldn’t find in his head the right sounds to go with the things he wanted to communicate.  He spoke pure jazz for a while and when a word might appear one day it would be lost the next.  The first speech therapy groups Elwin went to didn’t work.  The parenting group that told me about how I might be negatively affecting his speech didn’t work.  I read him so many nursery rhymes it was untrue but these things did not help Elwin in the way they help children with language delays rather than language disorders.  Much more intervention was needed.  We had a wonderful speech therapist who helped Elwin to order sounds in his head so that he could find the right sound for the right vocabulary and his articulation of words became much clearer.

Nowadays you might not know Elwin has developmental language disorder.  His speech is pretty clear – unless he’s very tired, very excited or has a whole lot to say (because his brain is still having to work harder to find the sounds). Though he might still get the odd pronoun wrong, his grammar is falling into place – I know for some people with DLD, sentence construction is much much harder.

Unlike many people with DLD, Elwin has huge vocabulary but there’s a huge gulf between the words he understands and being able to find in his head the word that he wants to say.  It’s like when you’re really tired and that word is on the tip of your tongue but for Elwin it’s everyday and all the time.

This affects his ability to express himself both orally and on paper; his ability to demonstrate what he knows and, more significantly, his social interactions.  His social interactions have been more significantly affected as he’s got older because play for older children is more language based.

DLD also affects understanding. You know how it is when you go to a country where you’ve learnt the language but in practice following a conversation is so much more difficult because your brain is doing so much more work and if someone has a lot to say and if what they’re saying involves a whole range of things then you can totally lose track.  This is how it can be for someone with DLD but all the time and in their native tongue.

One thing I’ve learned is how amazing our brains are and all the myriad of things that they have to do in order to form words; form sentences; and communicate ideas and passions.  We are truly amazing.  Without the capacity to do all these things easily, Elwin’s brain has developed many other skills – his inventiveness is incredible.  His ability to read people’s emotions is amazing.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful little boy in my life.

I’d like to make it so that Elwin doesn’t struggle with language – so that school and friendships would be the joy they are to most 10 year old boys but I can’t change these things.  One struggle I can change is the struggle with a lack of awareness.

DLD is as prevelant as autism and yet lots of you won’t even have heard about DLD before you read this.  If you are talking to someone and they are finding it difficult to follow you then it might be they have DLD.  If someone is getting frustrated when they’re struggling to express themselves then it might be they have DLD.   Many teachers are not aware of DLD. That child who appeared to be listening to what you were saying but then doesn’t seem to know what you’ve just asked them to do might have DLD.  Awareness is so lacking that they may never have received a diagnosis – especially if it never really affected language production (as is the case for some children).

We can all help children and adults with DLD by being kind and patient with everyone we meet.

Please also feel free to share this post to spread awareness of developmental language disorder.

The post On DLD Awareness Day appeared first on RADLD.