NAPLIC is a charity which brings together different professionals who work with children with speech, language and learning needs, Developmental Language Disorders (DLD) and related communication problems. Its aim is to develop best practice through knowledge and experience sharing. I was really pleased to be able to attend this year and hear more about all things DLD!
Developmental Language Disorder is a difficulty with understanding and/or producing language. These difficulties are not better explained as secondary to other factors (such as a Learning Disability or Autism). The difficulties are persistent and unlikely to resolve spontaneously. DLD affects as many as two children in every classroom. Despite being so prevalent, public awareness and knowledge about DLD is still low, even in the light of a recent surge in public awareness about other neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism and ADHD.
To boost awareness, this year there was a particular focus on lived experiences of DLD and the opportunity to hear from DLD “voices.” We heard from two adults, Tanaya Brady and Abraz Hussain. Both were brilliant at sharing their experiences of DLD, the difficulties they had with language, and how it affected learning in school, relationships with family and friends, further education, and their career choices. Abraz shared how with the right support and understanding of his difficulties, he qualified as a social worker, and Tanaya is pursuing a career in performing arts. It was very inspiring!
We also heard from a group of parents who had taken part in a collaborative research project with Birmingham City University. The project sought to find out more about parents’ experiences of receiving a diagnosis for their child. The most prevalent themes are pictured below.
As a parent myself, “googling at 3 am” really struck a chord with me; it made me reflect on what Speech and Language Therapists could do to deliver a DLD diagnosis in a much more supportive way.
Finally, Amanda Finer, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, shared the tools she uses to help children with language challenges advocate for themselves in schools and how she helps children to share what helps them and what doesn’t! She shared some amazing artwork by Siouxsie Webster (Instagram handle pictured below if you’d like to see more!) which I think beautifully and visually shows what young people with DLD are having difficulty with.
It was such an inspiring day and I hope to attend again next year!
