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Six-year-old Anthony was born in U.K. To the Polish parent, he spoke only a few words of English in class and often appeared confused when the teacher gave instructions. He might just be adjusting to English – or the problem might be Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)a disorder that severely impairs a child’s ability to learn, use and understand spoken language.
For parents and teachers, such challenges are increasingly common. In England, for example, around 21% of schoolchildren were raised with a first language other than English. Although most children’s language development (whether monolingual or multilingual) is typical, there are an average of two children affected by DLD per classroom. The prevalence of DLD is approximately 8%, with similar rates worldwide from China to Mexico.
Even so, DLD remains underrecognized and underserved—especially compared to other developmental conditions such as dyslexia, autism, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Identifying DLD in multilingual children can be difficult. Each language a child learns develops at its own rate, depending on factors such as how often they hear and speak the language. For example, multilingual children may temporarily lag behind their monolingual peers in vocabulary in one language, but this should not be mistaken for DLD.
Children with DLD have problems with all languages and require expert help. In contrast, those whose language skills develop normally only have difficulty with languages in which they need more exposure, such as English at school.
Learning two or more languages enhances the language, social and cognitive skills of all children. Contrary to the long-standing misconception that using multiple languages impairs language development, learning multiple languages does not cause or worsen DLD. Support for DLD should maintain all children’s languages as these languages are vital to well-being, identity and family relationships.
The effects of DLD are lifelong and extend far beyond language. It has an impact on mental health, social interaction, literacy, academic performance and quality of life. Accurate and timely diagnosis and support are vital, not only to an individual’s life chances, but also to society. Adults with DLD are more likely to have difficulty finding employment and have criminal records.
Solving DLD issues
These are key signs that a multilingual child may be at risk for DLD, and it is recommended to seek help from a speech and language therapist. These if they:
- Slower to say first words or put words together than siblings
- Difficulty understanding what others are saying or following instructions
- Difficulty expressing ideas or telling stories
- Overreliance on gestures (such as pointing) rather than words to communicate
- Learn English at school more slowly than peers with similar age, cultural and linguistic backgrounds
- It is difficult to interact with children who speak the same language.
After a referral, the speech and language therapist gathers information from parents, teachers, tests and other sources aimed at understanding the child’s ability to use all languages.
However, considerable barriers still exist in linguistically diverse countries. For example, speech and language therapists in the UK still lack reliable tools to assess English and children’s other languages equally. Because few speech and language therapists are multilingual and there is a shortage of appropriately trained interpreters, DLD may be missed, or typical multilingual development may be mistakenly labeled as disordered, thus delaying or misdirecting support.
About the author
Teresa Garrido-Tamayo is a Visiting Research Fellow in Speech and Language Sciences at the University of Newcastle.
Carolyn Letts is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at the University of Newcastle.
Laurence White is a Reader in the Department of Speech Sciences at Newcastle University.
This article is reproduced from dialogue Licensed under Creative Commons. read Original article.
Promising new tools such as the British Bilingual Early Childhood Assessment Tool and the Language Impairment Test in Multilingual Settings are making progress. The former uses two-year-olds’ vocabulary in British English and other languages, as well as their exposure to each language, to determine whether their language development is at risk.
Likewise, the Litmus Battery includes instruments for assessing language skills, such as phonological memory and storytelling, in multilingual children of varying ages and language backgrounds.
Recently, our team is developing a dynamic assessment resource at Newcastle University that uses interesting activities to detect DLD. It explores the learning potential of multilingual children in areas of language and communication affected by the condition, beyond just their existing skills, such as telling stories or recognizing emotions in people’s voices.
Detecting DLD is the first step. Support from home, school, and speech and language therapists can change life outcomes for multilingual children, helping them grow up healthier and happier.