Supporting Children with DLD: A User Guide About Developmental Language Disorder

Supporting Children with DLD, has been developed to help raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder, and to highlight the impact of the condition from the child’s point of view.

With activities, prompts and sample questions, this is an essential resource to enable adults to understand the reality of living with DLD, helping children feel heard and respected, as well as providing a solid foundation for tailoring support to individual needs. Drawing on specific examples from Harry’s Story, the book does not assume any prior knowledge of DLD and is designed to offer the reader accessible information and practical advice, teaching as you go.

This book:

• Highlights the link between spoken and written language, addressing the need to recognise the literary difficulties faced by children with DLD
• Provides practical activities and worksheets that can be used to help children express themselves and ask for help
• Offers strategies for supporting children’s understanding of language, based on common situations and experiences explored in Harry’s Story.

Written to be an accessible introduction to DLD and its effect on children’s lives, this is an essential resource for parents and professionals looking to understand the condition.

For effective use, this book should be purchased alongside the illustrated picture book Harry’s Story.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Considerations

Chapter 1

• What is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)?
• Facts about DLD?
• Why do we need to know about DLD?
• What is language and why is it important?

Chapter 2

• What does ‘Harry’s Story’ teach us?
• Difficulties understanding language
• Vocabulary & Word finding difficulties
• Difficulties with behaviour and social interactions
• Literacy Difficulties
• Communication friendly environments

Chapter 3

• Talking to children about DLD
• Involving children in decision making
• Top tips for talking to children with DLD
• Talking about feelings thoughts and wishes
• Comments, prompts and questions
• Prompts and questions to use alongside Harry’s Story

Follow up activities

Children’s profiles

Make your own profile

Easy or hard?

Asking for help

How to ask for help