Better Conversations with Developmental Language Disorder

What’s Developmental Language Disorder?

Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) may experience difficulties with understanding and using spoken and written language, which can affect their education and quality of life. There is no known cause for the disorder, though it tends to run in families, suggesting a genetic component.  DLD can impact on children's everyday interactions, causing frustration as they struggle to express their ideas or follow the thread of conversation.  However, children may show communicative strengths in some areas, which can be drawn upon to help them have 'Better Conversations' with both family members and peers.

Who is this resource for?

BCDLD is a resource for speech and language therapists working with children aged 6-8 years with DLD and their relevant adult to identify key barriers and facilitators to their communication, using video as a tool to help them reflect on existing conversation patterns.

What’s in the resource?

The BCDLD resource is under development.  However, on the BC Downloads webpage you can find some of the materials e.g. the 'Talk Time' record sheet and guidance.

What’s the evidence?

You can read more about the BCDLD programme and case studies from two mother-child dyads in the following paper:

Hughes, L., Corrin, J., Newton, C., & Best, W. (2022). ‘Where does Granny live?’ The role of test questions in conversational remembering between mothers and their children with developmental language disorder. Journal of Interactional Research in Communication Disorders, 12(2), 152–182. https://doi.org/10.1558/jircd.20235