Developmental Language Disorder
It affects around 1 in 14 students — more than autism and dyslexia — and is almost never identified. The child is usually read as inattentive or disengaged, when in fact they did not have time to process what was said.
- available resources
- 21
- available resources
- Pedagogical Strategies
- 7
- Pedagogical Strategies
- Specialized Courses
- 6
- Specialized Courses
Processing time
A child with DLD understands, but takes longer to decode speech and organise a response. Repeating the question too soon restarts the process.
- Count to ten silently before repeating or rephrasing
- Teach the student to ask for time: 'give me a minute to think'
- Do not finish the sentence for them, and do not let classmates do it
- Warn them in advance that you will call on them, so they can prepare
Chunked instructions
A long sentence loses the student halfway. One piece of information per sentence, one action per instruction.
- Split compound instructions: 'take the book', then 'open at page 12'
- Short sentences do not mean poor vocabulary — keep the precise words
- Ask the student to repeat the instruction before acting
- Write on the board what was said out loud
Explicitly taught vocabulary
A student with DLD does not learn new words from exposure alone. Subject vocabulary must be taught, not merely used.
- Choose 3 to 5 key words per unit and teach them beforehand
- Give a definition, an example, a non-example and an image
- Return to the word several times a week, in different contexts
- Keep a vocabulary wall visible throughout the term
Visual support alongside speech
Gesture, image and demonstration reduce the load falling on spoken language alone.
- Speak and show at the same time, not one after the other
- Use graphic organisers for text and reasoning structures
- Demonstrate the task instead of describing it
- Keep the lesson outline visible for the student to consult
Reading: from oral language to text
A language difficulty affects reading comprehension even when decoding is fine. The student reads the words and does not understand the text.
- Do not assume comprehension because reading aloud sounded fluent
- Pre-teach vocabulary and context before handing over the text
- Work on text structure explicitly: beginning, problem, resolution
- Ask what they understood before asking for details
Do not mistake DLD for inattention
DLD is more common than autism and dyslexia — around 1 in 14 students — and is almost never identified. The child is usually read as disengaged.
- Be suspicious when the student 'does not pay attention' only in highly verbal activities
- Compare their performance on an oral task versus a demonstrated task
- Difficulty following a long instruction is not misbehaviour
- Refer for speech and language assessment when the pattern repeats
Assessing without relying on language alone
If the test is about science, verbal formulation should not decide the grade. Separate the content from the means of expressing it.
- Short wording, one instruction per sentence
- Accept answers as a diagram, drawing or demonstration where appropriate
- Closed questions before open ones, to check comprehension
- Extra time as a rule, defined beforehand
Pre-teaching the unit vocabulary
Teach the key words before the content begins, so the student enters the lesson with the vocabulary already available.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Choose 3 to 5 words, teach them with a definition, example and image, and keep them on the wall all term.
Counting words per instruction
A self-measurement: how many pieces of information you put in each instruction, and how many the student retains.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Record or note your instructions during one lesson and count how many actions each required.
Check comprehension before detail
A short routine to find out whether the student understood the text, instead of discovering only in the test that they did not.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Ask about the overall meaning first, then the structure, and only then the details.
DLD training
The DLD Project
Foundations of Inclusive Education
Instituto Rodrigo Mendes
AVAMEC — the Ministry of Education training platform
Ministério da Educação
15 distance courses in special education
Ministério da Educação
Escola Virtual.Gov
Enap / Governo Federal
Escola Virtual — Fundação Bradesco
Fundação Bradesco
RADLD — raising awareness of DLD
An international campaign with explanatory material on the classroom's most common and least identified disorder.
Published by: RADLD · EN · Site
Open materialReading strategies for children with DLD
A review on why reading comprehension is affected even when decoding is intact.
Published by: PMC — National Library of Medicine · EN · Site
Open materialThe DLD Project — training
Materials and training for teachers on identifying and supporting students with DLD.
Published by: The DLD Project · EN · Site
Open materialAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association
The US body for speech-language pathologists: the technical reference on language development, assessment and intervention.
Published by: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association · EN · Site
Open materialThe Inclusive Mainstream School
MEC/SEESP booklet on organising the mainstream school from an inclusion perspective.
Published by: MEC / SEESP · PT · PDF
Open materialSpecial Education from an Inclusion Perspective
Foundations of inclusive special education, an official Ministry of Education publication.
Published by: MEC / SEESP · PT · PDF
Open materialDIVERSA — inclusive education in practice
Free platform by Instituto Rodrigo Mendes with practice reports, articles and materials.
Published by: Instituto Rodrigo Mendes · PT · Site
Open materialUniversal Design for Learning Guidelines
A framework for planning lessons accessible to everyone from the start, instead of adapting case by case.
Published by: CAST · EN · Site
Open materialBrazilian Ministry of Education portal
Legislation, policies and official publications on special education from an inclusive perspective.
Published by: Ministério da Educação · PT · Site
Open materialProgress Center — evidence-based instructional practices
A collection of evidence-based instructional practices and support material, applicable across conditions.
Published by: Progress Center — American Institutes for Research · EN · Site
Open materialIntensive intervention — decision tools
What to do when an intervention produces no progress: how to measure, decide and intensify.
Published by: NCII — American Institutes for Research · EN · Site
Open material