Council shines light on hidden language disability

(L-R) Grace Farrell from the council's talk to learn team, Councillor Kieran Heakin, Fiona Collins from the talk to learn team and Councillor Rachel Massey

Rochdale councillors and council staff supported Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Day in October, raising awareness of the hidden disability and to encourage parents/carers to come forward for support if they feel their child has DLD.

Rochdale Borough Council’s talk to learn team of specialist education professionals and speech and language therapists are working intensively with young children who have developmental speech and language disorders, like DLD, aiming to make those with a hidden disability visible.

The team helps parents/carers and education staff with support for children’s speech and language needs to work out what helps their child communicate best, both at home and in nursery/school.

DLD is a hidden disability that affects one in fourteen children - that is two pupils in the average classroom. It means that children have significant, on-going difficulties understanding and/or using spoken language.

A child with DLD may also have a speech disorder affecting speech sounds, however it is not caused by other conditions such as hearing loss, physical impairment, autism, or severe learning difficulties, making it an often-hidden disability.

Many things children develop at school like learning to read, learning another language and social development rely on language skills, making this a real hurdle for children with DLD.

Councillor Kieran Heakin, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “The work of the team is vital to children suffering with DLD and a great support to their families. Language development is so crucial to many aspects of learning for children and I’m so passionate about giving all children the access and support they need to develop.

“I really encourage parents/carers to contact their school, or us, if they feel they could benefit from our support.”

As DLD is a hidden disability, some common indicators are:

• Struggle to understand words
• Struggle to explain themselves
• Struggle to tell their story
• Struggle to problem solve
• Struggle to chat
• Struggle to listen
• May often use wrong word at the wrong time
• It can often occur with other literacy problems, co-ordination issues and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

When provided with high quality support and understanding from the team, a child with DLD can achieve social, academic, and professional success.

If your child could benefit from the work of the team at Rochdale Council, then you can speak to the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) at your child’s school or you can contact the team on:

• rans/epsadmin@rochdale.gov.uk
• 01706 92640