# data[].attributes.headline
START HERE: Document student struggles and strengths

# data[].attributes.subject
START HERE: Document student struggles and strengths

# data[].attributes.body
Taking detailed notes of daily behaviors in addition to tracking assessment data will help teachers find patterns , as well as provide administration, parents, special education or support staff, and medical professionals with details of the child’s condition in class to create a plan (IEP, etc.)

# data[].attributes.body
Children may show delays in either receptive ability (listening, comprehension) or expressive ability (speaking, gestures).

1. Reduced vocabulary (word knowledge and use).

2. Limited sentence structure (ability to put words and word endings together to form sentences based on the rules of grammar and morphology).

3. Impairments in discourse (ability to use vocabulary and connect sentences to explain or describe a topic or series of events or have a conversation).

(https://psychcentral.com/disorders/language-disorder#1)

Younger children with DLD may:

Be late to put words together into sentences.

Struggle to learn new words and make conversation.

Have difficulty following directions, not because they are stubborn, but because they do not fully understand the words spoken to them.

Make frequent grammatical errors when speaking.

Symptoms common in older children and adults with DLD include:

Limited use of complex sentences.

Difficulty finding the right words.

Difficulty understanding figurative language.

Reading problems.

Disorganized storytelling and writing.

Frequent grammatical and spelling errors.

Behavioral Signs:
-Avoids interactions; shyness
-Does not follow directions
-Frustration during classwork
-Acting out during lessons

Links for additional signs:
All About Expressive Language Disorder
(https://psychcentral.com/disorders/all-about-expressive-language-disorder-symptoms)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is developmental language disorder (DLD)?

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is one of the most common developmental disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 14 children in kindergarten.

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a communication disorder that interferes with learning, understanding, and using language. These language difficulties are not explained by other conditions, such as hearing loss or autism, or by extenuating circumstances, such as lack of exposure to language. DLD can affect a child's speaking, listening, reading, and writing. DLD has also been called specific language impairment, language delay, or developmental dysphasia. It is one of the most common developmental disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 14 children in kindergarten. The impact of DLD persists into adulthood.

What causes DLD?

DLD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Neurodevelopmental disorders are caused by complex interactions between genes and the environment that change brain development. The exact causes of the brain differences that lead to DLD are unknown.

Neurodevelopmental disorders tend to run in families. Children with DLD are more likely than those without DLD to have parents and siblings who have also had difficulties and delays in language development. In fact, 50 to 70 percent of children with DLD have at least one family member with the disorder. In addition, other potentially related neurodevelopmental disorders, such as dyslexia or autism, are more common in the family members of a child with DLD.

Learning more than one language at a time does not cause DLD. The disorder can, however, affect both multilingual children and children who speak only one language. For multilingual children, DLD will impact all languages spoken by a child. Importantly, learning multiple languages is not harmful for a child with DLD. A multilingual child with DLD will not struggle more than a child with DLD who speaks only one language.

What are the symptoms of DLD?

A child with DLD often has a history of being a late talker (reaching spoken language milestones later than peers). Although some late talkers eventually catch up with peers, children with DLD have persistent language difficulties.

Younger children with DLD may:

Be late to put words together into sentences.

Struggle to learn new words and make conversation.

Have difficulty following directions, not because they are stubborn, but because they do not fully understand the words spoken to them.

Make frequent grammatical errors when speaking.

Symptoms common in older children and adults with DLD include:

Limited use of complex sentences.

Difficulty finding the right words.

Difficulty understanding figurative language.

Reading problems.

Disorganized storytelling and writing.

Frequent grammatical and spelling errors.

Language difficulties may be misinterpreted as a behavioral issue. For example, a child who struggles with language may avoid interactions, leading others to think that the child is shy. A child may not follow directions because they don't understand the instructions, but others may interpret this as misbehavior. A child who struggles to communicate may become frustrated and act out. When a child is struggling at home or in school, it is important to determine if language difficulties may be part of the problem.

How is DLD diagnosed?

If a doctor, teacher, or parent suspects that a child has DLD, a speech-language pathologist (a professional trained to assess and treat people with speech or language problems) can evaluate the child's language skills. The type of evaluation depends on the child's age and the concerns that led to the evaluation. In general, an evaluation includes:

Direct observation of the child.

Interviews and questionnaires completed by parents and/or teachers.

Assessments of the child's learning ability.

Standardized tests of current language performance.

These tools allow the speech-language pathologist to compare the child's language skills to those of same-age peers, identify specific difficulties, and plan for potential treatment targets.

Is DLD the same thing as a learning disability?

DLD is not the same thing as a learning disability. Instead, DLD is a risk factor for learning disabilities since problems with basic language skills affect classroom performance. This means that children with DLD are more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability than children who do not have DLD. They may struggle with translating letters into sounds for reading. Their writing skills may be weakened by grammatical errors, limited vocabulary, and problems with comprehension and organizing thoughts into coherent sentences. Difficulties with language comprehension can make mathematical word problems challenging. Some children with DLD may show signs of dyslexia. By the time they reach adulthood, people with DLD are six times more likely to be diagnosed with reading and spelling disabilities and four times more likely to be diagnosed with math disabilities than those who do not have DLD.

Is DLD a lifelong condition?

DLD is a developmental disorder, which means that its symptoms first appear in childhood. This does not mean that, as children develop, they grow out of the problem. Instead, the condition is apparent in early childhood and will likely continue, but change, as they get older.

For instance, a young child with DLD might use ungrammatical sentences in conversation, while a young adult with DLD might avoid complex sentences in conversations and struggle to produce clear, concise, well-organized, and grammatically accurate writing.

Early treatment during the preschool years can improve the skills of many children with language delays, including those with DLD. Children who enter kindergarten with significant language delays are likely to continue having problems, but they and even older children can still benefit from treatment. Many adults develop strategies for managing DLD symptoms. This can improve their daily social, family, and work lives.

What treatments are available for DLD?

Treatment services for DLD are typically provided or overseen by a licensed speech-language pathologist. Treatment may be provided in homes, schools, university programs for speech-language pathology, private clinics, or outpatient hospital settings.

Identifying and treating children with DLD early in life is ideal, but people can benefit from treatment regardless of when it begins. Treatment depends on the age and needs of the person. Starting treatment early can help young children to:

Acquire missing elements of grammar.

Expand their understanding and use of words.

Develop social communication skills.

For school-age children, treatment may focus on understanding instruction in the classroom, including helping with issues such as:

Following directions.

Understanding the meaning of the words that teachers use.

Organizing information.

Improving speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Adults entering new jobs, vocational programs, or higher education may need help learning technical vocabulary or improving workplace writing skills.

What research does NIDCD support on DLD?

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) supports a wide variety of research on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of DLD. For example, NIDCD funds research that seeks to understand how brain and learning patterns differ for children with DLD compared to children with typical language development. Other research focuses on understanding why socioeconomic disparities increase the risk of DLD in children from low-income families. NIDCD-supported scientists are also determining how to accurately diagnose DLD, especially in culturally diverse children who speak a variety of dialects or languages. The institute also funds research to ascertain, at a highly practical and specific level, the best ways to teach language to children with DLD, including how many times a language structure (e.g., using proper tense) should be practiced, how instructional sessions should be organized, and how often teaching should occur. NIDCD-supported programs are also researching how to coach parents or peers of children with DLD to support language growth at home or school.

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations providing information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

For more information, contact us at:

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044
Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

NIH Pub. No. 22-DC-8194
October 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a communication disorder that interferes with learning, understanding, and using language. These language difficulties are not explained by other conditions, such as hearing loss or autism, or by extenuating circumstances, such as lack of exposure to language. DLD can affect a child's speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

# data[].attributes.body
Similar signs as those with a language disability BUT…

- Students do not show similar signs in own language (caution that schooling in L1 may not be at the same grade level expectations as L2)
- Students tend to associate with own cultural group
- Shows improvement with time and instruction
- Exhibits language coping strategies
- Language skills (i.e. speaking and reading) tend to develop at a similar pace
- Shows competency in non-verbal skills on assessments

# data[].attributes.body
Share classroom observations with administration. Document all conversations with the family or invite an administrator to sit in on conferences with the family.

If there is a behavioral issue, the school administration will explain the behavior policy to parents.

Administrators may have contacts for families to receive assessments and diagnoses (these services are available through the city).

# data[].attributes.body
Discuss classroom observations with parents to determine whether these signs might be due to a language difficulty.
- Does the family speak a non-school language or multiple languages at home? If the family is multilingual, do they see the same trends in their home language?
:: If the answer is yes, the student may have a language disability
:: If the answer is no and the student has no delays in their native language, the student may have a language difficulty and need additional language support in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
The MEXT, Japan’s ministry of education, states that students who have disabilities are able to enroll in public education (elementary through lower secondary). Students are provided with Individual Teaching Plans that are created in cooperation with parents and caregivers.

However, students are often put into special classrooms and less likely to be included in Japanese public school general classrooms. It is important to help parents advocate for their child for inclusion, as well as encourage them to consult specialist for accommodations and modifications for their child.

# data[].attributes.body
Refer families to specialists available through the city (low cost options) or private (higher cost options).

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Reading Instruction

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting students with language difficulties 

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting students with language difficulties 

# data[].attributes.body
Literacy instruction strategies can be built into the curriculum to support ELLs.

Literacy instruction modifications:
- integrating alphabet and phonics instruction
- support vocabulary building by using pictures, objects, etc.
- incorporate read aloud sessions using expressive tone
- check for understanding frequently
- utilize graphic organizers
- simplify sentence structure of word problems and instructions

Accommodations:
- incorporate audiobooks
- use audio recording devices
- allow dictionaries or translation tools

Here are other links for additional ideas to support ELLs in the classroom:

1. Collection of classroom resources, guides, and books
(https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/supporting-ells-mainstream-classroom)

2. Discusses incorporating CRT, translanguaging, differentiation and multiple modalities, content-level literacy instruction, etc.
(https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners/)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Read to students every day

2. Support students' comprehension as much as possible

3. Teach the alphabet when necessary

4. Teach phonics in context

5. Check comprehension frequently

7. Support native language literacy

8. Encourage reading outside of the classroom

9. Establish an English Language Learner Center

10. Make up individualized activity packs for your newcomers

You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Reading Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You can and should use what you already know to be effective, research-based reading instruction to English language learners (ELLs). However, ELLs will need additional support in learning how to read, and the strategies here will help you to provide assistance in your everyday teaching, particularly for newcomers (students who have recently arrived in the U.S.).

# data[].attributes.headline
Support student with language delays in the classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Support student with language delays in the classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Indirect treatment and monitoring

Provide activities for parents and caregivers to engage in with the child, such as book-sharing and parent-child interaction groups.

Check in with the family periodically to monitor language development.

Direct intervention, including techniques such as:

Expansions—repeating the child’s utterance and adding grammatical and semantic detail.

Recasts—changing the mode or voice of the child’s original utterance (for example, declarative to interrogative).

Build-ups and breakdowns—the child’s utterance is expanded (built up) and then broken down into grammatical components (break down) and then built up again into its expanded form.

Additional supports
- seating students away from auditory or visual distractions
- monitoring sources of background noise (e.g. air vents, playgrounds, hallways, street traffic)
- establishing a consistent class time structure and routine
- maintaining the student’s focus and attention
- ensuring a child is paying attention before giving directions
- speaking slowly and clearly
- using sequential words such as “first,” “next,” and “finally
- using visual cues and supports to aid comprehension.
(https://nceo.info/Resources/publications/onlinepubs/PARA/readingandspeech/index.htm#:~:text=Teachers%20can%20improve%20the%20learning,playgrounds%2C%20hallways%2C%20street%20traffic)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If the address matches an existing account you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.