Does my child have DLD?
Young children do not all learn to speak at the same rate. Large differences between children are very normal. It can be quite challenging to recognise DLD, even for professionals. Nevertheless, there are signs that indicate your child may have DLD. Are you concerned about the language development of your child? You might recognise one or more of these signs.
Possible signs of DLD
This information is based on Dutch. Some of these signs may not apply to your home language.
0-2 years
- Does not babble (baba, dada) or does so rarely
- Does not react or reacts little to spoken language
2-3 years
- Does not react or reacts little to spoken language
- Shows little interest in communication
- Says very few words at the age of 2
- Does not form sentences with 2 words at the age of 3, for example ‘eat cookie’
3-4 years
- Does not understand simple instructions, such as ‘put on your coat’
- Does not form sentences of more than 2 words
- Their speech is unintelligibleIf children do not speak clearly and it is hard to identify what they say, even for parents
4-5 years
- Does not understand simple instructions, for example ‘put on your coat’
- Does not form sentences of more than 3 words
- Their speech is almost unintelligible to strangers, and sometimes also unintelligible to parents
- Speaks little, usually does not start talking spontaneously
- Communication is not easy (for example, there are many misunderstandings)
5-6 years and up
- Knows few words
- Does not understand complex instructions, such as ‘grab your coat AND put it in your bag’
- Their speech is intelligible to parents, but not yet to others
- Speaks little, usually does not start talking spontaneously
- Asks few or no questions
- Produces short sentences with mistakes, for example ‘he walk home’
- Does not use complex sentences yet, for example ‘I have to go home because my mother is ill’
- Struggles to tell a coherent story (for example, the order is not logical)
- Gives answers that are not always expected
- Communication is not easy (for example, there are many misunderstandings)
- Struggles to find the right words
- Struggles to maintain attention (for example, during instruction in class)
The posters ‘Jos heeft een TOS’ show signs of DLD at different ages and in different languages.
What to do if you are concerned?
Some children with language delays catch up spontaneously. However, many children need extra help. If you are concerned about your child’s language, you can fill out this questionnaire in Dutch (for Dutch-speaking children up to 7 years old). It takes less than 5 minutes. The results will indicate whether you should contact the Child Health Center (in Dutch: consultatie-bureau) or a speech-language therapist.
The Child Health Centre screens children for (early) signs of language problems. In case of delayed language development in a 2- or 3-year-old they might advise:
- treatment by a speech and language therapist
- (extra) time at preschool (in Dutch: peuterspeelzaal) or an Early Childhood Education centre (in Dutch: VVE-locatie)
- a home visit by a child health nurse (in Dutch: jeugd-verpleegkundige)
Is the language delay severe or still present after 6 months? Then the Child Health Centre or speech-language therapist will refer a child to a Speech and Hearing Centre (in Dutch: audiologisch centrum or AC). At the Speech and Hearing Centre, a team will examine your child’s speech and language, hearing, and learning ability. Does the Child Health Centre not refer your child to the Speech and Hearing Centre, but are you still worried? Discuss your concerns with your general practitioner or contact a speech-language therapist in your area.
Information in English
English language resources on DLD are available from these websites:
- RADLD (UK)
- DLDandMe (UK)
- DLDandMe (US)
- TheDLDProject (Australia)
The UK-based charity Afasic provides a parent helpline.
Harry’s Story is a picture book to create awareness of DLD.
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