Developmental Language Disorder: An Education Staff perspective
Abstract
This study investigates education staff’s current training, experience and knowledge of
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and wider speech, language and communication
needs (SLCN) in Jersey. DLD is a common but hidden disorder which makes is difficult to
identify. Additionally, this is an under-researched area in proportion to its prevalence in the
population. Consequently, children with DLD are currently not receiving the support that they
deserve. Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is a cost effective method of ensuring these
children receive the interventions the require to help minimise further potential costs to the
individual and society as a whole.
44 participants from a range of educational backgrounds completed a questionnaire asking
about their background; their knowledge, training and experiences of SLCN; their awareness
and understanding of DLD as well as their confidence in identifying and supporting the needs
of a child with DLD; the ways in which they support language development in the classroom;
and finally, about their engagements with the SLT service, the ways in which they value it and
how support could be improved.
It was found that more needs to be done to better support education staff in relation to SLCN.
The research concludes that more need to be done to improve the collaborations between
Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and both education staff and parents, improve
training opportunities for education staff as well as make changes to service delivery,
improve resources and employ more staff. There are no quick solutions that will solve the
current problems in service delivery, research and awareness of DLD, but this research does
recommend some ways to shape future research and clinical practice which hope to improve
the situation that children with DLD helplessly find themselves in.