By Jane Grønning Johansen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.
Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.
Photo: artlist.io.

Imagine that you have a lot to offer in a conversation, but you can't find the words so you stay silent. In fact, you can't even keep up in a conversation between your schoolmates Some people may think you are shy, introverted, or maybe even stupid. But you're not, you just have a hidden disability known as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

This is the reality for seven to nine percent of all children who, according to international studies, suffer from DLD. The language disorder is therefore far more common than, for example, ADHD, which is estimated to affect two to three percent of all schoolchildren.

Undetected disability with consequences

For many children, DLD is an undetected disability, and it can have far-reaching consequences for children if they do not get help, explains Kristine Jensen de Lopéz, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the Department of Communication and Psychology at Aalborg University, who along with her colleague Hanne B. Søndergaard Knudsen has written the book Kort og Godt om sprogforstyrrelsen DLD [DLD in a Nutshell]. 

"Children with undetected DLD may experience severe personal consequences all the way into adulthood, because without help they may find it difficult to get an education, and thus have difficulty entering the labour market. We risk losing these children if they don't get the right help and support," says Kristine Jensen de Lopéz.

One to two children in each school class

International studies from primarily the UK show that seven to nine percent of all children have DLD. This corresponds to one to two children in each school class in each year group. Characteristic of DLD is difficulty learning and using spoken language, but in many cases written language as well.  In short, it means that the child has difficulty understanding, using and producing language.

The challenge is that many people do not know about DLD and have never heard of it. The consequence of the lack of knowledge about DLD is that many children are not examined or receive the necessary support.

Hidden disability with social bias

DLD is a hidden disability that does not disappear with age. Hidden, because you cannot see or hear whether a child has DLD. Therefore, many children with DLD are overlooked and misunderstood. The book is therefore an important step in spreading knowledge about the language disorder. In Denmark, DLD is not a recognized diagnosis, and therefore there are no national guidelines that ensure uniformity and equal conditions for testing, assessment and help. Therefore, it is particularly difficult for children with DLD to get the right help.

According to Kristine Jensen de Lopéz, this is a major problem because a lack of knowledge and recognition of DLD leads to children with DLD being and feeling misunderstood by the rest of the world, which can ultimately lead to poor well-being, stress, anxiety and depression.

"DLD is hugely intrusive in children's lives. We live in a world where language is the focal point of everything, and therefore the language disorder also has a social bias. Children with DLD find it difficult to navigate society, to meet new people or take part in conversations with friends, because the words do not come on their own," says Kristine Jensen de Lopéz.