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Developmental language disorder (DLD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions affecting children in schools today, but it may also be the least understood. While studies estimate that approximately 7% of children meet criteria for DLD — making it more common than autism — it remains under-identified and frequently misunderstood in educational settings.

For school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs), DLD often presents as persistent academic, literacy or participation concerns in students who otherwise “sound fine,” making it challenging to identify. Here’s what you need to know to ensure students receive the support they need.

As a speech-language pathologist, I’ve encountered countless students struggling with speech sound disorders (SSD), which can impact their ability to communicate and their self-confidence. Proper assessment and effective intervention for speech sound disorders (SSD) requires a deep understanding of the complexities involved — and the tools that can help diagnose and treat these specific issues.

Speech sound disorders encompass difficulties with speech sound production, and they are most commonly classified as articulation or phonological disorders. Distinguishing between the two can be tricky — even with extensive training and education — but it’s essential to diagnose them accurately in order to determine the most effective treatment strategies.

This backgrounder provides information that might be a helpful refresher for practitioners and a good resource for the families with whom they work. 

While speech-language pathologists (SLPs) stay current with evidence-based therapy approaches in championing communication, many continue to rely on traditional, paper-based assessment methods. Although these methods may feel comfortable and familiar, they often create inefficiencies, from manual scoring errors to time-consuming data entry.

That’s why SLPs are increasingly turning to digital assessments as a practical way to streamline workflows, improve accuracy and deliver faster insights for individualized therapy plans. Leveraging today’s technology enables SLPs to spend less time on logistics, freeing up time to focus on students’ communication goals.

We are proud to announce the new Call for Research published by Pearson Clinical Assessment. Our goal is to ensure that Pearson assessments comply with the highest standards of quality and support research that investigates the validity or efficacy of our products. We are inviting United States-based faculty members, graduate students, and qualified researchers to submit their proposals no later than August 15, 2025.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 11% of U.S. children ages 3 to 17 years have ever been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Boys were overwhelmingly more likely to be diagnosed than girls, at 15% to 8%, respectively. Similarly, dyslexia affects approximately 20% of the world population, and some studies find that males are more often diagnosed with the disorder than females. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ADHD and dyslexia occur more often in boys. The more likely situation is that girls are underdiagnosed.

After many years of an arguably “hidden” status in schools, dyslexia has emerged as a critical concern in education thanks to parental advocacy and because of dyslexia’s far-reaching implications for a child’s well-being and educational success. However, while awareness and recognition have increased, dyslexia may still go unidentified or misidentified in elementary school classrooms.

As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), assessment professional, and parent, I’ve gained an acute appreciation for dyslexia and all the learning I’ve gathered over the decades from research, practice, and individuals/families. Yet, I continue to learn that many professionals still may not be comfortable identifying common symptoms which indicate the need for assessment and will open the door to effective support and growth.

As educators settle into their routines with the new school year well underway, I think daily about supporting teachers who often notice behaviors and student performance before anyone else. While I encourage all my fellow SLPs to step into the classroom and listen to teacher assessments often, I also want to encourage our classroom teacher colleagues (and the rest of the educational team). Here are some of the indicators that can help identify students who may have dyslexia so they can get the support they need to succeed in school and beyond.

As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), I work with children to overcome language and speech challenges, and I’ve been fortunate enough to watch many of them make important developmental advances. I know how crucial it is to work together with families and caregivers to understand those challenges and address them in a way that best benefits the child and their family. So, I was delighted to have the opportunity to share my experience on the latest episode of Pearson’s new podcast, “Building Bridges: Strengthening the Educator-Caregiver Relationship”.

We started the conversation by defining developmental expectations in language and speech. Language skills involve being able to listen to and understand others and to express oneself, while speech skills involve producing all sounds in words. There are many different manifestations of delays in both of these areas, and they can occur for various reasons, such as the child experiencing hearing loss or physical issues.

The wide variety of causes and different developmental paces that children experience makes it vital for SLPs and other diagnostic staff to conduct well-rounded assessments and work with caregivers to understand what they’re seeing and hearing at home.

We are proud to announce the new Call for Research published by Pearson Clinical Assessment. Our goal is to ensure that Pearson assessments comply with the highest standards of quality and support research that investigates the validity or efficacy of our products. We are inviting United States-based faculty members, graduate students, and qualified researchers to submit their proposals no later than August 16, 2024.