Developmental Language Disorder: Cognition in Childhood

Recent UK research suggests that around 10% of children show significant language difficulties at school entry. While some of these children have other developmental difficulties such as autism or Down syndrome, around 7% of the population have unexplained language difficulties or developmental language disorder (DLD). The language of children with DLD may be characterized by the use of short, simple words and sentences; difficulties in understanding instructions or following conversations; and grammatical errors that would be unusual for typically developing children. DLD is a disorder that has lifelong consequences, particularly in terms of literacy and school attainment, social relationships, and occupational outcomes. DLD is heterogeneous and often co‐occurs with other developmental difficulties, making it relatively difficult to understand the causes of the disorder.