DLD as a Multidimensional Neurodevelopmental Spectrum: Implications for Diagnosis

In this DLDday special, Frankie Boyle, Experiential Light Artist and adult with DLD, joins Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz for an honest conversation about creativity, identity and finding ways to express yourself. Frankie shares how light and colour shape her world, reflects on growing up with Developmental Language Disorder, and takes us behind the scenes of creating artwork for the 2026 global DLDday campaign. 💜 Help make DLD visible. Support RADLD’s billboard fundraising campaign and bring DLD awareness into public spaces. Donate to Make DLD Visible

What is it like to love and support an adult with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)? In this heartfelt episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, Georgia shares her unique perspective as both a paediatric Speech and Language Therapist and the wife of an adult with DLD. She reflects on how she recognised the signs that led to her husband Joel's diagnosis, the strengths and qualities he brings to their relationship, and how understanding DLD has shaped their lives together. Whether you're a partner, family member, friend, clinician or an adult with DLD yourself, this conversation offers practical insights, reassurance and real-world advice on building strong relationships, improving communication and supporting adults with DLD to thrive.

What if everything we thought we knew about diagnosing Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)… was only part of the picture? In this powerful new episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, we sit down with Dr Karla McGregor to unpack her latest research. Developmental Language Disorder as a Multidimensional Neurodevelopmental Spectrum And it challenges one of the biggest assumptions in the field. In this episode, Dr McGregor explores a growing tension in the research: DLD is not a single, uniform condition. Instead, her work highlights the complexity of diagnosing DLD describing it as a multidimensional neurodevelopmental spectrum, where individuals present with very different profiles, strengths, and challenges.

In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we’re catching up with Professor Suze Leitão from Curtin University and the Engage with DLD teams. Suze and collaborators have recently published a research paper titled: “They don’t realise how hard he has to try every day”: The rewards and challenges of parenting a child with developmental language disorder. Tune in as we unpack this important body of work and explore its impact on clinical practice and advocacy. Head to our website to access resources discussed in this episode: The Rewards & Challenges of Parenting a Child with DLD - The DLD Project

At 28 years old, Joel was navigating life, career, and relationships in bustling London—unaware that the challenges he’d faced with communication since childhood had a name: Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). In this powerful episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, Joel shares what it was like to be diagnosed as an adult, how it reshaped his understanding of himself, and why he’s now passionate about breaking the silence around DLD. With honesty, warmth, and insight, Joel walks us through the years before his diagnosis, the moment everything clicked, and how it feels to finally have answers. You won’t want to miss this deeply personal conversation as Joel explains how having the diagnosis has changed his life.   Grow your skills with us & support people with DLD Module 1: Diagnosing DLD with Confidence. Learn more. Module 2: Evidence Based Interventions & Strategies for Children with DLD. Learn more. Module 3: Planning Therapy & Measuring Outcomes for people with DLD. Learn more. Module 4: DLD + Co-Occurring Conditions. Learn more. International DLD Research Conference Keynote Series. Learn more.  What is Language + What is DLD - FREE Course. Learn more.  

Rachel Sievers is an independent speech language therapist based in the UK that has been proactively supporting a growing number of adults with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, Rachel talks us through assessing adults and the types of supports people with DLD need later in life.    You can access the resources discussed in this episode here: Supporting Adults with DLD - The DLD Project   Grow your skills with us & support people with DLD Module 1: Diagnosing DLD with Confidence. Learn more. Module 2: Evidence Based Interventions & Strategies for Children with DLD. Learn more. Module 3: Planning Therapy & Measuring Outcomes for people with DLD. Learn more. Module 4: DLD + Co-Occurring Conditions. Learn more. International DLD Research Conference Keynote Series. Learn more.  What is Language + What is DLD - FREE Course. Learn more.  

Each year, we are hearing from more people with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) who are undertaking ongoing study post school. Eires, a person with DLD, Dyslexia and ADHD has recently completed her Masters to become a speech pathologist. In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, we explore her experiences at school and university and the many hurdles she has overcome to follow her dreams. In this episode, Eires, shares her recommendations for educators working with people with DLD and provides tips for families and people with DLD on how to navigate ongoing learning.   Listener note: This episode has some minor technical difficulties affecting audio quality that we were unable to fix during editing. We decided not to re-record the episode due to the amazing insights provided by Eires that we were worried we would lose if we did a redo. Enjoy.

Some people with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) seem to have an exceptional talent for thinking out of the box and creating incredible artworks. Think animator Lily Farrington and author Shelbi Annison. We have had the privilege to collaborate with many talented people with DLD and our most recent work on RADLD's 2024 #DLDday campaign gave us the opportunity to meet Siouxsie and her mum Rachel, two vibrant women from the UK with a passion for raising awareness of DLD. Siouxsie created the awareness poster by hand stitching fabric, buttons and threads that were then photographed and turned into a digital poster that was distributed globally. The artwork was spectacular, and it got us thinking how can people with DLD tap into their passions. In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, we hear about Siouxsie's process and the things she does to unlock her creativity. Read more about Siouxsie and Rachel here: https://thedldproject.com/dld-creativity-with-siouxsie-rachel/  

Everyone is talking about the efficacy of Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition, so we thought we better have a look into what recent research is telling us. In this insightful episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, Professor Bronwyn Hemsley and Dr Caroline Bowen AM discuss their recent systematic review of interventions based on Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition (GLP/NLA): Clinical implications of absence of evidence and cautions for clinicians and parents. Resources Bryant, L., Bowen, C., Grove, R. Dixon, G., Beals, K., Shane, H., & Hemsley, B. (2024). Systematic review of interventions based on Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition (GLP/NLA): Clinical implications of absence of evidence and cautions for clinicians and parents. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 12, 1–14 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-024-00312-z The National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice The Autism CRE Australia Supporting Autistic Children Guideline The Communication Hub  

Did you know that it takes approximately 17 years for research to reach practice (Balas & Boren, 2000)? We call this the research-to-practice gap. The gap means that evidence-based practices do not get used as much as they should, and people with developmental language disorder (DLD) do not benefit from them. In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast, we're joined by Dr. Rouzana Komesidou, an implementation scientist, consultant, and the founder of Mosinian Research & Consultancy, located in Cyprus to explore all things implementation science.   You can access the resources discussed in this episode here: https://thedldproject.com/implementation-science-and-dld/   Grow your skills with us & support people with DLD Module 1: Diagnosing DLD with Confidence. Learn more. Module 2: Evidence Based Interventions & Strategies for Children with DLD. Learn more. Module 3: Planning Therapy & Measuring Outcomes for people with DLD. Learn more. Module 4: DLD + Co-Occurring Conditions. Learn more. International DLD Research Conference Keynote Series. Learn more.  What is Language + What is DLD - FREE Course. Learn more.