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wordaware.bsky.social
Word Aware
@wordaware.bsky.social
Stephen Parsons. Speech and Language Therapist, trainer and author. Chair of RADLD. Co-Chair of SLCA. Vocabulary, spoken language, oracy, Developmental Language Disorder #DevLangDis. #BskySpeechies thinkingtalking.co.uk
Fantastic day at the EU parliament today raising awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
A step forward!
Big thank you to MEP Peter Agies for hosting, ESLA for organizing and especially Chair, Sahra Ahmed.
#DevLangDis
#DLDday
October 16, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Concept Cat impacts on vocabulary & maths in Early Years!
educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and...

To make it easy to deliver we now have boxes that include cat toys, puppets, word bags & masses of symbols. All you need to get going in a Nursery class. @lang4think.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Even for people with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) who lead ‘successful’ lives, the struggle persists. Others can’t see DLD and so don’t understand the effort required by people with DLD in things like everyday conversations #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 13, 2025 at 10:15 AM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) exists in every language, but identification requires care as it can be both over and under identified.
Speaking multiple languages does not cause DLD!
#DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
It’s easy to focus on the negatives but people with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) have strengths too. They just need opportunities to show them! #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 11:25 AM
People with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) need to work hard, and when so few know about DLD they face many barriers. All that takes a toll on mental health.
More awareness would really make a difference! #DLDday #DevLangDis #WorldMentalHealthDay @radld.bsky.social
October 10, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Teamwork across professions and agencies is crucial for supporting children with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder). Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, families are crucial during the school phase. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social @shaunziegenfusz.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 5:00 PM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is not just ‘a little thing with their speech that they will grow out of.’ If unsupported it is a serious lifelong condition that impacts on mental health, learning and life opportunities. That’s why we need awareness. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Don’t forget #DLDday is coming on Friday October 17th. Join in, raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and make a difference. Find out more at radld.org. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Even before a person’s DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is diagnosed they usually know they are different. So rather than stand out, it’s natural to get by, by masking. Quietly nodding or creating a distraction are strategies to go unnoticed. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 7, 2025 at 10:12 AM
When thinking about DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) it’s easier to focus on the spoken part & forget that it also involves understanding. DLD makes understanding words and sentences hard too. Shorter sentences, simple vocabulary & pausing more all help! #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 6, 2025 at 10:58 AM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) makes spoken language harder. That does not mean that people with DLD can’t succeed. I have met lots of adults with DLD and the one attribute they share is determination. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 5, 2025 at 5:37 PM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is NOT a delay. It exists in adults too. In the UK there is no free-to-access pathway for assessment for adults. Without their needs identified, people with DLD struggle to access support. This needs to change #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 3, 2025 at 3:50 PM
OK, so DLD stands for Developmental Language DISORDER but it helps if you think of it as a difference in how the brain processes language. And whilst people with DLD can learn language, you can’t change the DLD any more than you can autism in an autistic person #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is a difficulty with spoken language, and so to support learning we need to find other ways. Visuals such as images, diagrams and videos can all be used to support understanding and structure expression too. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 2, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Reading is based in spoken language and so people with DLD often find reading challenging. Decoding and comprehension can both be problematic. Many people who are diagnosed with dyslexia also have DLD. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 1, 2025 at 7:47 PM
If your school wants to do more for children's vocabulary then we have the course for you. Word Aware is tried and tested, and it works.
Next Word Aware whole school vocabulary course is October 9th. Other dates also: thinkingtalking.co.uk/finding-a-wo...
October 1, 2025 at 1:11 PM
#DLDday, the day we raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder is happening on October 17th. DLD is more common than autism, has significant impacts on learning and mental wellbeing, and yet few have heard of it. Be part of the change. Go to radld.org #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
October 1, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Life can be hard for many people with DLD (Developmental Language Disorder). Other people can treat them badly, and when they try and explain their needs, others react with blank faces. We need way more awareness of DLD! #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 4:23 PM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is a lifelong condition. There is no ‘cure’ but once needs are identified and support offered, risk factors fall away and people with DLD can thrive. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
September 30, 2025 at 10:12 AM
DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is common. Around 2 in every class of 30 have it. It’s more common than autism, but because awareness is low most people don’t know they have it. Especially adults. #DLDday #DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
September 29, 2025 at 1:55 PM
#DLDday is coming, so I’m starting a thread over a few days.

DLD (Developmental Language Disorder) is all about spoken language. Words and sentences are tricky for people with DLD. And people don’t grow out of it.
#DevLangDis @radld.bsky.social
September 29, 2025 at 10:02 AM
A book about DLD for schools, written by a SENCO. All thanks to Katie Little. Coming soon.
www.routledge.com/Creating-an-...
#DevLangDis
September 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Well trained staff run more effective interventions. So build capacity to support students with SLCN in your school.

Our next half day online 'Language for Thinking' training is 30/9. Join us:

thinkingtalking.co.uk/finding-a-wo...
September 23, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Word Aware (whole school vocabulary), Language for Thinking and Language for Behaviour and Emotions courses date for the year are available here.
Our approaches are practical and effective and well suited to teachers and SaLT.
thinkingtalking.co.uk/finding-a-wo... #vocabulary #SLCN #DevLangDis
August 31, 2025 at 6:51 PM