Learning Disabilities

When Skills Don’t Line Up: Making Sense of DLD and Grade Expectations

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Grade Level, Learning Disabilities, Parents, Speech Pathology / /

Determining a student’s “grade level” can be especially challenging when that student has Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) (Ziegenfusz et al, 2022). DLD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects how children understand and use language, including vocabulary, grammar, following directions, processing questions, and expressing ideas clearly. Because language underpins all areas of academic learning, these challenges […]

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Acknowledging the Diagnosis: Why Denial Hurts More Than the Label Ever Could

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Dyslexia and Reading Disorders, Learning Disabilities, Parents, Speech Pathology / /

It’s a situation that sadly happens far too often. A parent or caregiver refuses to acknowledge a particular diagnosis, such as Autism, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Dyslexia, or another neurodevelopmental condition. Sometimes it’s about fear. Other times, stigma (Turnock et al, 2022; Huang et al., 2023). In many cases, it’s rooted in the belief that

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Why Summer Matters Most: What Parents Need to Know About Language, Literacy & Learning Loss

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Dyslexia and Reading Disorders, Evidence-Based Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Parents, Reading Comprehension, Social Pragmatic Deficits, Speech Pathology, Summer Learning Loss, Twice Exceptional/High IQ, Writing / /

As summer approaches, many families begin to wind down from the academic year, looking forward to a break from routines, early mornings, and school responsibilities. While rest and unstructured time are important for children, pausing language and literacy therapy over the summer can have serious consequences, especially for students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Autism,

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One Step at a Time: Therapy for Young Adults that Works

Leave a Comment / Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Contextualized Language Intervention, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Evidence-Based Intervention, Executive Functions, Learning Disabilities, Life Outcomes, Self-Advocacy, Social Pragmatic Deficits, Speech Pathology, Young Adults / /

After my last post, a number of parents and SLPs have contacted me to find out what typical therapy sessions with young adults look like on a weekly basis. They were especially curious about how therapy can support young adults who struggle with managing emotions, staying organized, and navigating social situations. Many of these young

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Stop Saying “You’re Fine”: Why Struggling Students Deserve the Truth and Real Help

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Discriminant Accuracy, Dyslexia and Reading Disorders, Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), Learning Disabilities, Life Outcomes, Parents, Self-Advocacy, Special Education Disputes, Speech Pathology, Standardized Tests / /

In the field of speech language pathology and allied services, we carry the immense responsibility of identifying and supporting children who struggle with language and literacy. Yet all too often, our good intentions are undercut by poor testing practices, superficial conclusions, and a harmful tendency to reassure students by telling them “there’s nothing wrong with

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Real Reading Requires Real Instruction: Why Accommodations Aren’t Enough

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Dyslexia and Reading Disorders, Evidence-Based Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Life Outcomes, Reading Comprehension, Speech Pathology / /

Timothy Shanahan’s recent blog post, Accommodating Reading Comprehension with Listening—Good Idea?, raises a critical concern: when schools and educators rely on listening comprehension or text-to-speech (TTS) as a substitute for direct reading instruction, they fail to address the root causes of students’ reading difficulties. While these accommodations may provide temporary access to content, they do

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Hard Truths, Stronger Futures: Why Facing Reality Helps Your Child Succeed

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Evidence-Based Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Life Outcomes, Parents, Special Education Disputes, Speech Pathology / /

For many parents, hearing that their child is more impaired than they previously believed can be devastating. This is especially true when the children have been attending specialized private schools that failed to adequately identify and address their language and literacy deficits. The revelation often comes after an outside comprehensive language and literacy testing—an experience

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Beyond the Breakthrough: Why Language and Literacy Therapy Must Continue After Initial Success

Leave a Comment / Academic Success, Contextualized Language Intervention, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Evidence-Based Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Life Outcomes, Speech Pathology / /

Early progress in therapy can be misleading, as skills need reinforcement to prevent regression and keep up with academic demands. Research shows that discontinuing support too soon can lead to future struggles (Catts et al., 2012; Justice et al., 2009). Sustained intervention ensures long-term success, helping students retain and apply their skills as academic challenges increase (Stanovich, 1986). Therapy isn’t just a fix—it’s an investment in a child’s future.

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Why Accuracy Matters: The Hidden Risks of Flawed Language and Literacy Tests

Leave a Comment / Clinical Assessment, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Discriminant Accuracy, Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), Learning Disabilities, Special Education Disputes, Speech Pathology, Standardized Tests / /

When it comes to diagnosing students with developmental language disorders (DLD) and literacy deficits, the choice of assessment tools is critical. Many commonly used language tests have serious psychometric flaws that undermine their validity, leading to misidentifications that can have lasting educational and social consequences. This post examines the psychometric properties of several widely used

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School SLPs vs. Private SLPs: Do They Really Target Different Oral Language Goals?

Leave a Comment / Contextualized Language Intervention, Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), Evidence-Based Intervention, Learning Disabilities, Special Education Disputes, Speech Pathology / /

Recently I was in an IEP meeting for an elementary-aged student. During the meeting, I raised concerns regarding several non-evidenced-based oral language goals for the student and suggested modifying them to meet the student’s extensive academic needs better. To my surprise several IEP team members pushed back, emphasizing the supposed differences between school and private

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