Every year I meet young adults who were diagnosed with language/ learning disorders (or who were never properly identified but clearly struggled their entire school careers). Many of them did what they thought they were supposed to do: they went to college. Their parents, desperate to give them a shot at success, took out loans […]
When it comes to reading intervention, few programs are as widely known, or as hotly debated, as the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach. Marketed as a lifeline for children with dyslexia and word-level reading disabilities (WLRD), OG is often touted as the gold standard. But is it? A closer look at the evidence tells a far more
Speech-language pathologists claim to be a science-driven profession that follows the evidence. We cite evidence-based practice in our values, policies, and professional rhetoric. But in day-to-day reality, clinical decisions are often shaped less by research and more by revenue. The uncomfortable truth? Profit, not evidence, increasingly dictates what gets promoted, adopted, and normalized in our
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
When Skills Don’t Line Up: Making Sense of DLD and Grade Expectations Read More »
In the world of educational assessments, there’s a long-standing reverence for the IQ score (Ritchie, 2015). Intelligence has often been seen as the gold standard for predicting academic success (Ren et al., 2015). However, in the case of twice-exceptional (2e) children—those with high IQs but significant learning disabilities—this traditional view can be misleading, especially when
Gifted but Overlooked: Rethinking Evaluation for 2e Students Read More »
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
Acknowledging the Diagnosis: Why Denial Hurts More Than the Label Ever Could Read More »
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,
When we think about speech-language therapy, we often picture young children learning to pronounce their sounds correctly, build vocabulary, or put sentences together for the first time. But what about the young adults who made it through school undiagnosed, unassisted, and now in their 20s who are quietly struggling to hold jobs, navigate relationships, or
From Overlooked to Empowered: Supporting Young Adults with Hidden Challenges Read More »
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
Stop Saying “You’re Fine”: Why Struggling Students Deserve the Truth and Real Help Read More »
For many parents of children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), the future can feel uncertain. Will their child get into college? Will they have a good job? Will they be able to pursue their dreams? Can they ever truly thrive in a world that demands strong language and literacy skills? The answer is a resounding
Breaking Barriers: How Students with DLD Are Thriving and Achieving Their Dreams Read More »