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 often impact a child’s ability to read, write, and fully participate in classroom instruction. While families and educators understandably want to know what “grade level” a child is functioning at, the reality is that students with DLD rarely fit neatly into a single category. Their strengths and challenges often span multiple levels across different subjects and skills.
One reason it’s so hard to assign a grade level is that students with DLD tend to have uneven skill profiles (Ziegenfusz et al, 2022). For instance, a child may decode written words accurately, perhaps at a 4th-grade level, but struggle to understand or explain what those words mean, more in line with a 2nd-grade level. They might write simple sentences but become overwhelmed when asked to produce a paragraph or organize their thoughts into a story. Their oral language might sound fluent in everyday conversation, but fall apart when required to use academic language or explain complex ideas. This variability isn’t unusual; in fact, it’s one of the hallmarks of DLD. Language development is not linear for these students, and growth often occurs in bursts, with plateaus, regressions, or periods of slow progress in between (Sun & Wallach, 2014).
Another factor that complicates matters is the strong link between language and literacy. According to research by Catts and colleagues (2002), early language weaknesses lead to later reading and writing difficulties. This connection explains why some students may fall increasingly behind in school, even when they appear bright or motivated. If a student struggles to understand how sentences work, has difficulty learning new vocabulary, or can’t easily follow verbal explanations, they are at a disadvantage in every single subject, including math, science, and social studies. These language-based learning barriers accumulate over time, making it harder to “catch up” without intensive support.
Context also plays a major role. A child with DLD might perform relatively well in a small, language-rich classroom with lots of visual supports, structured routines, and individualized attention. But the same child could struggle significantly in a fast-paced, lecture-heavy environment with complex instructions or abstract tasks. Many children with DLD also experience fatigue from the constant effort of listening, processing, and expressing themselves. This means their performance can vary depending on the time of day, how much support is available, and the demands of the specific task or topic. These day-to-day fluctuations make it even more difficult to assign a fixed “grade level.”
Finally, it’s important to understand that “grade level” is a general benchmark based on averages, and it doesn’t account for how children with DLD learn. These students need more repetition, more time, and more explicit instruction to master the same skills as their peers (McGregor et al., 2021). But with appropriate interventions, they can make meaningful progress. Hence, it’s far more helpful to think in terms of learning profiles rather than grade-level estimates (McGregor et al., 2023). What are the child’s strengths? Where do they need support? What strategies help them access and express what they know?
In short, children with DLD do not follow a typical developmental path, and their learning often resists straightforward classification. Their skills are dynamic and context-dependent, shaped by the support they receive and the demands placed upon them. Rather than focusing on where they fall compared to a grade-level standard, we need to be asking: What helps them grow? What are the realistic next steps? And how can we support both their learning and their confidence along the way?
References:
- Catts, H. W., Fey, M. E., Tomblin, J. B., & Zhang, X. (2002). A longitudinal investigation of reading outcomes in children with language impairments. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 45(6), 1142–1157.
- McGregor, K. K., Van Horne, A. O., Curran, M., Cook, S. W., & Cole, R. (2021). The challenge of rich vocabulary instruction for children with developmental language disorder. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 52(2), 467–484.
- McGregor, K. K., Ohlmann, N., Eden, N., Arbisi-Kelm, T., & Young, A. (2023). Abilities and disabilities among children with developmental language disorder. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 54(3), 927–951.
- Sun, L & Wallach G (2014) Language Disorders Are Learning Disabilities: Challenges on the Divergent and Diverse Paths to Language Learning Disability. Topics in Language Disorders, Vol. 34; (1), pp 25–38.
- Ziegenfusz, S., Paynter, J., Flückiger, B., & Westerveld, M. F. (2022). A systematic review of the academic achievement of primary and secondary school-aged students with developmental language disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 7, 23969415221099397.