Identifying and describing developmental language disorder in children.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric language disorders
• Clinical linguistics
• Speech-language pathology

Background:

• A 2016-17 consensus defined developmental language disorder (DLD) for children with persistent language issues impacting communication or learning, excluding other biomedical conditions.
• Despite consensus, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) exhibit uncertainty in applying the DLD diagnostic label in clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical language profiles and assessment results that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) consider sufficient for diagnosing developmental language disorder (DLD).
• To explore variations in diagnostic processes and criteria used by SLPs when identifying DLD.

Main Methods:

• Survey of SLPs presented with 10 distinct childhood language profiles and associated assessment data.
• Participants indicated if DLD diagnosis was warranted, identified consistent/inconsistent symptoms, and specified further information needs.
• SLPs detailed their personal diagnostic approaches and decision-making processes for DLD.

Main Results:

• A general agreement among SLPs was observed regarding the application of the DLD label.
• Free-text responses revealed significant clinician variability in prioritizing symptoms and interpreting assessment results for DLD diagnosis.
• Discrepancies were noted in the minimal assessment data considered necessary for a DLD diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights areas of consensus and variation in SLP diagnostic practices for DLD.
• Findings offer insights into improving consistency and confidence in diagnosing DLD, particularly for complex pediatric language profiles.
• Understanding these diagnostic nuances is crucial for refining clinical guidelines and enhancing diagnostic accuracy for DLD.