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Involving Individuals with Developmental Language Disorder and Their Parents/Carers in Research Priority Setting
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Key Stakeholder Views on Educational Support and Academic Progress for Students With Developmental Language Disorder
Julia Wallmann1, Christina Samuelsson2, Birgitta Sahlén3
1Division of Sensory Organs and Communication, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
|November 25, 2025
Summary
Educational support is vital for students with developmental language disorder (DLD). However, its impact on academic progress varies, highlighting the need to include student perspectives for effective support strategies.
Area of Science:
- Education
- Speech and Language Pathology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Adequate support is crucial for students with developmental language disorder (DLD) to achieve educational equity.
- Understanding stakeholder perspectives on support and academic progress is essential for DLD students.
- Current knowledge needs expansion regarding the link between educational support and academic outcomes for DLD learners.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the perceived relationship between educational support and academic progress for students with DLD.
- To investigate the experiences of key stakeholders, including students, caregivers, and school professionals, regarding support provision.
- To gain insights into how different support strategies influence the academic journey of students with DLD.
Main Methods:
- The study involved three clusters, each centered around a student with DLD (aged 12-16) in Swedish compulsory school.
- Semistructured interviews were conducted with students, caregivers, teachers, support staff, and speech-language pathologists within each cluster.
- Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to analyze the collected stakeholder perspectives.
Main Results:
- All participants recognized educational support as fundamental to academic progress for students with DLD.
- Perceived effectiveness of support varied across the three clusters, despite similarities in provision.
- Key themes identified included the balance between student effort and achievement, instances where support was counterproductive, and the positive impact of collaborative, targeted interventions.
Conclusions:
- The relationship between educational support and academic progress for students with DLD is complex and context-dependent.
- Similar support provisions can yield different outcomes in various educational settings.
- Future development of effective support for DLD students must integrate the viewpoints of all stakeholders, especially the students themselves.
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