Report writing is a complex business! In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we're delving into what makes a report truly accessible with Harmony Turnbull, researcher and Senior Speech and Language Pathologist at the Department of Education, Tasmania.

More specifically, we discuss what health professionals can do to make reports more likely to be understood and used.

Harmony is a PhD candidate at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and she is currently conducting research into allied health reports. Her research includes discussions with people that have lifelong disability about the reports they get from people such as psychologists, physios, OTs and speech pathologists.

Harmony would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of lutruita (Tasmania) where she lives and works. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.'

See the resources from this month's episode here:

1. Teach-back

What do you know about language assessments? Perhaps you're a DLD individual looking to have a language assessment completed or you have a loved one who has been recommended for a language assessment. In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we're speaking language assessments with Associate Professor Natalie Munro from The University of Sydney and Associate Professor Marleen Westerveld, Griffith Institute for Educational Research.

Together, they will combine their extensive experience as speech pathologists to help you understand what happens in a language assessment, why they are important and how you can prepare to make the most of your session.

Find the resources discussed in this episode here: Language Assessments & DLD - The DLD Project

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between Autism and DLD?

In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we're talking with special guest Professor Andrew Whitehouse, the Angela Wright Bennett Professor of Autism Research at Telethon Kids and University of Western Australia.

Professor Whitehouse was also a member of the CATALISE consortium that recommended the use of the term Developmental Language Disorder or DLD.

A common question we hear from families is "how do we tell our child they have Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)?". Great question!

In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we're speaking with Anna Sowerbutts and Amanda Finer, authors of the book DLD and Me: Supporting Children and Young People with Developmental Language Disorder. Topics covered include:

1. When is a 'good' time to communicate a DLD Diagnosis

Find the links to the resources discussed in this episode here: https://thedldproject.com/talking-about-dld-with-your-child/

Will every person diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) struggle with their mental health? How do you support a loved one with mental health challenges? What do health professionals and educators need to know about working with people with DLD who also have mental health issues?

In this very practical episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we are talking Developmental Language Disorder and mental health with Melanie Cross, speech and language therapist, and author of ‘Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties and Communication Problems’ (JKP 2011), 2nd edition.

See the links to resources discussed in this episode here

Can a student's vocabulary impact on their ability to learn? In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we are talking vocabulary. Our special guests are Stephen Parsons & Anna Branagan, Speech and Language Therapists, trainers and co-authors of resources ‘Language for Thinking’, ‘Word Aware’ (primary and Early Years) and ‘Language for Behaviour and Emotions.’ 

Tune into Vocabulary & DLD | Episode 5 Season 2 of The Talking DLD Podcast to hear classroom strategies for increasing learning and what families can do at home to help students with DLD grow their vocabulary.

To learn more about DLD head to thedldproject.com.

In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we are tackling the big one - Dosage and Frequency of Language Therapy for children with DLD. 

Our special guest is Professor Laura Justice, speech pathologist and EHE Distinguished Professor, Department of Educational Studies at The Ohio State University. Laura is well known and respected for her research into language therapy.

"We don’t need to see kids 3 to 5 times a week. We just need to be fiercely productive when we are with the kids." Professor Laura Justice.

Should Australia introduce universal screening for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) ? How common is dyslexia co-occurring alongside DLD?

In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast we're talking language screening with special guest Dr.Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD CCC-SLP, Director of the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab and Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston. In this episode Tiffany will:

• talk about language screening practices in the US for DLD

About DR Hogan

Dr. Hogan studies the genetic, neurologic, and behavioral links between oral and written language development, with a focus on implementation science for improving assessment and intervention for young children with speech, language and/or literacy impairments. Her research is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. 

Dr. Hogan teaches online graduate courses in literacy assessment and intervention and leading literacy change. She is an advocate for children with communication disorders including Developmental Language Disorders, Dyslexia, and Speech Sound Disorders.  

She is co-founder of the DLD informational website: www.dldandme.org, she hosts a podcast, SeeHearSpeak Podcast (www.seehearspeakpodcast.com), and she is an elected board member for the Society for the Scientific Studies of Reading. 

Her career achievements have been acknowledged through receipt of numerous awards and fellowships including an Award for Early Career Contributions in Research and Lifetime Fellow bestowed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and a Faculty Excellence in Research Award from the MGH Institute. Find her on twitter (@tiffanyphogan), Facebook (sailliteracylab), Instagram (@seehearspeakpodcast) or the web (www.mghihp.edu/sail). 

Resources Discussed in the Podcast

• Tools chart: https://charts.intensiveintervention.org/ascreening

Grammar therapy intervention. How do you do it and why is it particularly effective when working with children with DLD? In this episode of The Talking DLD Podcast our special guest is Dr Samuel Calder, speech pathologist and academic from Curtin University, Perth who is investigating grammar intervention using shape coding. 

Shape coding utilises colours and shapes to help kids learn  how words fit together. This can be very helpful for children with DLD. In this episode Dr Calder will:

• share how going from learning language to language for learning can be a real challenge for kids with Developmental Language Disorder

• Combining implicit and explicit intervention approaches to target grammar in young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Read the publication here.