Understanding Language Difficulties

Description

Every educator, in every classroom, is highly likely to teach a student with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) each year. The Understanding Language Difficulties workshop is based on the Guide produced by the Dyslexia Speld Foundation in 2020. It includes a wealth of valuable information regarding the identification and assessment of, and intervention for, students with oral language difficulties or Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

Children and adolescents can experience difficulties with receptive (understanding of) language and/or expressive (use of) language, that can impinge on their school participation, academic attainments, social interactions, and mental health. It is widely acknowledged that students with oral language difficulties benefit from targeted support from a speech pathologist; nevertheless, teachers and parents play an arguably more important role in the everyday, long-term support of these students.

The workshop provides practical guidance regarding effective teaching and accommodative strategies for both primary and secondary students. The workshop is suitable for teachers, speech pathologists, psychologists, and anyone working with students with persistent and significant language difficulties. 

Sarah Grunwald, a Speech Pathologist from the Dyslexia Speld Foundation will be facilitating this workshop. Sarah has over a decade of experience providing assessments, therapy and tutoring services to students with literacy learning difficulties, developmental language disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Through her current work as a Speech Pathologist on the Dyslexia SPELD Foundation W.A. clinical team, Sarah is dedicated to supporting educators and clinicians across Perth through training, coaching and intervention models to achieve the best communication, academic and social outcomes for their students.