Friday 16th of October is DLD Awareness Day around the world!
Announcement posted by The DLD Project 16 Oct 2020
Parker, is an amazing photographer with nearly 4000 followers on his Instagram page (@phlphotos) and he really enjoys participating in a range of sports. Parker also has Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) that affects two children in the average classroom.
Parker was originally diagnosed with dyslexia in Grade 3 but due to continual difficulties at school that weren’t totally explained by dyslexia he received a diagnosis of DLD in early 2020.
"DLD feels like everything is going over my head all the time. When I talk, it feels a bit like I'm about to stutter. Everything rushes to your mouth at once. I have to stop the sentence and restart or move onto something else. My mates don’t really notice, but I do,” he explains.
Having a label has been life changing for Parker. It explains why he finds it difficult to understand when a teacher gives him an instruction and why he struggles to concentrate with his mind often going blank.
“It’s not that you’re not listening or paying attention. Knowing you have DLD means you don’t beat yourself up over it.”
Parker wants people to know that having DLD doesn’t mean you are 'lazy' or 'stupid'. Just like him, the 1 in 14 people with DLD are working incredibly hard to keep up with what’s going on around them.
“People need to be patient and not get frustrated. It would be easier if more people knew about DLD.”
Parker speaks adamantly about the importance of not being singled out. He doesn’t want to be treated differently.
"It’s ok to have DLD. You can’t get rid of it. We need more awareness of DLD. More people with DLD telling their story to let people know about it.”
Australian Shaun Ziegenfusz, Speech Language Pathologist, PHD candidate at Griffith University and Co-Founder of The DLD Project, has partnered with Parker to put an end to people with DLD being invisible.
“With 1 in 14 children like Parker having DLD, it is time we talk more about this hidden but common lifelong condition. Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day, is Friday the 16th of October and there is so much work to do to build awareness of DLD,” said Shaun Ziegenfusz.
“The fact is there are 2 children in the average classroom in Australia with this condition and they are being overlooked due to low awareness of their disability. We simply must do better.” Shaun Ziegenfusz
What is DLD?
You’ve probably heard about autism, dyslexia and ADHD but what about DLD? DLD causes difficulties with speaking and understanding for no known reason. There are serious and long-term impacts, as it puts children at greater risk of failing at school and struggling with mental health and future employment. The biggest challenge with DLD is you can’t tell by looking at a person that they have DLD and therefore, they often get overlooked for support.
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) refers to difficulties learning language and affects approximately 7% of the population. This makes it 7 times more common than autism and 46 times more common than childhood hearing impairment.
People with DLD are 6 times more likely to suffer from anxiety and 3 times more likely to have clinical depression. They are also at significant risk of struggling with reading, spelling and mathematics. Although DLD is a common condition affecting many areas of life, children with DLD are unlikely to receive access to services, particularly for girls. DLD has also been the focus of significantly less research than other conditions.
People with DLD can be as different as you and I. However, it is important to know that with the right supports, they can thrive!
About DLD Awareness Day
Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day, now in its fourth year, is celebrated annually around the world with more than 30 countries involved in 2019. This year’s campaign is ‘DLD – See Me’ and families, teachers, therapists and the community are coming together to ensure people with DLD no longer feel invisible.
How can people support DLD Awareness Day?
Increased awareness of DLD can reduce social stigmatisation and improve access to specialist and support services. Supporting DLD Awareness Day can be as simple as visiting The DLD Project social media channels and sharing this year’s #DLDSeeMe campaign video with your networks.
People may also like to hold a DLD Awareness Day activity on Friday 16th of October at their workplace or in the community and there are a number of materials including downloadable posters and fact sheets available at WWW.RADLD.ORG.
The DLD Project is also working to have landmarks around Australia light up in purple and yellow, the official DLD Awareness Day colours with 5 landmarks confirmed in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Friday 16th October
> AAMI Park, Melbourne
> Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, Melbourne
> Story Bridge, Brisbane
> Victoria Bridge, Brisbane
Saturday 17th October
> Optus Stadium, Perth
What is The DLD Project?
The DLD Project is a new social enterprise in Australia launched in August 2020 with the mission to be the most trusted provider of evidence based DLD information, resources and training in Australia. It is the only DLD specific service in Australia.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you’d like more information please send us an email at connect@thedldproject.com or call Shaun direct on 0401 917 241.
All of our resources are available via the following platforms:
· WEBSITE: www.thedldproject.com
· FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheDLDProject
· TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TheDLDProject_