Engage with Developmental Language Disorder: A new project to facilitate research into Developmental Language Disorder

Conducting research on DLD is hard, particularly for researchers unattached to Speech Language Therapy/Pathology services. The difficulty in conducting DLD research may contribute to the well-established fact that DLD research is underfunded (Bishop, 2010) and the condition under-researched, given its prevalence and impact (Bishop, 2010; McGregor, 2020). The Engage with Developmental Language Disorder (or E-DLD) project aims to help address the difficulties in recruiting individuals to take part in DLD research. E-DLD is an international database of individuals and families affected by DLD. E-DLD members are regularly informed about DLD research projects and given the opportunity to take part. Currently, 62 parents and two adults with DLD have signed up. Average age of the children is 8.2 years, 87% are monolingual, 84% have siblings and 71% are from the UK. Twelve countries are represented (including Wales, England and Scotland). The E-DLD initiative has advertised three research projects and has an integrated longitudinal study. We encourage all DLD researchers and SLT/SLPs to help spread the word about the E-DLD project and to consider advertising their projects to E-DLD members.