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Article on "Developmental Language Disorder" vs. "Specific Language Impairment"


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I know we've had a discussion on DLD vs. SLI on this forum but I don't have time to go digging through the threads to find the right one. Anyways, here is an interesting article on the topic from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (professional organization for Speech & Language Pathologists). https://leader.pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/leader.FTR1.23122018.44

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You know I'm really terrible at terms and keeping things straight, and that article just BLEW MY MIND, like right out of the water, kaboom, like the Mythbusters Merrython right now.

So what's screwy about all this is one, they exclude ASD (among other things) from being included in either label apparently, two they're perfectly happy to look at IQ for this but NOT when we point out that IQ means a need for language to match (higher IQ needs higher language to function), and three it puts the SLP in the really bizarre position (that they seem to be cool with but I no longer am) of trying to judge whether someone has ASD (or ADHD or dyslexia or all the other things they seem to take on themselves the more I read).

So think about the stupidity of this. I spent 3 years trying to prove a language delay to meet the LEGAL DEFINITION of autism in my state, which happens to match the federal definition, but then they don't want to diagnose it separately and acknowledge it because he happens to have autism? But not every kid with autism has as serious effect on language as my ds. It's absolutely positively absurd. And it's not in-line with how the DSM is set up, where they try to parcel off and bit-tize everything. 

ASHA should make their diagnostic approach consistent with the DSM and diagnose the parts as they exist so the parts can be identified for IEP purposes and treated.

They should not put SLPs in the unfortunate, frankly arrogant, position of feeling compelled to make declarations about complex diagnoses that extend beyond language like whether the dc has autism. If the dc comes to them before the autism diagnosis or with a disputed diagnosis (parent doesn't agree, conflicting psychs, whatever), then does that change the language needs of the child? No. So it's absurd. They need to use diagnostic terminology that reflects the treatment needs of the child.

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Searched another group quickly and it looks like the terms are embroiled in on-the-ground debates about what insurance will cover (if it's "developmental" vs. ...), what the state law says, what the ps wants it coded as, etc. So on the ground, the whole consideration of who and discriminating what caused what wasn't even the issue. It was just the law and insurance coverage and how to get service covered.

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