Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the management of children and young people with developmental language disorders (DLD). DLD is a relatively common condition affecting children and young people. The book addresses the way that the needs of the child with developmental language disorders are met across Europe. It considers the context of evidence-based practice in this field, how the survey works and the main findings from the survey itself, and looks at the theoretical underpinnings of intervention, the way that services are arranged and the cultural context in which they are delivered. DLD is often described as being either primary or secondary. A bilingual or multilingual child may experience DLD but this would normally be in each of the languages concerned. The emphasis is on oral language rather than any alternative or augmentative language systems.