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Special Educational Needs: Developmental Language Disorder

Answer

We recognise the challenges that children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, including those with developmental language disorder (DLD). Our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms will ensure every child gets the right support at the right time, including those with DLD who may not have previously received the necessary support.

Speech and language therapists (SaLTs) break down communication barriers, but too often children and young people with SEND wait too long to receive the support they need.

As part of our new £1.8 billion investment, schools will be able to access support from SaLTs through the Experts at Hand offer. These experts will work directly with school staff to equip them with skills and strategies to better meet need.

We are also investing £15 million to establish new SaLT advanced practitioners in every integrated care board area to support more SaLTs to work with educational settings, upskill speech and language support workers and promote the SaLT apprenticeship route.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

1903

Session

2026-27

Subjects

Special educational needs Developmental language disorder

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk