ERIC Number: EJ1478658
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-1461
EISSN: EISSN-1558-9129
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Communication across the School Day: A Nationwide Teacher Survey on Developmental Language Disorder
Brittany Ciullo; Jill Hoover
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, v56 n3 p770-788 2025
Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate how teachers in the United States understand and perceive developmental language disorder (DLD). This study used a survey to examine teachers' understanding of DLD and the impact of DLD at school to inform advocacy efforts within the discipline of communication sciences and disorders (CSD) and collaborations between speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and teachers. Method: The survey was administered online via Qualtrics and consisted of 27 closed-response questions (i.e., Likert scale or multiple-choice) and four open-response questions. We analyzed the closed-response questions using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The open-response questions were analyzed using a summative content analysis. Results: Two hundred four responses were included in the analysis. Survey respondents successfully identified language-based activities that would be difficult for children with DLD, such as participating in conversations. Many respondents were not familiar with the term DLD nor the lifelong nature of the disorder. Respondents' self-rated ability to recognize students with DLD, determine the educational impact of DLD, and use classroom accommodations varied based on type of teaching role, grade taught, and previous training in language disorders. Content analysis of open responses revealed four categories capturing respondents' descriptions of DLD: social impact, communication, school environment, and teacher insight. Many respondents felt uncertain about characteristics of DLD and its impact across the school day. Conclusions: Although many survey respondents were unfamiliar with the term DLD and associated diagnostic criteria, they accurately identified many tasks that would be difficult for students with DLD on both closed-response and open-response questions. Practical implications for SLPs and future directions for CSD researchers are provided to improve DLD awareness efforts and to establish shared terminology about language impairment among CSD researchers, practicing SLPs, and educators.
Descriptors: National Surveys, Teacher Surveys, Teacher Attitudes, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Developmental Disabilities, Language Impairments, Communication Disorders, Advocacy, Speech Language Pathology, Students with Disabilities, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Disability Identification, Responsibility, Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: lshss@asha.org; Web site: http://lshss.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A