IDLDRC 2026
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL
LANGUAGE DISORDER RESEARCH CONFERENCE
12 & 13 October | 100% ONLINE
Bringing together global researchers and clinicians
to advance understanding and outcomes in DLD.
Introducing the IDLDRC 2026 Platinum Sponsor ReadingDoctor®
30+
Research Presentations
2
International Keynotes
100%
Virtual Global Conference
6 Months
On Demand Access
WHY ATTEND IDLDRC?
Stay at the forefront
Hear the latest DLD research from leading experts across the globe.
Connect & collaborate
Engage with a global community of researchers, clinicians and advocates.
Learn on your schedule
Enjoy 6 months of on demand access to watch and learn anytime, anywhere.
MEET THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Prof Marleen Westerveld
Keynote: From Conversation to Persuasion: The Functional Importance of Spontaneous Discourse for Learning, Participation, and Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents with DLD
Abstract
Diagnostic frameworks for Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) emphasise the importance of understanding the functional impact of language difficulties on everyday life. Language sampling provides a unique window into this functional impact because it captures how children and adolescents use language in authentic communicative contexts.
In this keynote, Dr Westerveld will explore the role of spontaneous discourse in the assessment and support of young people with DLD, highlighting discourse contexts that span development and everyday participation, from conversation and personal narratives to fictional narratives, expository discourse, and persuasion.
Drawing on current research, she will discuss what we know about the discourse skills of young people with DLD across different contexts and developmental stages, and consider the implications for learning, social participation, and wellbeing. The presentation will highlight opportunities for discourse-based intervention and conclude with reflections on future research directions, including the active involvement of people with DLD in shaping research priorities and practices.
Biography
Prof Marleen Westerveld is an internationally recognised speech-language pathologist and child language researcher whose work is grounded in clinical relevance and evidence-based practice. With more than 30 years of clinical experience and a PhD in child language, she specialises in the assessment and treatment of children with developmental language disorder and communication needs associated with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and Down syndrome.
Her research focuses on spoken and written language development and the functional communication skills that enable children to participate meaningfully at home, school, and in the community. Prof Westerveld has published more than 100 peer‑reviewed works, including 6 book chapters and a book. She holds key leadership roles in IALP (International Association of Communication Sciences and Disorders) and IASCL (international Association for the Study of Child Language), and is the inaugural chair of the Global TALES Network, reflecting her global influence on child language research and clinical innovation.
Her work is characterised by a strong commitment to translating research into practical, actionable strategies that enhance clinical decision‑making and optimise outcomes for children and adolescents.
Dr Hannah Hobson
Keynote: “It’s like they only see the front cover of me”. How the language difficulties in DLD are perceived - and what young people do to hide them.
Abstract
Modern societies value clear communication skills, but what does this mean for children and adults with DLD? How are their language differences perceived by others, and how might children and adults with DLD respond to these perceptions? Camouflaging - the minimising of one’s neurodivergent traits to appear neurotypical - has been studied in autism, but exists in DLD too.
Using qualitative and quantitative methods, our research has documented camouflaging in DLD, drawing on perspectives from clinicians, parents, children and adults with DLD. Camouflaging in DLD appears to have negative effects on mental health, akin to masking in autism. Our work highlights that the camouflaging by children and adults with DLD is a response to realistic concerns that their language differences will be stigmatised: drawing on experimental methods, our research shows that the DLD phenotype is judged negatively, especially in the absence of DLD knowledge and understanding.
Together, this work demonstrates the ongoing need to raise not only awareness of DLD but meaningful understanding and engagement with the condition. Until we do, it is unrealistic and arguably unfair to expect those with DLD to feel able to stop camouflaging.
Biography
Dr Hannah Hobson is a senior lecturer at the University of York in the UK, where she directs the EMERALD lab (Emotions and Mental health Research in Autism and Language Disorders). Her research explores the relationships between language and communication and socio-emotional outcomes, including mental health. She also co-leads the MSc in Development, Disorders and Clinical Practice, and is the Faculty of Science Champion of Patient and Public Involvement. Before moving to York, she lectured at the University and Greenwich, completed a postdoctoral role at the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, and undertook her DPhil at the University of Oxford.
IDLDRC 2026 RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Adolescents & Adults
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Diagnosing DLD in adulthood- conceptualising the spectrum
|
Mia Travlos |
University of Bath |
UK |
|
Reliability and validity of the Screening Tool for Adults with Non-Diagnosed DLD (STAND)
|
Michelle St Clair |
University of Bath |
UK |
|
Perception of Truthfulness in Adolescents with DLD
|
Kathryn Hoyle |
Department of Psychology, University of York, York
|
UK |
|
The Screening Tool for Adults with Non-Diagnosed DLD (STAND): Evaluation of convergent validity
|
Iris Edwards |
University of Bath |
UK |
Advocacy & Awareness
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Parent-reported strengths of children with Developmental Language Disorder: A comparison with typically developing peers
|
Cheuk Hei Adrian Ng |
University of Bath |
UK |
|
Barriers and Facilitators to the Identification and Support of Children with Developmental Language Disorder in Georgia: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research
|
Tamara Kalandadze |
Østfold University of Applied Sciences
|
Norway |
|
DLD Voices: The research agenda for Developmental Language Disorder in Australia
|
Elizabeth Hill |
Curtin University |
Australia |
Education
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
From Kindergarten to Adolescence: Language Dominance and Linguistic Identity in French-English Bilingual Youth With Developmental Language Disorder
|
Chantal Mayer-Crittenden |
Laurentian University |
Canada |
|
Supporting Secondary Teachers to Meet the Needs of Students with Language and Learning Difficulties Through Digital Professional Development: Preliminary Findings from LINK-D
|
Anna Eva Hallin |
Division of Speech and Language Pathology, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet & Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University
|
Sweden & Australia |
|
“I’m a man of few words”: Children’s perspectives on living with developmental language disorder
|
Annette Esbensen |
Department of Culture and Language, University of Southern Denmark
|
Denmark |
Families
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Developing Parent Support Groups for DLD: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of a Pilot Program
|
Maura O’Fallon |
University of Delaware |
USA |
|
Identifying areas for participation-focused support for children and young people addressing the functional impact of Developmental Language Disorder
|
Samuel Calder |
University of Tasmania |
Australia |
|
Delivering Family-Centred Language Intervention Online or In Person: Outcomes and Stakeholder Perspectives |
Alba Ayuso-Lanchares |
University of Valladolid |
Spain |
Identification
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Examining the diagnostic accuracy of critical measures in developmental language disorder using regression techniques
|
Faeze Khalili |
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences |
Iran |
|
Can Dynamic Assessment Predict Vocabulary Growth in Children with DLD? Development and Validation of WorLDAP-S
|
Hanna Helttunen |
Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Karolinska Institutet & The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools, SPSM
|
Sweden |
|
Clinician perspectives on how to define and identify the functional impact of Developmental Language Disorder for the purpose of assessment and intervention planning.
|
Samuel Calder |
University of Tasmania |
Australia |
Intervention
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Co-designing mental health supports for children with developmental language disorder: Development of The Code to Me program |
Emily Jackson |
Curtin University |
Australia |
|
Labelling, Defining and classifying the active ingredients in oral language interventions for children with or at risk of Developmental Language Disorder: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis |
Pauline Frizelle |
University College of Cork |
Ireland |
|
Developing an internationally agreed comprehensive list of active ingredients, in oral language interventions for children with or at risk for DLD. |
Pauline Frizelle |
University College Cork |
Ireland |
|
Optimal Dosage Characteristics of Recasting for Developmental Language Disorder: A Scoping Review |
Shengfu Fan |
University of Tasmania |
Australia |
Language & Cognition
| Title | Presenter | Affiliation | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Untold Stories of Children with Developmental Language Disorder: Personal Narrative Skills and Theory of Mind. |
Claire Neufeld |
University of Alberta |
Canada |
|
Nonword repetition in Bilingual Children: Role of language exposure and nonverbal sequencing abilities |
Kayla Mckenzie |
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida |
USA |
|
Trajectories of language growth over one year in 4-year-olds with possible DLD |
Monique Charest |
University of Alberta |
Canada |
|
The Role of Working Memory in Narrative Macrostructure Abilities of Autistic Children and Children with DLD |
Olivia Cadence |
University of Alberta – Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine – Communication Sciences and Disorders Department |
Canada |
|
Cognitive-linguistic and communicative profile of children with DLD based on their oral narrative production: a scoping review |
Larissa Andréa Lopes Cerqueira Lilge |
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro |
Brazil |
IDLDRC RESEARCH GRANT RECIPIENTS
The best part? IDLDRC has helped increase DLD research funding by providing over $35,000 in grants. Watch the videos below to meet some of our previous grant recipients all funded by the delegates and sponsors of IDLDRC. THANK YOU!
In 2026, we will be launching a new way for IDLDRC to increase DLD research but you’ll have to join us at the conference to learn more!
Who is Hosting IDLDRC 2026?
The International DLD Research Conference is coordinated by The DLD Project in Australia. We are an impact focussed social enterprise founded to elevate awareness and understanding of DLD. This is an exciting opportunity to present and engage with current research in a virtual space.