As you can imagine, this woman has cleared some serious life hurdles to arrive here. She fights against Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), which affects her ability to express ideas and comprehend spoken language. With DLD since early childhood, Siouxsie has a difficult time getting her thoughts out, which can result in sadness and loneliness. She is one of an estimated 800,000 people in the UK living with this debilitating disease. It has further long-term effects on their verbal expression and understanding of language.
Together, DLD can set the stage for a perfect storm of mental health problems. Research indicates that children with DLD are more likely to experience anxiety and depression. Siouxsie’s opening experiences, sadly, underscore this truth. Her difficulties with communication have, at times, paralleled her mental health struggles, leaving her feeling unheard and unseen.
Recent statistics reveal a concerning trend: nearly half of all young people referred to mental health services grapple with significant speech and language challenges. This state of affairs is deeply concerning. A record two million children in the UK are now growing up unable to speak properly or communicate effectively. These challenges are not unique. Consequently, speech and language support is now the largest type of primary need given in England for children with special educational needs.
The UK government has, to its credit, woken up to this urgent need for intervention. By 2030, it’s promised to provide mental health care in all secondary schools in England. “We’re also taking action to cut NHS waiting lists, reform the Send system to prioritise early intervention and expand our mental health support teams to an additional 900,000 pupils by April 2026 so every child can achieve and thrive,” stated a spokesperson from the Department for Education.
Yet experts caution that just throwing mental health resources at this crisis won’t be effective. Jane Harris from Speech and Language UK emphasizes the importance of integrating speech and language training within mental health programs. They need to be able to rapidly recognize when a child is dealing with communication and mental health difficulties at the same time. Finally, they will need to make sure that the mental health support they are providing is specifically focused on that child’s needs.
To hear Siouxsie’s voice, you know the deep toll her condition takes on her everyday life. All of my mental health struggles stem directly from my extreme DLD and being misunderstood, lonely, invisible. For me, it was really difficult because I had no way to advocate for myself,” she explained. Her story is true of many young people, who find it difficult to express how they feel from lack of an effective mode of communication.
In 2023, one in five children and young people aged eight to 25 reported experiencing a mental health problem, according to NHS data. This alarming statistic underscores the need for realorial long-year strategies. We can’t address communication disorders and the burgeoning mental health crisis in this country separately.
The government’s Plan for Change aspires to reach thousands more children by 2026, getting them the support they need to overcome communication challenges and thrive. The evidence programme Nuffield Early Language Intervention is widely considered the most important evidence-based intervention to improve young children’s speech and language, and it’s already a roaring success. We’re working to increase this life-saving assistance even more.
As Harris notes, lack of vocalization only makes mental health matters worse. We all rely on language to communicate what we’re experiencing. If you’re having a hard time with the language, you can’t go internally and say, ‘I’m disappointed, I’m upset. You don’t put yourself in a bucket to say this is how I’m feeling,” she shared. An absence of creative self-expression is detrimental to our emotional wellbeing. This makes it essential for schools and caregivers to recognize the signs of DLD and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Siouxsie continues to make progress on her journey with the assistance of a speech and language therapist. Tessa is passionate about raising awareness and understanding of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and its effects on mental health. Her story is a powerful reminder of how important it is to build specific support systems. These systems need to prioritize addressing challenges in communication and building mental wellness.
