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Course Documents/PSY 634 Transcript for Living with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Paula's Story .docx

PSY 634 Transcript for Living with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD): Paula's Story

[00:00:00.520] The thing with developmental language disorder is that. You. You get help for it. You get better. You can sound like any other typically developed person in terms of language, but this is something that follows you throughout your life.

[00:00:25.170] We started seeing a little bit of difficulties when she was trying to express her needs or answer questions or descriptions. So, when I check with the pediatrician, she said, “Don't worry. And this is usually what happens with bilingual children.” So, she started preschool. That's when we realized that it was not a problem of bilingual exposure.

[00:01:00.050] I was behind in my expressive language by two years and a few months and my receptive language by one year. So, I was a four-year-old understanding at around a three-year-old level, speaking at a two and a few months year level.

[00:01:21.470] She was reading, writing. The only thing that we did notice was, again, the social interaction with other kids. You know, adults, we are very patient when a child wants to tell you something and you help them because you know where they are going to but another kid or kids, if they are playing and there's somebody that is either asking or not understanding what's going to happen or forget her, they continue with their activities. So, we started noticing that she was having these problems of being able to be a part of the group.

[00:02:05.870] It made me look like the weird kid. It made me look dumb. And so I was called names, derogatory names, and slurs for having DLD or having a learning disability.

[00:02:26.140] I remember getting the shock of my life in eighth grade and my history final, where it had multiple choice, short answers, and an essay. And at that time, I wasn't receiving accommodations from the school and we had to complete it in an hour. There I was rereading the same sentence more than three times, just trying to understand what they were asking me in the first place. I failed that exam because I did not have enough time to answer the questions. Didn't even get to the essay.

[00:03:13.280] Extra time on my tests and quizzes. In my middle high school, they only allowed me time and a half. In college, they allowed me double time and that was a real blessing. Having the PowerPoints before the class started was really was just super helpful for me as well. That I started receiving in college, not in high school, and that was great because then I didn't have to worry about writing down what was on the screen in front of me. I just had to worry about what I was listening to. So it took off one of the difficulties, the strains of learning.

[00:03:59.920] Just because you have a language disorder does not define who you are and what you are capable of doing. If you have a doubt or if you think your child has a language problem, seek help immediately. For a parent, it is hard. But the only way you're going to support your child is if you accept and if you don't panic you know. I think those are the two first things that you have to do.

[00:04:36.410] Yes, the disorder will always be with you and it could make things more difficult but that doesn't make things impossible.