On the occasion of World Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day, which takes place this Friday, October 17, 2025, the Aurores boréales Catholic District School Board, through its Wellness Department, is highlighting the importance of better understanding the still little-known disorder.
TDL affects around 1 in 14 children, or almost 2 pupils per class of 30. And yet, this disorder remains too often unrecognized, because it leaves no visible sign. Its repercussions, however, are very real: learning to read and write, oral language (comprehension and expression), self-confidence, social interaction, class participation and much more.
According to Regroupement TDL Québec, there are many manifestations of the disorder:
- Memorizing sounds and words
- Chronological order
- Omission of sounds in words
- The conversation
- Social relations.
More information Regroupement TDL Québec
For Chantal Mayer-Crittenden, a speech-language pathologist and professor at Laurentian University, TDL is a real " silent disease ". She explains that affected children often have difficulty putting their ideas into words, finding the right terms, or forming grammatically correct sentences.
This short video gives an excellent introduction to TDL: The full TDL presentation
Adolescents living with LDD also shared their experience in a awareness video. Some of them confide that they find it difficult to make themselves understood, to follow teachers' instructions, because they need more time to understand certain concepts.
This year's theme for raising awareness is clear and hard-hitting: " TDL is invisible "
To highlight this reality, the Réseau des orthophonistes scolaires francophones du Nord de l'Ontario (RONO) has launched an initiative entitled " Lighting up the TDL ". Each speech therapist chose a strong word from among brilliance, courage, perseverance, listening, inclusion and support to illustrate what children affected by TDL experience.
These words have been brought together in an image that conveys hope and solidarity, reminding us that even if it's invisible, this disorder deserves our attention.
To find out more about TDL and its impacts, international resources are available at RADLD(in English). French resources with Regroupement TDL Québec :
In Ontario, Association 211 covers all learning disabilities: Learning Disabilities Association - Association francophone des troubles d'apprentissage
If you have any questions about your child, talk to your child's teacher or school principal.
