Reminder: DLD Awareness Day - Friday 17 October 2025

This is a fantastic opportunity for schools to raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) - a hidden but common condition affecting 1 in 14 children. There’s still time to join in and raise awareness of DLD in your schools and classrooms.

How your school can take part:

• Wear purple and yellow - the official campaign colours - and encourage pupils and staff to join in.
• Run a language-themed assembly or classroom activity to explore what DLD is and how it affects children.
• Create posters or displays around the school to promote understanding.
• Share stories or videos that highlight the experiences of children with DLD.
• Encourage pupils to think about language - how we use it, why it matters and how it can be a barrier for some.

Share your activities

We’d love to see how your school is supporting DLD Awareness Day and share your activities on KCC social media channels and in the next Kelsi e-bulletin and SEND parent newsletter. Please send photos, stories or highlights to slcn@kent.gov.uk.

DLD awareness workshop

Has your school already accessed the DLD awareness workshop? If not, KCHFT are holding an online DLD awareness session on Monday 17 November at 3:30pm to 5pm for teachers and support staff in Kent. This includes spotting signs of DLD and key strategies to support children.

Sign up for the workshop

Talk for Work training

Would your school or post-16 setting be interested in delivering Talk for Work, a 13 week targeted intervention for groups of around six young people (aged 14+) with speech, language and communication needs? It prepares them to co-deliver a workshop about communication to local employers, and in doing so, improves their own communication skills.

We are offering one day training for practitioners (ideally two to three per school or setting including SENCo/Senior Leader) on Monday 1 December 2025 in Ashford. Cost is £250 per school or setting to cover resources from Speech and Language UK, enabling schools to run the programme over and over again.

Register for Talk for Work training

Learn more about Talk for Work

Contact slcn@kent.gov.uk if you have any queries.

Contact details

Email: slcn@kent.gov.uk