The Crossley Practice

FAO: all GPs and practice nurses I was asked raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorders (DLD); a neurological developmental condition that can persist into adulthood, more common than autism but not so widely known. Professor C Norbury’s 2014 research showed that DLD affects 7.58% children with 2 in every primary class of 30 children having severe enough DLD to hinder academic progress yet only half were diagnosed.     ‘Rachel the ‘write’ to speak’ by Sandra Capelin is an easy-to-read book with a powerful message for anyone working with children and young people as it illustrates the difficulties they face on a daily basis, both socially and academically. It is also an inspiration to anyone facing similar issues. The forward was written by Professor Dorothy Bishop, while the book tells how Rachel was born with a Language Disorder that went undiagnosed until she was sixteen years old despite her mother’s pleas for help from both health and education professionals. It also explains how Rachel struggled through mainstream school with little or no help yet managed to succeed against all odds. Although there is now more awareness of these problems parents are still fighting to get their children diagnosed while it becomes increasingly difficult to access specialist help due to government cut backs. A greater awareness of these hidden disorders is desperately needed.  ‘Rachel the ‘write’ to speak ’is available from Amazon for £5 and all good bookshops