What is PLD?

Primary Language Disorder (PLD) is a developmental disorder that affects how children think about, understand and use language.  It is the impairment that contributes to restrictions in an individual’s participation and wellbeing in everyday activities.  These language difficulties will have the most impact on a child’s development.  PLD is a life-long disorder that changes over time.  A child will need continuous support, however early identification and intervention will maximise developmental and life outcomes for your child.

A child with PLD has difficulty understanding what we say to them and using words to communicate.  This is their primary area of difficulty and may manifest as problems in following areas:

• May not respond to their name
• Find it hard to concentrate and stay on-task
• Be easily distracted and frustrated
• Be reluctant to contribute to conversations due to an awareness of their difficulties

Daily Living Skills

• Finds it difficult to share and take turns
• Finds it difficulty to develop and master new skills (e.g. tying shoelaces, getting dressed)

Organisation and Planning

• Difficulties following familiar routines and organising themselves
• Has a tendency to lose things
• Be forgetful and clumsy

Problem-Solving

• Have trouble identifying social and academic problems
• Have trouble solving social and academic problems

Language difficulties may occur for many reasons.  Consultation with a speech pathologist and a psychologist and/or other health professionals is essential to determine whether your child has PLD.  Every child presents with different difficulties, however all PLD intervention involves language therapy.  It may also involve additional therapy by an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, psychologist, music therapist and learning support staff.

Commercially Available Fine Motor Games

These games are available from most major toy retailers and are a fun, motivating way for children of all ages to refine their fine motor skills.

• Hungry, Hungry Hippos
• Flipping Frogs
• Kerplunk
• Whac-a-mole
• Giggle Wiggle
• Don’t dump the marbles
• Slammers
• K’nex
• Lego
• Meccano
• Buckaroo
• Beados