Clinical Advancements for Supporting Children with Developmental Language Disorder Across Global Contexts
A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 2590
Special Issue Editors
Interests: developmental language disorder (assessment and intervention); speech and language service provision; language acquisition in bi-dialect situations; augmentative and alternative communication
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue focuses on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) as a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition, highlighting the urgent need for responsive, evidence-based clinical practices in its identification, assessment, and intervention. Despite the growing global awareness of DLD and its estimated prevalence in 7.6% of children in mainstream education, there is a significant lack of evidence-based speech-language services that are culturally and contextually informed. Although DLD affects language learning, academic achievement, and social well-being, clinical services—such as screening, assessment, and intervention—remain inconsistent. In alignment with international health equity and human rights frameworks, this issue aims to strengthen the clinical underpinnings of DLD by bridging the gap between clinical-informed research and real-world service delivery, and reduce the impact on children affected by DLD. We welcome work that strengthens the clinical foundations of DLD identification, diagnosis, and treatment. Submissions may focus on validated screening and assessment protocols, evidence-based intervention strategies, scalable public health delivery models, and interdisciplinary, community-based care frameworks. The overarching aim is to deepen our understanding of DLD as a developmental disorder and promote equitable access to high-quality, early, and sustained care for affected children.
This Special Issue invites contributions that explore DLD through the lens of clinical, developmental, and public health advancements. We invite the submission of original research, reviews, viewpoints, and case-based contributions that address clinical advancements and support children with DLD across global contexts. Submissions may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Evidence-based screening and diagnostic tools for children with DLD;
- Evidence-based intervention models for children with DLD;
- Public health perspectives on early identification and prevention;
- Community-based and interdisciplinary approaches to support children with DLD;
- Equity and access to speech-language services across demographic groups;
- Advocacy, education, and family-centered practices in diverse communities.
We encourage submissions that emphasize clinical innovation, translational impact, and the integration of health systems, including the following:
- Original research articles;
- Viewpoints;
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses;
- Case studies.
Dr. Elena Theodorou
Dr. Rouzana Komesidou
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- developmental language disorder
- responsive clinical practices
- early language screening
- language intervention
- community-based care
- language assessment and diagnosis
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