Language Delay in Children: Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment Approaches
A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 June 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: autism spectrum disorder; social cognition; speech perception; cognitive electrophysiology; developmental dyslexia; eye-tracking
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The issue of language delay and the risk of developing a Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) remains a central concern in both clinical and research contexts. Despite significant progress being made, many challenges persist. Among the top priorities identified by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT, 2025) [1] are the early and accurate identification of DLD, particularly in children from diverse linguistic, cultural, and social backgrounds, and the development of effective interventions across different ages and profiles, including those leveraging technological advances. Understanding the long-term outcomes of early interventions also remains a key area of inquiry.
This Special Issue will bring together varied contributions, especially from countries and languages under-represented in the current literature. It will advance our understanding of early DLDs by exploring developmental pathways, underlying mechanisms, and evidence-based approaches for their diagnosis and intervention, both in isolated and co-occurring presentations.
We welcome submissions addressing genetics, neural correlates, behavioral profiles, and policy frameworks related to DLD. Manuscripts may include original empirical studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, theoretical models, or intervention trials with theoretical, clinical, or policy implications that contribute to improving early identification and support for children and their families.
Reference
- Developmental Language Disorder Research Priority Setting Partnership Phase 2 Report. Available online: https://www.rcslt.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DLD-Research-Priority-Phase-2-Report.pdf (accessed on 14 November 2025).
Dr. Boutheina Jemel
Dr. Stefano Rezzonico
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
- language delay
- risk of developing a developmental language disorder
- early language intervention
- early language assessment
- genetics
- long-term outcomes
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