Dyslexia vs Developmental Language Disorder
ICD-11 is the World Health Organization's list of medical codes. In it, developmental language disorder is lasting trouble with language that starts while a child is developing. Dyslexia is about reading words and spelling. In our view, delays in speech or language are worth raising with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
TL;DR
- ICD-11 is the World Health Organization's list of medical codes. In it, developmental language disorder is lasting trouble learning, understanding or using language. That can be spoken or signed language. ICD-11 says the trouble starts while a child is developing. It says the trouble makes communicating much harder.
- In 2017, a panel of 57 experts agreed on the name developmental language disorder (Bishop and colleagues). They said to use it when the language trouble has no known medical cause.
- Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Developmental language disorder is about understanding and using language. In our view, the two names point at different things. We cannot tell you which of these names fits your child.
- We hold no study that compares developmental language disorder and dyslexia on reading. One review looked at research on developmental language disorder and writing (Tucci and Choi, 2023). It found spelling "may be an area of relative weakness" for people with this disorder. It gave no rate.
- In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. If your child's speech is hard to follow, or talking came late, say so too. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is lasting trouble learning, understanding or using language. It starts while a child is developing. That is its meaning in the World Health Organization's list of medical codes.
”Developmental language disorderWhat each name means
ICD-11 is the World Health Organization's list of medical codes. In it, developmental language disorder is lasting trouble learning, understanding or using language. That can be spoken or signed language. ICD-11 says the trouble starts while a child is developing. It says the trouble makes communicating much harder.
Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is.
In our view, the two names point at different things. Dyslexia is about reading words and spelling. Developmental language disorder is about understanding and using language. We cannot tell you which of these names fits your child.
Where the name came from
In 2017, a panel of 57 experts agreed on the name developmental language disorder (Bishop and colleagues). They said to use it when the language trouble has no known medical cause. They said developmental language disorder can come with other developmental conditions, such as ADHD. They also said the name does not need a gap between language and other thinking skills.
The panel agreed on words. Its paper was not a study of children.
How spoken language and reading connect
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) wrote a new definition in 2025. The IDA's 2025 definition says early spoken-language weak spots "often foreshadow" reading and writing trouble. That means they often come first. It does not say they cause it.
We hold no study that compares developmental language disorder and dyslexia on reading. One review looked at research on developmental language disorder and writing (Tucci and Choi, 2023). It found spelling "may be an area of relative weakness" for people with this disorder. It gave no rate.
One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). In that study, also having language trouble was "strongly predictive" of later reading and spelling. That is a finding about many children.
What to do if talking or reading is hard
In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. If your child's speech is hard to follow, or talking came late, say so too. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Reading improves with reading instruction.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Reading well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about reading.
- Extreme upset about reading.
- Complete avoidance of reading.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
If no skill has gone, start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
If a child's speech is hard to follow, suggest the family tell the child's doctor. Suggest they ask whether hearing has been checked recently.
Check for a missed step early. Teach it again, and see what the child does with it.
Two sentences for an email home: "In class, your child sometimes finds it hard to put ideas into words. What do you notice when your child talks at home?"
Key Takeaways
ICD-11 is the World Health Organization's list of medical codes. In it, developmental language disorder is lasting trouble learning, understanding or using language. That can be spoken or signed language. ICD-11 says the trouble starts while a child is developing.
Dyslexia is about reading words and spelling. Developmental language disorder is about understanding and using language. In our view, the two names point at different things.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) wrote a new definition in 2025. The IDA's 2025 definition says early spoken-language weak spots "often foreshadow" reading and writing trouble. That means they often come first. It does not say they cause it.
We hold no study that compares developmental language disorder and dyslexia on reading. One review looked at research on developmental language disorder and writing (Tucci and Choi, 2023). It found spelling "may be an area of relative weakness" for people with this disorder. It gave no rate.
In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Tell your child a short story without a book. Ask them to tell it back to you. Note what they keep and what they leave out. Bring the note with you when you ask for help.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
What is the difference between developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia?
ICD-11 is the World Health Organization's list of medical codes. In it, developmental language disorder is lasting trouble learning, understanding or using language. ICD-11 says the trouble starts while a child is developing. Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. In our view, the two names point at different things.
Is it a language disorder or dyslexia?
Dyslexia is about reading words and spelling. Developmental language disorder is about understanding and using language. In our view, the two names point at different things. We cannot tell you which of these names fits your child. We hold no study that compares developmental language disorder and dyslexia on reading. In our view, delays in speech or language are worth raising with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Is trouble with talking linked to reading trouble later?
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) wrote a new definition in 2025. The IDA's 2025 definition says early spoken-language weak spots "often foreshadow" reading and writing trouble. That means they often come first. It does not say they cause it. One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). In that study, also having language trouble was "strongly predictive" of later reading and spelling. That is a finding about many children. In our view, delays in speech or language are worth raising with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.