‘You Wouldn’t Think It Would Have Much of an Effect on Someone Like Me, But It Does’: A Descriptive Qualitative Study of the Lived Experiences of Developmental Language Disorder in Adulthood

Background Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a persistent difficulty with the use and understanding of language, emerging in childhood and enduring into adulthood. Despite research on DLD increasing in recent years, there is a dearth of literature on adult life with DLD. Increasing our understanding of the lived experience of DLD has the potential to lead to more targeted and meaningful interventions, enhance intervention outcomes, and increase client satisfaction with interventions. Objective This study aimed to explore the lived experience of DLD for adults. Specifically, it examined the impact of DLD on education, employment, relationships, and recreational activities. Methods Semi-structured interviews were completed with seven adults with DLD, aged from 24 to 66 years. Interview questions were developed following a review of the literature, and centred on five topics: education, employment, relationships, recreational activities and personal strengths. Interviews were conducted in person and online. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Two themes and five subthemes were identified. The themes were: Society’s reduced awareness and understanding of DLD and its impact on the individual and Participation in daily living activities. Conclusions This study illustrates the profound impact that DLD has on an individual’s life. Speech and language therapists working with this client group should be cognisant of this multifaceted impact and ensure that intervention is person-centred and tailored to an individual’s specific goals. Future research should continue to explore the impact of DLD on the lives of adults, and ensure their voices are adequately represented in the literature.