As Speech Pathology Week (24 – 30 August 2025) unfolds across Australia, two leading speech pathology experts say it's time to shine a light on one of the most under-recognised barriers to learning and inclusion in schools: communication disability.

“Most people assume if a child isn’t paying attention or following instructions, they’re being defiant or distracted,” said Professor Natalie Munro, Professor of Speech Pathology at Southern Cross University.

“But often, these are signs of a hidden communication difficulty, and we need teachers and parents to be empowered to see the difference.”

A 2022 Australian study published in Communication Disorders Quarterly found that while more than 95% of people had heard of ADHD and autism, only 1 in 5 were familiar with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) – a condition that affects 6–8% of children, or around two in every classroom.

“Language is invisible until it breaks down,” said Dr Anna Eva Hallin, Assistant Professor at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet and Visiting Fellow at Southern Cross University.

“A child might be mislabelled as ‘lazy’ or ‘naughty’ when really, they’re struggling to process spoken instructions, organise their ideas, or express themselves clearly.”

DLD is one of the most prevalent – and least understood – developmental conditions. It can affect a child’s ability to listen, follow instructions, participate in group activities, comprehend what they read, and form friendships. Left unrecognised, it can lead to lower academic achievement, social isolation and reduced employment prospects later in life.

“School is a communication-heavy environment. We need to work with teachers to recognise and respond to language challenges, otherwise we miss the opportunity to intervene early and support children to thrive,” said Professor Munro.

While the shortage of speech pathologists in Australian schools is a major concern, both researchers argue that interprofessional collaboration is the most scaleable and sustainable way forward.

“We’re not going to solve this with one profession alone,” said Dr Hallin.

“We need educators, speech pathologists and psychologists to work together and we need to equip teachers with practical strategies they can use in the classroom every day.”

Dr Hallin and Professor Munro are currently co-leading a global project called INCLUDE, which is trialling a digital coaching program designed to support teachers in enhancing the accessibility of their oral and written language in the classroom – without simplifying the curriculum. The program is being developed in collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, and Uppsala University in Sweden, with pilot work underway at Southern Cross University funded by the Swedish Research Council.