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Cited by 1,641Language Development and DisordersStuttering Research and TreatmentVoice and Speech Disorders

Phase 2 of CATALISE: a multinational and multidisciplinary Delphi consensus study of problems with language development: Terminology

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Bishop, Dorothy V.M., Snowling, Margaret J., Thompson, Paul A., Greenhalgh, Trisha, and the CATALISE‐2 consortium·2017·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
DOI 10.1111/jcpp.12721PMC PMC5638113
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Abstract

Background: Lack of agreement about criteria and terminology for children's language problems affects access to services as well as hindering research and practice. We report the second phase of a study using an online Delphi method to address these issues. In the first phase, we focused on criteria for language disorder. Here we consider terminology. Methods: The Delphi method is an iterative process in which an initial set of statements is rated by a panel of experts, who then have the opportunity to view anonymised ratings from other panel members. On this basis they can either revise their views or make a case for their position. The statements are then revised based on panel feedback, and again rated by and commented on by the panel. In this study, feedback from a second round was used to prepare a final set of statements in narrative form. The panel included 57 individuals representing a range of professions and nationalities. Results: We achieved at least 78% agreement for 19 of 21 statements within two rounds of ratings. These were collapsed into 12 statements for the final consensus reported here. The term ‘Language Disorder’ is recommended to refer to a profile of difficulties that causes functional impairment in everyday life and is associated with poor prognosis. The term, ‘Developmental Language Disorder’ ( DLD ) was endorsed for use when the language disorder was not associated with a known biomedical aetiology. It was also agreed that (a) presence of risk factors (neurobiological or environmental) does not preclude a diagnosis of DLD , (b) DLD can co‐occur with other neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. ADHD ) and (c) DLD does not require a mismatch between verbal and nonverbal ability. Conclusions: This Delphi exercise highlights reasons for disagreements about terminology for language disorders and proposes standard definitions and nomenclature.

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  • Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) often co-occurs with other communication and developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

    “DLD often co-occurs with other communication and developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Bishop et al., 2017).”

    From Early Identification of Language Disorders Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning: Challenges and Emerging Approaches (2025) · cites this paper as Bishop et al., 2017

    Statement 9 (Results and discussion, Consensus statements; page unavailable) says ADHD and speech problems can co-occur with DLD. But Statement 6 places ASD among differentiating conditions, and Statement 7 reserves the term DLD for language disorder without a known differentiating condition. The paper therefore does not support naming ASD as an example of a disorder co-occurring with DLD under its terminology. (LLM, conf=0.91)

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  • A consensus on the predictive power of early indicators of DLD is still missing.

    “Nonetheless, a consensus on the predictive power of these early indicators is still missing [19,20,22].”

    From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [22]

  • DLD is a highly heterogeneous condition.

    “DLD is a highly heterogeneous condition [22].”

    From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [22]

  • Some late talkers will not catch up with their peers and, after the age of three, will likely receive a diagnosis of Language Disorder, more recently labelled Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

    “Some late talkers, however, will not catch up with their peers and, after the age of three, will likely receive a diagnosis of Language Disorder [21], more recently labelled Developmental Language Disorder (DLD, [22]).”

    From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [22]

  • Potential risk factors for DLD include a family history of speech and language impairments, low parental education and/or socioeconomic status, male gender, and pre- or peri-natal factors such as being born preterm or with low birth weight.

    “Growing evidence suggests that potential risk factors include a family history of speech and language impairments, a low level of parental education and/or socioeconomic status (SES), male gender, and pre- or peri-natal factors such as being born preterm or with low birth weight [19,22,51].”

    From Developmental Language Disorder: Early Predictors, Age for the Diagnosis, and Diagnostic Tools. A Scoping Review (2021) · cites this paper as [22]

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Adams, C. (2008). Intervention for children with pragmatic language impairments: Frameworks, evidence and diversity In Norbury C.F., Tomblin J.B. & Bishop D.V.M. (Eds.), Understanding developmental language disorders. Hove, UK: Psychology Press.
  2. Bishop, D.V.M., & Edmundson, A. (1987). Language‐impaired four‐year‐olds: Distinguishing transient from persistent impairment. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders, 52, 156– 173. 3573746
  3. Bishop, D., & Rutter, M. (2008). Neurodevelopmental disorders: Conceptual approaches In Rutter M., Bishop D., Pine D., Scott S., Stevenson J., Taylor E. & Thapar A. (Eds.), Rutter's child and adolescent psychiatry (pp. 32– 41). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
  4. Leonard, L.B. (2014). Children with specific language impairment (2nd edn). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
  5. Montgomery, J.W. (2002). Understanding the language difficulties of children with specific language impairments: Does verbal working memory matter? American Journal of Speech‐Language Pathology, 11, 77– 91.
  6. Rice, M.L., Wexler, K., & Redmond, S.M. (1999). Grammaticality judgments of an extended optional infinitive grammar: Evidence from English‐speaking children with specific language impairment. Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 42, 943– 961. 10450913
  7. Rudolph, J.M., & Leonard, L.B. (2016). Early language milestones and Specific Language Impairment. Journal of Early Intervention, 38, 41– 58.
  8. Stothard, S.E., Snowling, M.J., Bishop, D.V.M., Chipchase, B.B., & Kaplan, C.A. (1998). Language‐impaired preschoolers a follow‐up into adolescence. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 41, 407– 418. 9570592

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Authors
Bishop, D. V. M., Snowling, M. J., Thompson, P. A., Greenhalgh, T., & and the CATALISE‐2 consortium
Affiliations
University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Bishop, Dorothy V.M.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2017-03-30
Volume
58
Issue
10
Pages
1068-1080
ISSN
  • 0021-9630 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7610
DOI
10.1111/jcpp.12721
PMC
PMC5638113
OpenAlex
W2599350544
Cited by
1,641
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 218 · 2025: 249 · 2024: 199 · 2023: 215 · 2022: 194 · 2021: 191 · 2020: 166 · 2019: 115 · 2018: 70 · 2017: 21 · 2013: 1
FWCI
205.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • OpenBU (Boston University) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
  • Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Stirling Online Research Repository (University of Stirling) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Edinburgh Research Explorer (University of Edinburgh) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • ResearchSpace (University of Auckland) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • University of Limerick Institutional Repository (University of Limerick) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion)
  • Warwick Research Archive Portal (University of Warwick) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust (082498/Z/07/Z)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Stuttering Research and Treatment
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Voice and Speech Disorders
Keywords
specific language impairment, diagnostic criteria, nomenclature, functional disability, prognosis, neurodevelopmental disorders, ADHD comorbidity, risk factors, expert consensus
MeSH terms
Consensus Statements as Topic, Delphi Technique, Humans, Language Development Disorders, Terminology as Topic

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