Mental Overload and Developmental Language Disorder: A Family Affair

For a child with DLD, every interaction and every word they hear takes energy to process. A day at school is full of small, invisible challenges: processing information, understanding the meaning of instructions, expressing oneself in front of others, decoding non-verbal language, managing emotions, and so on. By evening, their brain can be in overdrive.

Here are some signs of mental overload.

• Getting stressed by a simple task.
• Difficulty concentrating.
• Procrastinating.
• Giving up quickly.
• Experiencing frustration in the face of failure.
• Acting disruptively.

Cognitive fatigue is very real. It’s important not to assume that these behaviours are signs of laziness or a bad attitude.

Here are a few tips for limiting the effects of mental overload on a child living with DLD.

• Move.
  Movement has benefits for our brains, bodies, and emotions. Short movement breaks can recharge our ability to concentrate, reduce stress, and make learning easier.
• Plan breaks.
  Before homework time or important conversations, encourage your child to take a break to decompress. These little moments of transition can make all the difference. A saturated brain isn’t ready to learn.
• Adapt routines instead of abandoning them.
  Try to maintain reassuring routines as much as possible. Instead of abandoning them, adapt routines to accommodate time constraints and your child’s needs. The goal is not to throw routine out the window, but to choose your battles to keep a balance.

Here are a few tips to ease your mental burden as a parent caring for a DLD child.  

• Accept imperfection. 
  Doing your best is more than enough, and recognizing your limits is essential. Don’t try to be perfect, and avoid comparing yourself to others.
• Reassess your family priorities.
  Work together as a family to identify the most important tasks, homework assignments, and lessons. Remember, sometimes less is more.  
• Ask for help. 
  A helping hand with babysitting, meal prep, homework, etc. can lighten your mental burden. Don’t hesitate to ask for support.
• Take time for yourself. 
  A walk in the park, a few minutes of silence, a sporting or cultural activity—these are just some of the activities that can recharge your batteries.