Welcome and introductions (9.30-9.40)

Victoria is particularly passionate about the organisation’s ethos around inclusivity, and the great sharing and learning we can do together, from and with each other.

Victoria has worked as a Speech and Language Therapist for many years within West Yorkshire and the North West and for a range of different organisations including the NHS, The Communication Trust, as an Independent SLT, and working within higher education.

She is currently working as a lecturer at Leeds Beckett University. Victoria says she feels ‘privileged to be a member of the NAPLIC committee and the recent Chair role (May 2024) and is looking forward to the exciting new experiences and challenge that this brings’!

Lived Experience of DLD (09.40 – 10.20)

Finlay Urquhart is 16 and lives in Dunfermline, Scotland. He first attended SALT at 2 years, 10 months old and was diagnosed with SLI when he was 5. Having DLD has never held him back, he spent 2 weeks in South Africa in 2025 with his school, is a Prefect and is currently studying and sitting his Higher exams. Finlay enjoys playing his playstation, walking his dogs, going to the gym and hanging out with his friends.

Making Light Of DLD: A Lived Experience by Frankie Boyle (10.20 – 11.00)

Frankie Boyle is an Experiential Artist whose work explores the intersection of contemporary art, sensory experience, and mental health through the language of light.

Drawing from neuroscience, circadian rhythm, and human behaviour, she examines how sensory input shapes emotional and biological states. By sculpting light, space, sound, and texture, Frankie creates environments that gently activate the nervous system, engaging the limbic brain to evoke deep, often subconscious, emotional responses.

Her installations function as both visual sculptures and psychological landscapes. Working with architectural forms, responsive lighting, and tactile materials, she designs spaces that invite stillness, emotional release, and introspection. Experiences that live between perception and therapy, guiding audiences into moments of awe, reconnection, and quiet transformation.

With over a decade of experience in lighting and the art world , Frankie brings refined technical fluency to her practice. Her neurodivergent perspective has shaped a heightened sensitivity to nonverbal communication, expressed through immersive, sensory-driven work.

Frankie’s art is not simply observed, it is felt. It invites pause, shifts perception, and transforms space into a tool for emotional wellbeing.

Effective Oracy Strategies for Pupils with DLD (11.30 – 12.10)

Hilary is an experienced, evidence based Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist within the field of language disorders, including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

Working across both Moor House School & College and the Research & Training Institute, Hilary provides highly specialist interventions to a small caseload of students with DLD in 1:1, small group and classroom sessions, working within an integrated, intensive speech and language therapy service.

She also provides expert support, advice and training to both internal and external professionals, including Makaton (regional tutor), the SHAPE CODING™ system (accredited trainer), The Listening Program® (certified provider) and Signed English (tutor).
Hilary is a regular presenter at conferences and co-author on many of our research projects.

Effective Oracy Strategies for Pupils with DLD (11.30 – 12.10)

An experienced teacher in both mainstream and SEN settings, Sue began her career in a mainstream school and in 1996 started working for the London Borough of Bromley as KS2 specialist teacher in both their language units.

It was here that she began supporting pupils with DLD. Sue worked closely with Speech & Language Therapists (SLTs) to deliver specialist language teaching and supported pupils’ re-integration into mainstream classes.

In 2006, she joined the teaching staff at Moor House and has extensive experience of devising and delivering a mainstream curriculum that has been highly differentiated for the language needs of the pupils in her class. She has worked closely alongside speech and language therapists for many years to ensure that speech and language therapy can be integrated throughout the curriculum using a range of specialist systems.

In 2019, Sue was seconded to the Institute as a trainer to develop a range of courses for mainstream schools.

Welcome back (1.35 – 1.40)

As a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) Kara is passionate about supporting people with DLD to share their views and ideas about the world and best hopes for their futures.

Kara has worked in a wide variety of clinical areas, mostly around Scotland and in New Zealand. Currently, she works as part of a joint NHS/Education Service supporting pupils with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) in mainstream school settings in Fife.

Kara is excited to take on the role of Vice Chair and is looking forward to supporting NAPLICs work in knowledge exchange, promoting best practice and liaison with other organisations.

“It’s like they only see the front cover of me”. Understanding and measuring camouflaging in children and young people with DLD. (1.40-2.20) (1.40-2.20)

Dr Hannah Hobson is a senior lecturer at the University of York, at the Department of Psychology. There she leads the EMERALD lab (Emotions and Mental health Research in Autism and Language Disorders). Her research considers the role of language and communication in socio-emotional processes, including the impact of language needs on mental health. She also co-directs the MSc in Development, Disorders and Clinical Practice.

“It’s like they only see the front cover of me”. Understanding and measuring camouflaging in children and young people with DLD. (1.40-2.20)

Kate works as an NHS speech and language therapist, in South West England. After qualifying, in 2006, she worked in a community role running early language groups and working across mainstream schools.

Kate took a break from clinical work when her children were young, to complete an MSc in Language and Literacy, at the University of Sheffield, which ignited an interest in research, narrative language and the importance of being able to share our stories.

Kate is passionate about Developmental Language Disorder and wrote and illustrated a picture book called Harry’s Story, to help raise awareness of DLD. Kate is particularly interested in the wider, social and emotional aspects of DLD and has recently been involved in research exploring camouflaging in DLD.

‘Talk with Me’ – Welsh Government’s SLC delivery plan. The impact so far and future plans (2.20 – 3.00)

Catherine Pape is a Speech & Language Therapist who job shares the role of National SLC Co-ordinator for babies, children and young people in Welsh Government with Claire Butler. Catherine is a passionate advocate for children and is particularly interested in addressing health inequalities in the early years. In her spare time she likes to explore the Brecon Beacons, where she lives, on her bike or on foot.

Listening Differently: How Creative Methods Can Enable Adolescents with DLD to Share Their School Experiences (3.30-4.20)

Kate is a proud mum of two children, one of whom has Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Kate is a passionate advocate for those with SLCN, both personally and professionally. She has a keen interest in improving teaching staff knowledge and understanding of DLD and the strategies that make a positive difference. Kate has been a NAPLIC committee member since September 2024. Kate thoroughly enjoys delivering the DLD Together course for families of children with DLD. Kate is also an Elklan tutor.

Since 2006 Kate has been a teacher in Birmingham (where she was born and grew up). Following an undergraduate degree in Psychology (University of Cardiff) Kate qualified as a teacher with an Early Years specialism (3-11 years). After teaching in inner city Birmingham she became an Inclusion Leader (SENCo). Since 2018 she has been a SEND advisory teacher for Language & Learning in one of Birmingham Local Authority’s SEND and Inclusion teams.

In 2025 Kate achieved an MSc, with Distinction, in Language and Communication Impairment in Children (University of Sheffield). For her dissertation research she worked with adolescents who have DLD using creative methods to explore their experiences of school. Kate won ‘The Pip St John Award’ for her dissertation.

Closing remarks and thanks (4.20-4.30)

Courtenay Norbury is a Professor of Developmental Disorders of Language and Communication at University College London. She is a qualified speech-language therapist, did her PhD in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford, is a founding member of RADLD and was formerly Chair of Governors at a local primary school.

Her research focuses on language disorders across a range of different clinical conditions. She led the Surrey Communication and Language in Education Study (SCALES), a population study of language disorder from school entry to the end of primary school. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and a co-authored a popular textbook: Language Disorders from Infancy to Adolescence.