Leamington mum is on a mission to raise awareness of son's language disorder

Holly Cooper’s son Harry was born prematurely and has been diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) which affects about one in 14 people globally.

It affects Harry’s confidence when speaking and he sometimes worries that people will not understand him.

Holly, who is an ambassador for the charity Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder, said: “Our journey to getting this DLD diagnosis wasn’t an easy one.

"When we finally received the diagnosis, I remember feeling so many different emotions, but one of the hardest things was how lonely it felt.

"I had never heard of DLD before Harry was diagnosed, and I suddenly found myself trying to understand something that affects my little boy’s everyday life, while feeling like hardly anyone around us knew what it was either.

"As Harry’s mum it’s heart breaking to know that something as simple as expressing himself can sometimes feel so difficult for him.”

One thing that brings Harry so much happiness, confidence and a sense of belonging is football and particularly his beloved Coventry City.

Holly said: “Football is so much more than a game to Harry.

"It gives him something to be passionate about, helps him build friendships and gives him 90 minutes where he can just be himself, without the same pressure he sometimes feels when communicating with others.

"Seeing the happiness it brings him reminds me how important it is for children with DLD to find places where they feel understood, included and accepted.”

Alongside raising awareness, Holly is also hoping to set up a local support group for parents of children with DLD.

She said: “I would love to create a space where parents can come together, share their experiences, talk openly about the challenges and the positives, support one another and realise they aren’t alone.

"Sometimes, just speaking to another parent who understands can make such a difference.

Today, Friday October 16, is DLD Awareness Day.

Holly is recommending these sites https://afasic.org.uk/ and https://radld.org/ to parents whose children have DLD.