12 February 2026
A new UK-wide report has called for urgent reform in how exams are made accessible for students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), a common but often hidden disability affecting 7.6% of the population.
Published by a Four-Nation Working Group of experts in speech and language therapy, education, and equality law, the report highlights how current exam arrangements fail to recognise the full impact of language difficulties.
Despite the high prevalence of DLD, many affected students are excluded from vital support because eligibility criteria rely too narrowly on reading and vocabulary scores, rather than on comprehensive language assessments.
The report urges exam boards and regulators to adopt fairer, evidence-based approaches, including modifying exam language at source, recognising DLD as a distinct category for access arrangements, and involving speech and language therapists in access arrangement decisions. It warns that without reform; thousands of capable students will continue to be judged on their ability to navigate complex wording rather than on their true knowledge and skills.
The group believes these changes are important for fairness and equality, helping to make sure students are not limited by how they process language.
