Nichola Shelton

My thesis is on experiences of social interaction for adolescents with language disorders.

People with language disorders experience problems with the acquisition and processing of oral language skills. Language disorders can affect both how individuals interact with other people, and the way in which others interact with them. In adolescence, people with language disorders are more likely than peers to experience emotional and behavioural problems; achieve low educational attainment; and have mental health and wellbeing concerns. However, there is a lack of research focused on the social experiences of young people with language disorder. The aim of this project is to describe the experiences of social interaction for young people (12-18 years) with language disorders in Australia. This project will utilise quantitative and qualitative methods to both describe the experiences of social interaction for adolescents with language disorders, and explore how adolescents with language disorders experience speech pathology intervention services.