Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing for Students with Developmental Language Disorder

Working with the community to co-design a mental health promotion program

Funded by Healthway

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Want to learn more?

We have published the study protocol in a scientific journal. You can find and download the paper for free. Read our paper here

Want to Stay Informed?

We are currently finalising the materials for the program. In early 2026, we will put out a call for expressions of interest to take part in the research. Would you like us to contact you with information about the project in the future? If so, register your contact details here

The Healthway Research Team

This project is also supported by a wonderful group of children with DLD, their parents, and professionals. This group (the ‘co-designers’) have played a key role in designing the program materials to make sure it suits the needs of the community.

Mark Boyes 

  Mark leads this MRFF project. He is a professor at Curtin University and Co-Lead of the Mental Health Research Domain within the Curtin enAble Institute. His current research focuses on mental health and wellbeing among children with language and literacy difficulties, with the aim of informing accessible evidence-based interventions. 

Suze Leitão

Suze is a professor of speech pathology at Curtin University. Suze's work focuses on developing and testing ways to support the mental health of young people.

Emily Jackson

Emily is a Research Fellow in the Curtin School of Population Health and a Senior Speech Pathologist in a forensic mental health setting. Using collaborative, community-engaged methods, Emily aims to build interventions to support communication and mental health outcomes among neurodivergent young people.

Kate Tonta

  Kate Tonta is a registered clinical psychologist and Senior Lecturer at Curtin University who works with adolescents and adults experiencing eating disorders. Her research focuses on non-suicidal self-injury, perfectionism and how language and communication difficulties affect mental health. 

Bronwyn Myers

  Bronwyn Myers‑Franchi is the Director at the enAble Institute, where she leads research in psychology and mental health. Her work focuses on creating and implementing mental-health and substance-use interventions that non-specialists can deliver, especially in underserved communities around the world.

Lizz Hill  

  Lizz is a Speech Pathologist and Teaching/Research Academic at Curtin University. Lizz's research explores the intersection of mental health and language, with a particular focus on accessible mental health programs for people with language and literacy difficulties. 

Anna Sowerbutts 

 Anna Sowerbutts is a speech and language therapist and university teacher at University College London. She helps children and young people with language and speech difficulties and is a co-author of DLD and Me.

Jenny Baker

 Jenny Baker is the founder and director of Fremantle Speech Pathology Services, a Perth-based practice she established in 1987 that specialises in supporting children and adults with speech, language and literacy challenges. Her leadership emphasises evidence-based intervention, collaboration with schools and universities, and continual professional development for therapists.

Mandy Nayton 

  Mandy Nayton (OAM) is an educational and developmental psychologist and qualified primary school teacher who serves as Executive Officer and CEO of the Dyslexia‑SPELD Foundation (DSF). She supports schools and educators in literacy acquisition, working memory, vocabulary development and learning difficulties, and has been recognised with an OAM for her services in this field. 