Why was my son failed; Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) explored from within a Socio-Ecological Autoethnographic Framework.

Autoethnography as a methodology in psychology allows lived experiences to be unpicked and better understood. Meaning making is at the heart of emotive autoethnography which has the potential to emancipate. Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is an underheard neurodevelopmental diagnosis which in reality is alleged to be almost seven times more prevalent than Autism. The socio-ecological autoethnography allowed the author to make sense of the socio-ecological systems which interacted with the political, cultural and social influences in the context of her son’s neglect. Through the process of autoethnography a mother naïve in defeat emerged as an expert in the field; an empowered researcher. The past cannot be rewritten, but the socio-ecological autoethnographic analysis of the authors past underpins the planned body of work which endeavours to shape the future of school-based screening and intervention in DLD.