Our Network

New! : Professor Coltheart's test as referenced in the Australian on the 29/11/2004 can be found here.

New! : The letter to the Minister for Education, Science and Training can be found here.

The Developmental Disorders of Language and Literacy (DDOLL) network represents a select Australian group of researchers and research-oriented practitioners investigating and treating disorders of the production and comprehension of spoken and written language skills. Network members are drawn from a number of organisations around Australia. Until now, there has been no coordinated network on a national level to answer queries into the causes and treatments for dyslexia and other language disorders. Furthermore, many of the so-called treatments parents spend their money on have not been scientifically validated, even though there are quality research-based therapies for treating these disorders, and there are researchers and clinicians across the country committed to advancing and effectively applying the scientific knowledge in this area. The DDOLL network is unique in the world as it unites researchers with expertise in research from infancy through adulthood, in diagnosis and in treatment, in spoken and written production and comprehension, and in both cognitive and molecular genetic research.

The DDOLL network was made possible with seeding funding from an Australian Research Council Networks application, and it represents a concentrated national effort to address developmental disorders of language and literacy with sound research and evidence-based practice. Moreover, it considers the integrated perspective of psychologists, linguists, speech pathologists, and educators. With the seeding funding we are working towards establishing this informative website (for parents, teachers and researchers) and building a substantial database of clinical data that researchers across the country can access. This will enable large-scale collaborative research between Australia 's best researchers in the field, and ultimately will result in improved identification and treatment of language disorders for children. The network is currently seeking funding to ensure its research aims can be met.