Cyprus

Abstract

The sociolinguistic situation in the Greek-speaking Republic of Cyprus is described as ‘diglossia’. Given the complex linguistic situation in Cyprus, the language status of Greek Cypriot children is referred to as bilectalism. Crucial to the study of developmental language disorder (DLD) in Cyprus is the need for appropriate identification using appropriate language assessment tools. The Cyprus Association of Registered Speech-Language Pathologists is the national body that represents the field of speech-language therapy/speech pathology in Cyprus. The education system laws specifically accommodate children with special needs and focus on providing equal learning opportunities in mainstream classes regardless of the child’s ability. The haphazard provision of services to children with DLD is fundamentally related to the lack of knowledge regarding language milestones of typical language acquisition in the bilectal context of Cyprus. Children with DLD are eligible for specialized services only if identified as having ‘special needs’ resulting from severe problems in either sensory-motor abilities and/or learning abilities.