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Paper 2026-48

НЕВРОДИВЕРГЕНТНИТЕ МОМИЧЕТА В ПРИОБЩАВАЩОТО ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ: ЕЗИКОВО-МЕДИИРАНО РАЗВИТИЙНО НАТОВАРВАНЕ И СКРИНИНГ ЧРЕЗ DLQ-25

Албена Игнатова
Communication Clinique, София

NEURODIVERGENT GIRLS IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: LANGUAGE-MEDIATED DEVELOPMENTAL LOAD AND SCREENING WITH THE DLQ-25

Albena Ignatova
Communication Clinique, Sofia

Abstract: Neurodivergent girls represent a heterogeneous group that may include autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, language disorders and related developmental conditions. In inclusive educational settings, they are often recognised later than boys with comparable levels of need and may therefore remain under-supported, because much of their effort is language-mediated and thus less visible in the classroom. Many girls use camouflaging and compensatory strategies, often linguistic, to appear adjusted, while the functional cost may emerge as anxiety, exhaustion, depression or reduced participation. This paper frames such hidden effort through language-mediated developmental load. The construct here is defined as the strain that arises when the language-borne demands of the environment exceed the child’s available resource. The author is reviewing recent international evidence alongside Bulgarian perspectives on functional assessment and pedagogical screening. The work examines: (a) how neurodivergent girls present in the classroom, (b) why visible, disruptive behaviour is an insufficient basis for referral, (c) how camouflaging and overcompensation contribute to under-recognition, and (d) how the DLQ-25, as a screener of language-mediated developmental load, may support earlier identification of this hidden load.

Keywords: language-mediated developmental load, neurodivergent girls, camouflaging, inclusive education, DLQ-25

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