IMPORTANT NOTICE
When Professor van der Lely left her legacy to science through the Heather van der Lely Foundation Trust she stated various ‘wishes’ to be carried by the trustees to further the research agenda of Developmental Language Disorders. Since the founding of the Trust we have been providing essential support for academic research, clinical and educational initiatives in development language disorder. We have been committed to making a meaningful difference in this field and shaping a brighter future for the individuals affected. We believe Heather's wishes have successfully been carried out. Now that a comparatively small amount of funding is remaining, it is time for the Trust to work with others and further more practical causes in Developmental Language Disorder. To this end HvdL Trust will be working towards closure and making a substantial donation to the work of AFASIC ( https://www.afasic.org.uk/), whose longstanding CEO, Linda Lascelles, was a close and supportive colleague of Prof van der Lely and has worked tirelessly to support families and young people with DLD. It is hoped (and discussions are still ensuing) that workshops and support will be further developed, specifically for young adults who have lived with DLD and are emerging into the adult world with the challenges that carries. We (and AFASIC) will update you on that topic as HvdL heads towards closure.