Supporting early intervention & SEND provision: Hogrefe is now publishing the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales
Hogrefe Limited (Oxford, UK) is pleased to announce it is the new publisher of the New Reynell Developmental Language Scales (NRDLS), one of the UK’s most widely used standardised assessments for identifying and understanding children’s language difficulties.
A gold-standard evidence based measure of early language skills
The NRDLS is a comprehensive tool designed to assess both receptive (comprehension) and expressive (production) language skills in young children. Developed by authors (Susan Edwards, Carolyn Letts, and Indra Sinka), whose combined experience spans decades of practice and research, the NRDLS is used extensively by Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs), educational psychologists and multidisciplinary teams, providing robust, standardised insights into a child’s language development, supporting diagnosis, intervention planning and outcome measurement.
For SLTs across the UK, these insights matter. Demand for high-quality, evidence-based assessment tools continues to grow, driven by increasing awareness of speech, language and communication needs and rising caseload pressures. The NRDLS has long been valued for its clinical reliability and practicality in real-world settings, and under Hogrefe’s stewardship users can expect continued investment in accessibility, support, and future development, ensuring the assessment remains aligned with current practice and evolving service delivery models.
Meeting evolving SEND, early intervention and service delivery demands
This development comes at a critical time for the profession. Ongoing reforms in SEND provision across the UK, alongside long-standing challenges with EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) backlogs, are placing renewed emphasis on timely, defensible assessments. SLTs are increasingly required to provide clear, standardised evidence to inform statutory processes and demonstrate need. Tools such as the NRDLS play a central role in meeting these expectations.
It also comes at a time that the UK is shifting towards a demand for earlier intervention, integrated care systems, and community-based delivery—this means clinicians need assessments that are both efficient and clinically meaningful. The NRDLS supports these priorities through early identification of language difficulties and tracking progress over time; helping services demonstrate impact in line with commissioning and policy requirements.
Hogrefe is proud to be supporting the frontline of these shifting demands, supporting the UK speech and language therapy community and families with gold-standard assessments, interventions and resources. By bringing the NRDLS into its portfolio, Hogrefe aims to ensure the continued development of a valued, reliable tool that has long been central to language assessment practice.
Order now
NRDLS Record Books are now available from Hogrefe’s website, and refreshed kits and manuals will soon follow. Keep your eyes peeled for further information!
