How to make sure children and young people at risk of speech, language and communication needs are identified early and effectively

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Parent information, advice and resources - Worcestershire

The Worcestershire Speech and Language Therapy service website provides a comprehensive range of resources, advice and You Tube videos to help parents to support their child / young person at home. 

Visit the website to find:

  • Information about speech, language and communication
  • Free resources you can download and use at home
  • Links to our You Tube channel where you will find demonstrations of activities you can do at home
  • Further information about the local team, where we work and what services we provide 

Cost: Free

Parent information, advice and resources - Worcestershire
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention

Identification Tools for School Age Children - Worcestershire SLCN Pathway

The Worcestershire SLCN Pathway guide and tools help practitioners to support identification of SLCN.

Tools for school age include: developmental norms, the child's voice, early warning signs for school age and tools for identification of need in both primary age and secondary age.

Download Worcestershire's SLCN Pathway Guide to Identification  

Download Developmental norms

Download Parent discussion template

Download Early Warning Signs for School Age

Download Identification of Need for Primary Age

Download Identification of Need for Secondary Age

Cost: Free

Identification Tools for School Age Children - Worcestershire SLCN Pathway
Identification
Identification

Slowing down

Find out how to slow down your talking and understand more about how this can help your child.

Cost: Free

Slowing down
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention

Speech and Language UK Information for Professionals

Speech and Language UK is the children's communication charity which provides training and resources for professionals to develop knowledge, skills and strategies to support children's speech, language and communication skills and needs and links to further information.

 

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK  Information for Professionals
WorkforceIdentificationIntervention
WorkforceIdentificationIntervention

TCT Building a Profile

This document has been designed to guide you in making a referral to speech and language services.  Being aware of the different types of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) will make it easier for you to describe the child's difficulties accurately, enabling them to access the right support as quickly as possible.

Cost: Free

TCT Building a Profile
WorkforceIdentification
WorkforceIdentification

Enquiry Line

The Speech and Language UK Enquiry Service gives parents a chance to discuss questions or concerns about their child’s speech, language and communication development with one of Speech and Language UK’s speech and language therapists.  The therapists can give helpful information about children’s talking and communication development as well as tips on improving these skills. They can also offer advice on ages and stages and what can be done to help the child get the right support.

 

Cost: Free

Enquiry Line
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention

Progress Checker

Speech and Language UK's progress checker provides parents with short questions they can answer to see how their child is getting on with their speech, language and communication development.

Cost: Free

Progress Checker
Family SupportIdentification
Family SupportIdentification

Afasic

Afasic supports parents and carers with young children who have difficulties with listening, talking and understanding others. Here is information for you use and to share with families of the children you support. It includes a wide range of information about talking, listening and understanding and what might cause these difficulties.  If families are worried that their child is not talking or not saying as much as other children of their age, they can contact Afasic by telephone or email to speak to someone who can help. 

Cost: Free

Afasic
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention

Afasic Parent Helpline

If a parent is worried about their child / young person's speech, language and communication, share this Afasic helpline information so that they can speak to someone who can help by telephone or email.

Cost: Free

Afasic Parent Helpline
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention

Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages

This is a guide to the typical stages of speech and language development in children.  Children develop language at different rates. However, understanding what is typical can help you identify speech and language problems early.  This page also provides information about how to support children's development.

 

Cost: Free

Speech and Language UK Ages and Stages
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention

Universally Speaking 5-11

Universally Speaking is a series of booklets for anyone who works with children and young people. The booklets show where children should be with their communication skills at any given age.  You can use the booklets to find out whether the children you work with are on the right track, what helps them learn to talk and listen and what to do if you have concerns about any of their communication abilities.

Cost: Free

Universally Speaking 5-11
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportIdentificationIntervention

What's typical talk at primary?

This poster is an easy reference for teachers to understand children's speech and language development from 4-11 years and supports them in identifying children who may have speech, language and communication needs.

Cost: Free

What's typical talk at primary?
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LanguageScreen

LanguageScreen gives education professionals a quick and accurate assessment of a child’s oral language skills which provide the foundation for the development of literacy skills and formal education more broadly. Automated language screening can provide a way of indentifying children who would benefit from language intervention. LanguageScreen has been shown to be reliable, valid and easy to administer.

 

LanguageScreen
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Identification

WellComm Toolkit

The WellComm Assessment is for use with any child aged 6-11 years and enables practitioners to evaluate children's language skills, draw up a detailed profile and identify children at risk of having difficulty in developing language skills.  It identifies those children who need setting-based monitoring and support and those who need referral to specialist support services.  The screen is completed through observation and by asking children to carry out a variety of tasks ensuring that results obtained and conclusions drawn are more accurate than using one approach alone.

The WellComm Big Book of Ideas has been designed for use following a WellComm assessment of any child.  It includes general strategies as well as very specific activities to develop and improve children's speech and language skills and can be implemented by any practitioner or parent.  The activities are used to develop the particular skills highlighted for support in the assessment - this means that the activities delivered are specific and appropriate to the individual child language development stage and can be used in the school or at home.

Training videos are included in the toolkit.  

WellComm Toolkit
Family SupportWorkforceIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportWorkforceIdentificationIntervention

RADLD

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is diagnosed when children struggle to develop language, resulting in children who have difficulty understanding what people say to them, and struggle to articulate their ideas and feelings.  This website provides you with information and resources to help identify and support children with DLD.   Information can also be shared with families and carers of children with DLD.

 

Cost: Free

RADLD
Family SupportWorkforceIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportWorkforceIdentificationIntervention

Afasic My Child Isn't Talking and I'm Worried

Children develop and learn to talk at different rates – some more slowly or quickly than others. However, there are key milestones parents can look out for and it can help them to know how talking develops, what happens and when. Here Afasic provides information for you to share with parents on: identifying who can help; first steps to getting help and support; gathering information and keeping a record and questions to ask professionals.

Cost: Free

Afasic My Child Isn't Talking and I'm Worried
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention

Talk Boost KS2

Talk Boost KS2 is a targeted intervention aimed at 7-10 year old children with delayed language, aiming to boost their language skills helping them to catch up with their peers. The programme aims to accelerate children’s progress in language and communication, after an eight week intervention.

Cost: £

Talk Boost KS2
WorkforceIdentificationIntervention
WorkforceIdentificationIntervention

Speech Link

Speech Link is used to identify and support children with developmental speech sound difficulties. Launched in 2003, it is still used widely throughout the UK to help schools decide who needs to be seen by a Speech and Language Therapist and those at risk of literacy difficulties. Suitable for children aged 4 to 8 years, Speech Link helps demystify speech work and helps you to work effectively with children’s common speech sound errors.

Cost: £

Speech Link
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IdentificationIntervention

Infant Language Link

Infant Language Link is an innovative online package used to identify and support children with mild to moderate SLCN and those new to English. The assessment will also identify any children who may have more severe language needs, such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), so that these children can be considered for further investigations and diagnostic assessment with your local Speech and Language Therapy team. Suitable for children aged 4 to 8 years, 500 colourful resources, 12 planned termly language groups, 24 individual teaching plans and 52 handouts for parents make this the most comprehensive SLCN package available for schools.

Cost: £

Infant Language Link
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Speech Link Parent Portal

The Speech Link Parent Portal offers advice, information and activities for you to share with families so that they know how to develop their children’s understanding, talking and listening.  It includes information about speech, language and communication, how these skills develop, activities and top tips videos.

Cost: Free

Speech Link Parent Portal
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention
Family SupportEnvironmentIdentificationIntervention

Junior Language Link

Junior Language Link is an award winning package used to identify and support children with mild to moderate SLCN and those new to English in Key Stage 2. The assessment will also identify any children who may have more severe language needs, such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), so that these children can be considered for further investigations and diagnostic assessment with your local Speech and Language Therapy team. Suitable for children aged 7 to 11 years, it focuses on vital higher level language skills such as making inferences, complex grammar and figurative language.

Cost: £

Junior Language Link
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IdentificationIntervention

What are the signs of DLD?

Leaflet outlining 10 key signs that indicate a child may have DLD.

Cost: Free

What are the signs of DLD?
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Identification
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