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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The resources here will help you reach the outcome: "I know how to make sure young children at risk of speech, language and communication needs are identified early and effectively."
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Balanced System for Schools and Settings
The Balanced System Scheme for Schools and Settings is a whole system approach to improving outcomes for children across the range of speech, language and communication needs for any setting that supports children. The framework enables a setting to understand existing need and provision for speech, language and communication and develop provision to address the gaps. The framework supports a setting to demonstrate impact of the support for speech, language and communication.
Cost: £
NHS Services and support for parents
NHS website with details for how to find a GP, Health Visitor and child health clinics in your area
Cost: Free
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
Language for Learning
Language for Learning provides training and resources to support everyone working with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
Developed in 2000 by a specialist teacher and a speech and language therapist, Language for Learning is a Worcestershire joint health and education non-profit making project managed by the NHS service.
Language for Learning provides training to the wider workforce in early years settings and schools, equipping practitioners to support children and young people effectively. A wide range of training courses are available from half day courses to three day intensive courses. Language for Learning also has a resource catalogue full of practical resources and ideas to support children in their setting.
Visit the website to find out more
Cost: Training commissioned by schools and settings
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
Child Monitoring Tool
A profiling tool to monitor child development in relation to Listening and Attention; Understanding; Talking; and Social Skills. As a practitioner you can highlight statements that the child can do through ongoing observations and assessment as well as discussion with parents. The tool includes checkpoint statements which need to be particularly considered as, if a child is not achieving these skills at the age indicated, this may indicate a speech, language and communication need that requires ongoing investigation and monitoring.
Cost: Free
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 young 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
Early Talk Boost
Early Talk Boost is a targeted intervention, delivered by a trained early years practitioner to a group of up to eight children aged 3-4 years old that have delayed language. The intervention helps to boost their language skills to help narrow the gap between them and their peers and includes two parent workshops; a tool to identify levels of need and measure progress; and resources to deliver the intervention. Training is available to practitioners who plan to deliver the intervention in their setting or school.
Cost: £
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
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.
TCT Progression Tools
The Progression Tools are based on typical speech and language development and provide a way of tracking progression of these skills over time or following interventions. The Tools are not a diagnostic tool, however they do provide information to help decide whether children would benefit from a targeted intervention or specialist assessment and support.
Cost: £
WellComm Toolkit
The WellComm Assessment is for use with any child aged 6 months to 6 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, discussion with families and screening 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 aged 6 months to 6 years. 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 early years practitioner or parent using toys and items that can be found in settings or at home. 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 setting or at home.
Training videos are included in the toolkit.
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
Talk Boost KS1 Intervention
Talk Boost KS1 is a targeted intervention for 4-7 year old children with language that is delayed. The programme is delivered in primary schools by classroom teachers and teaching assistants and provides a structured programme that boosts children’s progress in language and communication. It includes activities so that the intervention is supported in the home environment; a tool to identify levels of need and measure progress; and resources to deliver the intervention. Training is available to teachers and teaching assistants who plan to deliver the intervention in their school.
Cost: £
EYBIC Word Pack
Early Years Based Information Carrying Word Pack is a rich resource of beautiful pictures and interesting activities to help you assess and promote the vocabulary, speaking and listening of young children you work with through the principle of Information Carrying Words. The Information Carrying Words concept provides a structured framework which helps children increase the amount of information they can remember. At the same time EYBIC will develop their knowledge and language of everyday topics.
Cost: £
TCT Don't Get Me Wrong
Information about identifying speech, language and communication needs including a checklist of 35 indicators helps to identify if a child may have difficulties with their understanding of spoken language, the meaning of their message, function or reason for communication including pragmatics and social communication. Use to support your understanding and assessment of a child's needs and share with parents and carers who are concerned about their child. Download here: Don't Get Me Wrong
Cost: Free
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: £
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: £
ASQ-3
The Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition (ASQ®-3) is a developmental screening tool that pinpoints developmental progress in children between the ages of one month to 5 ½ years.
Stoke Speaks Out - Sound Development Checklist
An overview of the typical sounds children should be able to use in words at different ages.
Cost: Free
