Blog
Supporting children with Language & Communication: Understanding Your Role in Identifying a Need
Currently in the UK, 1.9 million children are struggling with talking and understanding words (Speech and Language UK). This issue is more prevalent in areas of disadvantage with around 50% of children who live in areas of social disadvantage starting school with language delay (Bercow - 10 years on).
When children with speech and language difficulties are left unsupported this can have life long implications, research has shown that without support they are more likely to fall behind in school, be unemployed, suffer from mental health difficulties and become a young offender (Speech and Language UK).
Early identification and intervention is the key to closing the gap. Early Years Practitioners play a vital role in supporting children with speech, language and communication needs, however many practitioners report that they don't feel confident in being able to identify and support children.
Supporting speech and language is everyone's business and for many children providing support isn't as hard as you might think. Good quality adult interaction during everyday interactions and play can make a huge difference to children's outcomes. In our recent webinar we wanted to empower practitioners to feel confident in their abilities to provide support to children, and signpost them to some brilliant resources to further strengthen their practice through a deeper understanding of the speech, language and communication development in children.
We would encourage all practitioners to ask themselves “What are the developmentally appropriate speech and language skills for the children I work with?”, “Do I feel confident identifying when a child is at risk of delay?” , “Do I know what support services are out there?”, and “What can I change about my practice/interactions to further support these children?”. If the answer is no, or I don't know, to any of these questions you can re-watch our webinar where we cover some of these key points. You can also take a look at the links below where you can access further information and training to upskill your practice.
Links to resources:
https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/
 |
Chloe Storr Impact & Insights Officer, Bradford Birth to 19 |