Speech and Language Therapy

Developing language is complex. 1in 10 children will have some level of speech, language and communication need. The cause is often unknown however parents tend to feel its something that they could have prevented and teachers and parents find it difficult to know how best to support. Further information can be found on the following websites: 

www.afasic.org.uk/what-causes-slcn/

 Speech and Language UK: Information and support 

Although communication is complex and not one approach fits all, there are some key strategies that will always be advantageous to adopt. The key is to choose one strategy at a time and allocate  5-10 minutes a day working on this strategy through play.  You could try using some of the following strategies:

• Get down to their level: this does not necessarily mean being face to face. If your child finds this challenging try positioning yourself to the side. By getting down to their level, you will  be available and present so that you can pick up on the communication attempts your child makes. more easily.
• Follow their lead in play: this is probably one of the most important strategies. Watch what they are interested in, how do they interact with toys/objects. It doesn't matter what they are doing with the toy/object but follow their lead and try not to redirect their play. By doing this we are validating their play, showing interest in what they are doing, reducing demands and therefore become a more attractive communication partner.
• Keep it simple: often we want to encourage our child's language by talking to them and commenting on what we see. This is great, however as adults we often use lots of language and long sentences. Children who are finding language challenging, often need things to be kept simple. If your child is using single words, then try to match this or use short simple sentences. This makes the vocabulary you are using more accessible to your child.
• Match and add: you can support your child to expand their vocabulary and utterances by repeating their attempts at talking and adding an extra word. For example, if your child says "car" you could say "red car" or "fast car". This strategy can be used even when they are putting phrases together.
• Reduce questions: questions  can increase the language demand placed on our children. They may not necessarily understand the question word you are using. Instead try to use choices e.g. "apple or banana" rather than "what do you want for snack". You could also try just commenting. So for example instead of asking your child what something is, label it for them. They are much more likely to learn and use this word quicker by hearing it repeated over and over
• Repeat repeat repeat!: children need to hear words many times over before they are able to use them. Make sure you repeat words many times 
• Books and songs are a great way to support language development. They are by their nature repetitive and engaging which is exactly what children thrive on!

See my useful links for website you can explore for more ideas

Speech or phonological delay is when a child has difficulties with their speech sound system. This can mean their speech can be hard to understand. All children refine their speech sound system over time and develop different speech sounds at different rates. They all follow a typical pattern of development.  In some instances however, children may not develop certain sounds or may substitute some sounds for others. If this becomes a persisting problem, support is often needed to help your child develop their sound system and improve the intelligibility of their talking.

What can you do to help?:

- Speak slowly: words can run into each other and it can be difficult for a child to know when one word ends and the next begins. Be clear in your own articulation of words and sounds

- Let your child see your face when you are talking: this helps your child to know how the sounds are formed

- Repeat your child's attempts at talking: its important to repeat it back clearly and correctly. You do not need to ask your child to repeat it correctly back to you. Its more important they hear the correct pronunciation .

 If you have any concerns, please call me for a free 30 minute consultation.

I CAN Charity 

 https://www.icancharity.org.uk 

Tiny Happy People

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people 

Makaton Charity

 https://makaton.org
 

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation trust Speech Therapy services

 Children's services speech and language therapy (swft.nhs.uk) 

RADLD- Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder

 https://radld.org 

AFASIC

 https://www.afasic.org.uk
 

Headway- The brain injury association

 https://www.headway.org.uk
 

The Stroke Association

 https://www.stroke.org.uk 

 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

 https://www.rcslt.org/speech-and-language-therapy  

Health Professions Council

 https://www.hcpc-uk.org