Imagine you’ve woken up in a foreign land and don’t understand a word that anyone has to say.  Imagine that you can’t speak that language and so can’t ask anyone where you are, what’s going on or how to get back home.  How might you feel?

I’ve asked this question in many a training session and the usual responses include “scared”, “anxious”, “sad”, “confused”, “isolated”.  The list goes on…

Having adequate speech and language skills is vital so that children can:

• Learn
• Share their thoughts and ideas with others
• Build relationships
• Process and manage their emotions

Speech and language skills are, in fact, the foundation for ALL other areas of learning.  So, if your child needs support in this area DON’T WAIT AND SEE, act now to ensure that they can make progress.

Supporting children’s speech and language skills is a TEAM EFFORT.

The role of Specialists (e.g. Speech and Language Therapists)

You may need Specialists, like a Speech and Language Therapist to assess your child’s needs and make recommendations for how they can best be supported.  Sometimes some of these recommendations might need to be implemented by a Speech and Language Therapist, but often they will train up parents and school staff to deliver key interventions.

The role of School Staff (e.g. Teachers, Teaching Assistants)

There are many things school staff can do to support a child’s speech and language development.

These include:

• Ensuring the environment enables language development
• Ensuring children have access to good visual supports
• Offering opportunities for children to work with adults in 1:1 and small group environments
• Making a connection with children by including their interests in learning opportunities
• Including repetitive routines such as singing and stories
• Supporting children to practise turn-taking
• Implementing the advice/recommendations of the Speech and Language Therapist

The role of Parents/Carers

There are also lots of things parents can do to support a child’s speech and language development at home and this is key to ensuring a child makes good progress.  A child needs to be well supported across different environments.

You can help your child at home by:

• Engaging in good quality interactions with your child
• Using visual supports alongside spoken language (visual supports include Makaton Signing, Visual Timetables, AAC devices)
• Engaging in repetitive routines with your child, such as singing and stories
• Supporting children to practise turn-taking (e.g. by taking it in turns to pop bubbles, mix the cooking pot or play a game)
• Implementing the advice/recommendations of the Speech and Language Therapist

If you feel unsure where to get started, ask your school SENCo or contact @speechtherapywithcharlotte or @senexpert.If you are a parent or professional who wants more guidance about what makes a ‘good quality interaction’ book Speech Therapy with Charlotte’s Online Session “Conscious Quality Interactions” on her website: speechtherapywithcharlotte.com.