Speech and Language
Supporting, speech, language and communication (SLC)
We understand how important speech, language, and communication skills are for every child’s learning, emotional wellbeing, and social development. These skills are the building blocks for success at school and beyond — helping children to build friendships, express their
needs, and achieve their potential.
What is speech, language and communication?
Speech is the act of producing sounds that form words, allowing us to communicate verbally. It involves the physical process of using our vocal cords, mouth, and breath.
Language is the words and grammar used to communicate.
Its how we express thoughts,ideas, and emotions, whether spoken, written, or signed.
Communication is the process of sharing information, thoughts, and feelings between people. It can be verbal (speech), non-verbal (gestures, facial expressions), written, or visual.
What types of difficulty can children have?
There are many different types of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). Some examples are:
1. Difficulties understanding language: Such as struggling to follow instructions, or understanding what words mean.
2. Expressive language difficulties: Difficulty using language to communicate.
3. Speech sound disorders: Difficulty producing speech sounds correctly.
4. Stammering (Stuttering): Disruptions in the flow of speech.
5. Social Communication Difficulties: Challenges with using language in social contexts, such as understanding non-verbal cues or taking turns in conversation.
Find out more here Speech, language, and communication needs – Kent County Council
https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapies-the-pod/speech-and-language-therapy/
How We Support Your Child In Kent, we are using the Balanced System® to help everyone work together to support pupils’
speech, language and communication. This means everyone involved in a child’s life can work together in a more joined up-way with the speech and language therapy service.
We work closely with our NHS link speech and language therapist, who regularly visits our school.
They support us to review and develop our approach, advise staff, and work with individual pupils or
small groups where needed.
Current Projects
We have three projects currently
- TAs will have knowledge and skills to support pupils with more complex SLCN.
- There will be a supportive communication environment across the whole school. Use of signs / now and next approach / consistent across all classes.
- Parents confident to support their child with more complex SLCN at home.
Balanced System
Every Kent school and setting should be working to achieve 15 Balanced System® outcomes for children and young people.
These outcomes are divided into five strands:
- Family support – parents have the confidence, knowledge and skills to support their role as a key communicative partner for their child.
- Environment – environments are enhanced to support children to understand and express themselves effectively.
- Workforce – the workforce is confident and competent to support children with speech, language and communication needs.
- Identification – speech, language and communication needs are identified early and effectively.
- Intervention – children receive support to help them make progress in their speech, language and communication.
And within each strand, there are three levels:
- Universal outcomes and the provisions that help deliver support to all pupils within your school or setting to develop their speech, language and communication skills.
- Targeted outcomes and resources are more directly useful for pupils and their families where there is a concern about speech, language and communication or a need has been identified already. For the majority of children or young people and their families, this level will provide enough support. Targeted provisions may be delivered by school or setting staff who have received specific training as well as by speech and language therapists where appropriate. Targeted provisions may be of benefit to pupils with complex SLCN as part of their wider support.
- Specialist or individualised outcomes and resources are either to support more complicated speech, language and communication needs or to provide more specialist information and help. Some children or young people and their families will need specialist level support as well as targeted and universal levels for them to make the progress they wish to make with speech, language and communication. Specialist level may not be needed all of the time and may be helpful at certain points on a child or young person’s journey.
Useful websites:
Children’s Therapists – The Pod – Main Website – Select which Therapy service you require
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) – including Communication Boards
Early Years Language and Communication.