My child is finding communication difficult at school
It is important that children are happy communicators at school.
The Speech Links/Language Links website (opens a new window) provides some top tips, which are explained through short videos. These are simple strategies you can use at home. They don’t need any special equipment or specialist skills. Sometimes it is the small changes that make the biggest difference.
What should I do if I am worried?
After trying these top tips, if you continue to have concerns about your child’s skills you can arrange an appointment with your child’s class teacher, or the school’s ALNCo (Additional Learning Needs Coordinator). The school can give you more information about how your child is communicating at school.
Many schools are skilled in carrying out speech and language screening assessments in order to help identify children who they need to support. These assessments generate programmes for children, which are carried out by trained school staff. In many cases, this will be the only support your child needs.
Many schools also have access to the support of Specialist Teachers, who have extra training in Speech, Language and Communication Needs. If your child does not make progress following a school based programme, teachers can discuss your child’s progress with a Specialist Teacher. Specialist Teachers liaise very closely with us (NHS Speech and Language Therapists), and will advise the school on if they need to get in touch with us for help.
If a child is school aged, it important the child is referred to the NHS Speech and Language Therapy Service by their school. School staff are best placed to provide information on how a child’s communication is impacting their learning/relationships. They can also tell us about what they have already put in place to support your child’s speech, language and communication skills.
For school aged children, our service aims to support those who spend most time with a child (parent/careers and school staff). We aim to enable parents and school staff to feel confident in their ability to support children in becoming happy communicators.
