Speech, language and communication underpin everything we do – making our needs known, expressing our likes and dislikes, interacting with others and building relationships.

We often take these skills for granted, but many children struggle to communicate. If you feel that this is your child, then they may have a speech, language and communication needs or SLCN.

Someone with a speech, language and communication need:

  • Might have speech that is difficult to understand
  • They might struggle to say words or sentences
  • They may not understand words that are being used, or the instructions they hear
  • They may have difficulties knowing how to talk and listen to others in a conversation

They may have just some or all of these difficulties; they are all very different.

Speech, language and communication are crucial for reading, learning in school, for socialising and making friends, and for understanding and controlling emotions or feelings.

SLCN is often called a ‘hidden difficulty’. Many children with SLCN look just like other children, and can be just as clever. This means that instead of communication difficulties people may see children struggling to learn to read, showing poor behaviour, having difficulties learning or socialising with others. Some children may become withdrawn or isolated. Their needs are often misinterpreted, misdiagnosed or missed altogether. If you feel that this could be you, then please contact the Learning Support Department as soon as is possible and we can look at different ways in which we can support you:-

  • Talking Partners - improves how they communicate enabling them to be independent and a skilful speaker and listener.
  • Social Use of Language Programme (SULP by Dr Wendy Rinaldi) - enhances their personal, emotional and social development from a communication and thinking skills perspective.
  • Inclusion – sometimes it can be that no matter how hard they work at things, it just feels that no one understands them. Well, we do, and that is why the Inclusion team are available throughout the school day to listen to their concerns and support them in the problems that they are facing.

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