Intervention and Therapy
Speech, Language and Communication are foundation life skills which enable children to make friends, learn and thrive, with strong language and communication skills linked to better outcomes in school and beyond.
Communicate’s team members can provide therapy with pupils identified with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) that would benefit from intervention.
We work in partnership to establish the most effective interventions and approaches for a pupil.
Our interventions may include:
- Engaging pupils to establish their perspective and agreeing achievable goals and plan.
- Direct therapy with a Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) or SLT Assistant.
- Supporting school staff or parents to provide intervention.
- Evidence based interventions and programmes.
- Individual, small group or whole class approaches.
- Flexible delivery online where required.
- Coordinating activity with other professionals involved e.g., teaching or NHS staff.
- Monitoring progress, reviewing effectiveness of approach and providing reports.
- Embedding the skills in the environment where pupils live and learn.
“In the UK, over 1 million children and young people, that’s 2-3 in every classroom, have some form of long term and persistent speech, language and communication difficulty. This can affect them early, severely and for life.”
(RCSLT, 2011)
Universal, Targeted and Specialist speech, language and communication needs.
Research suggests that 10% of children have persistent or acute specialist level needs.
Communicate Speech and Language Therapists deliver specialist interventions on an individual or group basis.
This could include Lidcome stammering interventions, bespoke selective mutism activity, speech programmes or therapy for pupils with Autism or Developmental Language Delay and reports for annual reviews.
In areas of deprivation at least 50% of children have transient Speech, Language and Communication Needs and can benefit from good quality everyday communication environments and short term high quality interventions to help their communication skills catch up with their peers’.
The Speech and Language therapist can devise, train, demonstrate, coach, review and support direct interventions for individual children and small groups by Teaching Staff or Communicate SLT Assistants. Refer on to other services as appropriate.
Interventions may include:
- Licensed programmes such as ICAN Early TalkBoost, TalkBoost KS1 or KS2 or Talk about Talk Secondary or Nuffield Early Language Intervention Programme (NELI).
- Interventions such as Talkabout, Lego Therapy, Narrative Black Sheep programmes, Word Aware, Adult child interaction coaching, PECS, signing, early language development, speech pronunciation and listening and attention.
Whole school approaches have the potential to benefit many pupils for example, total communication, visual support, vocabulary and interaction.
We recommend schools use The Communication Trust’s, Communication Commitment. We are able to support this audit of a whole school approach, development of an action plan and activity towards achieving accreditations or communication friendly status.
Measuring impact and outcomes
What service users say…
“It’s been positive - that’s a new word! I want to do more next year and learn new words. I love knowing ‘predict’ ‘analyse’ and ‘compare’”
Young person
“I can say /k/ and /g/ now, I wasn’t confident before, but now I am. People can understand me as well now and I really like that I can say my sister’s name properly ‘cause before I said it wrong!”
Child with speech difficulties
"SLT service is one thing that is going really well at the moment. Making really good contacts with parents. Creating useful resources for school and home. Loads of evidence of impact in school. Keeping working well with OT."
Head of Special school during lockdown.
“My strategies have helped me to control my stammer and my confidence has gone up and my speech is much better. It has been really helpful. I’d be happy to get a job now and talk to people but there’s no way I’d have done it before, not a chance”
Young person with a stammer
***… is quite simply brilliant! She has built up excellent relationships with the pupils and when I pop into the sessions there is always plenty going on. She really knows and understands the children and speaks confidently about them all when we get chance to catch up. We love her being in school and can really see the progress the children are making with her weekly input.”
Primary School SENCo
“We are absolutely over the moon with the reports you have written. Detailed, clear and incredibly useful! The SLT also has a lovely way with the children”
School SENCo
“I can’t thank you enough for your help-she’s so clear now and I can tell she loves sessions with you. She’s practising the sounds at home”
Parent
“You’ve been so flexible, which is what we need at this school. You’re great with the kids and we can really see the difference in both the children and the staff so thank you for all of your help.”
Head teacher
“They’ve all come on so well (children on SLT caseload). Particularly X, his confidence is amazing in class now.”
Teacher
For more information about the Communicate team and the speech and language services we provide please contact: Caroline Coyne, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist