Screening and Assessments
Members of the Communicate team can support the identification and assessment of a range of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
We work in collaboration with children, young people, parents, school staff and other professionals to understand needs and priorities.
Our flexible service may include:
- Screening or assessing pupils’ communication skills to identify the nature and extent of speech, language and communication needs.
- Supporting school staff and providing the tools to accurately identify SLCN.
- Working in partnership to identify strengths, needs, desired outcomes and plan interventions and support.
- Providing an assessment summaries / reports with a clear outline of a pupil’s skills, areas for development, short and long term aims and recommendations.
- A combination of in person or online support depending on context and requirements.
Members of the Communicate team can support the identification and assessment of a range of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
These include:
- Language delay and disorder,
- Developmental Language Delay
- Specific difficulties producing sounds,
- Dysfluency & stammering
- Autism & social communication and interaction difficulties,
- Learning difficulties,
- Physical disabilities
- Voice disorders
- Hearing loss
- Selective mutism
- Sensory needs from a communication viewpoint.
“Speech, language and communication needs are the most common type of special educational need in 4-11 year old children.”
(RCSLT, 2012)
“In some socially deprived areas upwards of half of children may start school with impoverished speech, language and communication skills. “
(Locke, 2002)
“It is important to be able to identify the diverse needs of children and young people with SLCN and to provide appropriate support for them to interact socially, to participate fully in education and to lead safe, healthy lives.”
(Bercow, 2008)
Measuring impact and outcomes
At the beginning of the service we design and agree targets, activities and outcome measures in order to demonstrate positive outcomes for pupils, the school team and the whole school.
Benefits from our assessment services may include:
- Identifying if pupils’ speech, language and communication skills are above or within normal range, delayed, significantly delayed, disordered or complex.
- A partnership approach to working with SLTs from partner agencies, such as the NHS.
- Informal and formal speech and language therapy assessments.
- A collaborative approach to target setting .
- Assessment summaries / formal reports and recommendations for individual children and young people.
What service users say…
“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
“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
“We are absolutely thrilled with the Speech and Language work which has been going on in school. …assessments…went really well and I was particularly pleased with the evaluation of targets set and then the level of detail given in the reports produced.” School SENCo
For more information about the Communicate team and the speech and language services we provide please contact: Caroline Coyne, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
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