1. Building Communication Skills
Alison McCann – Clinical Lead SLT for Children with Complex Needs

2. Outline of Session: Speech and Language Therapy role in Ardnashee
What is Communication / Stages of Development
Pre language skills / play
Supporting Needs / How you can help
Evaluation
Housekeeping (toilets etc), Introductions, Sign in sheet

3. What is Communication?
The act of transferring information verbally, non verbally or through written means
“Communication is the number one skill. Without it, children will struggle to make friends, learn and enjoy life” (
Vital skill – needs to be learned

4. Communication – What We Know:
Develops from birth
Begins with non verbal skills – eye contact/facial expressions
Takes place across environments – not limited to one time or place

5. Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
May include:
Difficulties understanding language (receptive language)
Difficulties using language (expressive language)
Difficulties using speech sounds (phonology)
Difficulties using language appropriately (pragmatics)
Difficulties with maintaining fluent speech (dysfluency)
Voice problems (dysphonia)

6. SLCN
Some children may have difficulty in only one of these areas. Others may have difficulty in more than one.
Some children may have difficulties that can be helped quite easily. Others may have greater needs. Some children will have life-long difficulties that will affect them significantly.

7. Stages of Development Response: Responds only to events.
Does not initiate communication
Smiles and gurgles

8. Stages of Development Anticipate:
Anticipates what is going to happen and responds.
Moves excitedly and looks in direction of what is happening.

9. Stages of Development Active Communication: Indicate what they want.
Vocalise/looking/pointing/gesture
Lead by hand
Push away
Look from person to object to choose (joint referencing/shared attention)

10. Stages of Development Communicates using words and ideas
Begins to join words & ideas
Use of abstract words and reasoning

11. Stages of Language Development

12. Play Types of play: Exploratory (0 – 10 months)
Relational (9 – 15 months)
Self pretend (11 – 18 months)
Doll pretend ( 12 – 30 months)
Physical play (with actions and songs)
Developing communication through play ( turn-taking, social language, modelling sounds and words).

13. Starting point: Need to consider:
Child’s developmental level – not chronological age
What is appropriate?
- duty of care

14. Things to consider:
Overall well being – general health (breathing, fatigue)
Medication – can impact on attention/alertness.
Life events – (moving house, bereavement, illness).
Need extra TLC and confidence building.
It is important that families share any pertinent information with us that may affect their child’s confidence or mood.

15. Response to previous therapy? Timing?
Aim: to help child and parents develop skills to maximise communication across environments
Focus is on ‘functional communication’ (Just because they can say some words/sentences they may not be functional). Can they request, greet, refuse, comment?
Involved as long as practice is effective – do we have a role? (Cannot take communication level above thinking level)
Response to previous therapy? Timing?
Working towards self managed care.
Open door policy – child can be referred at any stage should needs change/new concerns arise
(SLT cannot cure LD, ASD, DS etc.

16. Relationships
At various times during your child’s journey through school, the SLT service may be closely involved with your family, on the fringes or not involved at all.

17. What you can do Consider:
When is the optimum time for play and communication (alert/comfortable/well/awake)
Focus on what the child is doing? (as opposed to not doing)
Focus on positives – what they can do
- what they can do well
Play play play!!!

18. Providing Support – Starting Point
Wait and listen
Watch
Wait
Listen
Then respond
Intensive interaction (copy sounds/movements)
(let them lead)

19. Providing Support - Environment
Home environment is crucial
Consider strengths of child and use these as starting point
Visual learners – visual timetables/schedules/displays
Consider noise levels
Minimise distractions
Reduce language load – simplify complex language
Build language targets into home and class environments

20. May need to consider:
“Methods of communication which can be used to supplement the more usual methods of speech and writing” (Communication Matters)
Low tech – gestures/body language/sign language (Makaton/BSL)
High Tech – require tools. (PECS book/device/Communication books and boards).
Drop in sessions will be offered each term if you have any queries).

21. SLT Enhancers
Use a total communication approach – Gesture, body movement, Makaton signs, eye contact, PECS, Verbal speech – whatever works!!
Clarity – If family members do/accept different things, this will confuse a child and undermine what we are trying to achieve.
Honesty – Are you really seeing the child’s true level or the level you would like them to be at?
Transparency – Tell us of any changes/events likely to affect child’s learning.
Integrate SLT targets into everyday life.
Clarity – Family members to use/accept correct PECs level/ Makaton/verbal language
consistently across environments. Includes bottles/dummies also.

22. What we expect from you…
1. Get educated – attend any training offered.
2. Be involved – visit us (observation/discussion).
3. Ask questions – that’s what we are here for.
4. Do the homework.
5. Practice, practice, practice.

23. Questions??

24. Adapted by: Alison McCann Speech and Language Therapist Ardnashee School and College ( / )