Speech, Language and Communication Support

Children who have difficulties with their speech or social and communication skills are assessed by the speech therapist from the hospital who comes into school. She makes recommendations to support children's language development.

A member of the inclusion team works with children from nursery through to year six for a variety of reasons. A child may need help with tongue placement if they have learnt to talk with a dummy or, for medical reasons, like tongue tie. Exercises can be carried out to help children form sounds correctly, especially if they have hearing problems. Children who have English as a second language may need a number of language interventions to support their development of English.

There is also focus on the social and emotional/ communication aspects of language and language development. The inclusion team teach the fundamentals of social communication: good eye contact, good listening skills, speaking in a clear, slow, voice, taking turns to speak, using your face to show feelings, using the right tone of voice etc...

Interventions include: Narrative Therapy, Lego therapy, Socially Speaking.

At the heart of the speech, language and communication interventions led by the inclusion team is the desire to inspire children and empower them to be more independent thinkers and learners.