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AMY LOXLEY IS A LEAD SPEECH AND LANGUAGE ADVISOR FOR SPEECH AND LANGUAGE UK A n estimated 1.9 million children in the UK have speech and language challenges. That means one in five children around the country are struggling to talk and understand words right now. Without the right support, these children are more likely to struggle to read, write and do maths. They will also find it harder to make friends, be twice as likely to be unemployed as young adults, and make up almost half of mental health service referrals and two-thirds of the young offender population. Speech and language challenges are hidden in many children. It can be hard to spot a child who is struggling with talking and understanding words, particularly in a busy early years setting. All children develop differently, and identifying which children just need a bit of extra time, which children will catch up with an intervention programme, and which children have more long-term challenges and require specialist support isn’t straightforward. We know that early intervention is key – but in a time of limited resources and capacity, how do we make sure that children who need support aren’t slipping through the net? SPOTTING THE SIGNS Challenges with talking and understanding words present in numerous ways. Many children who struggle with behaviour, attention or social interaction may, in fact, have speech and language challenges. A child who presents as shy or quiet may be struggling to talk and understand words. Another child who acts out or has difficulty managing their emotions Amy Loxley explains how to spot a child struggling with talking and understanding words… Strategies to support speech Speech and language challenges are hidden in many children could have an underlying speech and language challenge. If you have concerns about a child’s development in any area, stop and think – could it be a speech and language challenge? Have a closer look at: How they communicate – do they talk and/or use non-verbal skills at a similar level to peers of the same age? What they understand – are they able to listen and follow directions? How they take part – do they play alongside and together with their peers? Both tools give an indication of what’s typical, so you can quickly and easily check a child’s skills. WHAT NEXT? Once you have identified potential concerns with a child’s speech and language development, it’s crucial to put support in place and monitor their progress. We have lots of advice and ideas in our free resource library for educators (tinyurl.com/TEYtalk) . A small group intervention programme is one type of targeted support. There is convincing evidence that these work. A good example is our Early Talk Boost (tinyurl.com/ TEYboost) programme, which has been shown to boost children’s progress in language and communication by an average of five months after nine weeks. Around 10% of all children have a lifelong speech and language challenge – they won’t “grow out of it” or catch up to their peers, even with support. Some have challenges associated with another condition, but others have lifelong challenges that are not part of another condition or diagnosis. If a child doesn’t make progress after you’ve put support in place, refer them to your local speech and language therapy service for a full assessment. FURTHER SUPPORT If you have concerns about a child and need support, contact Speech and Language UK’s free, confidential advice line (tinyurl.com/TEYadvice ) to book a callback from a qualified speech and language therapist. And if you want to find out more, be sure to explore the host of resources on our educator webpages (tinyurl.com/TEYtoolsSP) . There are lots of tools and resources available to help you identify children who may be struggling, including our free progress checker (progress- checker.speechandlanguage.org.uk ). Both early years staff and families can use this free online tool. You simply select the age of the child and answer some straightforward questions about their speech, language and communication skills. At the end, you will be directed to helpful advice and resources for the child’s areas of difficulty based on your answers. Other free tools include our Universally Speaking booklet (bit.ly/ TEYspeech) and our ages and stages (tinyurl.com/TEYstages) webpages. Teachearlyyears.com 37