SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES

Key Features

• Conditions that cause child’s inability to comprehend or share ideas or feelings because of an impairment in language, speech, hearing or intellect

• Problems could be in speech production (articulation), receptive (understanding) language, expressive (spoken) language, social communication

• Need to exclude conditions such as Autism/ASD, LD, Epilepsy, Hearing loss, Mutism

• Delay in Speech and Language (without disorder) is common, i.e. affects 5-6% of children

• Presents as not babbling by the age of 12 months

• Not talking by the age of 2 years

• Not speaking in short sentences by the age of 3 years

• Can have poor pronunciation or articulation

• Can have difficulty putting words together in a sentence

• Child has diminished ability to exchange thoughts, opinions, information or communication

• Lead to child being anxious, isolated, withdrawn, stressed

• Has impact on learning, achievement, relationships, employment and life outcomes

Management Options:

• Provide you with a clear diagnostic report confirming the nature and severity of SALD

• Offer you information about local and national sources of support and information

• Give you SAL-specific behavioural, educational and environmental strategies

• Advice regarding review by other professionals e.g. SLT where required

• Advice regarding further tests where required e.g. hearing

• You could use medical report e.g. to gain extra support at school, claim allowances/benefits

• You will feel empowered to enable your child from this holistic assessment and action plan

• Present you with an option for follow-up, if required