Skills for the Job: Helping children communicate

What different types of communication difficulties are there?
Speech, language and communication needs is an umbrella term used to describe a range of difficulties that children and young people may experience. These may include unclear speech; understanding the language people are using; knowing and using words and combining these effectively into sentences; and communication difficulties such as limited eye contact, difficulties staying on topic in conversation or struggling to take turns in a discussion.

A child or young person could have difficulties with one of these areas or any combination of them at varying degrees.

How can it affect young people?
Communication and speech problems can have a huge impact on children’s lives, inside and outside of school. One of the main difficulties is that problems can remain hidden, meaning they can be missed or misunderstood, which in itself can impact on children and how they are managed. Young people with difficulties say it makes a big difference when people understand the nature of their condition.

As language is the foundation for learning and literacy, as well as necessary for communication, the impact can be far reaching. They can struggle with reading and writing, but also with social interaction and can find making and keeping friends difficult. Frustration caused by communication breakdown can also result in poor behaviour. Children with speech and language problems do not attain as well as their peers, despite many being able in other ways. There is also a higher risk of unemployment and current research shows that more than 60 per cent of young offenders have a communication difficulty.

How do you identify problems?
The best way to spot difficulties is to understand typical language development and to know what children should be able to say and understand at different ages and stages. It is easier to spot speech and language needs in younger children, as they may say very little in comparison to peers or be very unclear in their speech.

Children with difficulties understanding can be harder to spot, as they can pick up clues in other ways, such as copying other children or watching for non-verbal clues from adults. Children with speech and language difficulties often struggle with reading, spelling or maths, so it is useful to consider any underlying issues when there are problems with learning or literacy.

Children can also have behavioural difficulties or be withdrawn or isolated. They may seem to ignore what you have told them, or do the wrong thing because they have misunderstood. They are often better at communicating in a one-to-one situation and can find it difficult to contribute or keep up with a group discussion.

What can you do?
The most important thing is to be aware that a child can have hidden issues and therefore to be more understanding of the nature of their condition. Speak a little more slowly than usual and allow time after asking a question for them to listen and think about what has been said. Use visual aids or pictures to demonstrate what is needed from them and keep language simple.

It is also a good thing to cut down the amount of time you spend talking and make sure the child gets their fair share of the conversation. Ask parents or their speech and language therapist for advice on useful approaches and, if possible, ask the child or young person what helps – sometimes the results can be surprising. If you suspect a child may need specialist help or support, parents or a school can refer the child to a speech and language therapist.

A good place to start is www.talkingpoint.org.uk, which provides a progress checker so you can see whether a child’s communication is on track. It also provides a database of local services supporting speech and language development.


Top tips

• Get the child’s attention – make sure they are listening before you begin speaking to them
• Show them the right way – if a child makes a mistake, repeat back to them what they have said using the correct words
• Vocabulary is very important – teach new words and build in lots of repetition and practice
• Give children time – when you have given an instruction or asked a question, allow the child time to process what you have said
• Check out understanding – encourage children to speak up when they do not understand what has been said

Wendy Lee is professional director at The Communication Trust