Sponsored

Best Practice

Speech, language, and communication needs: Identification and intervention

Many students will arrive in year 7 with unidentified speech, language, and communication needs – and the older they get the harder they are to identify. We speak to Louise Burton, a speech and language therapist, about how we can spot the signs and support young people.
Image: Adobe Stock

Official figures tell us that 1 in 10 children and young people are affected by long-term and persistent speech, language, and communication needs (Public Health England, 2020).

However, this could be the tip of the iceberg considering that research suggests as many as 40% of young people with SLCN are going unidentified – with significant implications for their academic and social-emotional outcomes (Communication Trust, 2014).

What is more, older students are among the hardest to spot, with particular problems identifying those with difficulties in understanding – an estimated 29% go unidentified at primary level compared to 48% in key stage 3.

The Communication Trust also found that 45% of students who have difficulties with vocabulary fly under the radar – as do 52% who struggle with formulating sentences.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here