Support for School-aged Children

We support children according to their communication needs adopting a virtual first approach.  To achieve this we work with parents / carers, teachers, setting staff and other professionals. We work closely with colleagues in the Specialist Inclusion Support Service Speech Language & Communication Disorders Team, to support young people with communication difficulties in mainstream schools, recommending adaptations and targets to ensure young people are able to communicate as effectively as possible within the school environment.

What happens during an assessment?

After introducing themselves to you, the therapist will have a discussion with you (as appropriate to your child’s age and communication ability) about:

  • How you feels about your child’s communication
  • How your child feels about their communication
  • Any specific areas of difficulty you/your child has noticed
  • Your child’s early developmental history
  • What support is currently in place

From the information provided we will be able assess your child’s communication skills in order to see how they are communicating in comparison to expectations for their age.

Please visit http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk for more information on your child’s expectations.

Following the assessment, the therapist will discuss with the parents/carers to explain what the assessment has shown and to agree on the next steps. This will all be summarised in a report to parents/carers and School , which outlines the child’s communication needs, next steps agreed with the SLT department, and any useful strategies for family and other adults to use. This report can be copied to any other professionals you feel will benefit from the information.

When a formal assessment is deemed as essential to determine a child’s communication skills, where the child is able to adhere to current distancing guidelines. The formal assessments take place face to face in one of our community clinics, at the moment only one adult is able to attend with the child being assessed and sessions will be limited in time to complete only the information required that cannot be gained virtually. You will be provided with a follow up telephone appointment to discuss any other needs in detail.

What happens after assessment?

Following assessment, the Speech & Language Therapist will write a report which will include:

  • information from the young person, their parent/carer and teachers (if appropriate) about how the young person communicates at home, at school and in their spare time.
  • Description of the SLT assessment process and the results of any formal assessments that were carried out.
  • Individualised recommendations to address the areas of concern at home, at school and in other settings.

Reports are sent to parents/carers, the young person’s GP and other relevant professionals as agreed with parents/carers. SLT reports can be used to support a young person’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), although not all children who receive speech & language therapy will require an EHCP.

For many school-aged children, this report marks the end of their involvement with the SLT service as their language needs are such that can be met by education services (see SLT discharge for further information). Parents/carers and professionals are, however, welcome to contact the Speech & Language Therapy service by telephone for further information and advice until the young person reaches their 18th birthday.

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