This section aims to give you tips and ideas for helping your young child’s speech, language and communication development at home.
Emotional regulation
Emotional regulation is something we all need to learn effectively and maintain our wellbeing. Your child will be developing these skills and at this time may have particular difficulties regulating their emotions as they are outside of their usual routine.
Young children with speech, language and communication difficulties can have challenges identifying and expressing their emotions using language.
Zones of Regulation by Leah Kuyper’s uses a colour coded system to support students with this.
Zones of Regulation Explained - an advice sheet explaining The Zones of Regulation
Welcome to the Zones of regulation video
Zones of Regulation Board - this can be used to show and remind your child of the different zones and the emotions that belong to them
Emotions Choice Board - these can be used to support children to identify how they are feeling.
Inside Out Zones of Regulation - with Disney’s ‘Inside Out’ Characters
Zones Tools - these cut out ‘Tools’ cards can be used to support students to identify ways they can re-regulate and get into the Green Zone.
Language
Children with language difficulties can find it hard to understand instructions, express wants and needs to others, and use communication to play and interact with peers.
We have gathered together a selection of handouts with information, suggestions and tips for supporting children’s language in the home environment:
Talk about talking - an introductory talk for parents/carers
This video contains information about how language and communication develops, as well as tips and strategies for you to try with your child if you are concerned they are not developing their language and communication skills as you would expect compared to other children you know.
4Ss - this leaflet gives advice on 4 simple language-enhancing strategies you can integrate into your daily routines and communication with your child.
Special time - this gives advice on special time. Special time is a time for you and your child to engage in 1:1 distraction-free play to support with your child’s language development.
Strategies to support language and communication development – this gives a range of different activities you can try with your young child to facilitate their communication development.
Early Imitation Skills - one of the most important ways that young children learn is through imitation of those around them. This sheet gives you ideas of ways to explore imitation with your child.
Help me to communicate ‘before words’ - this gives advice on how to support your child’s communication before they are using words.
Help me to communicate ‘with single words and phrases’ - this gives advice on how to help your young child when they are starting to talk (e.g. labelling objects) and to extend these into sentences so that they can express what they want and how they feel with other people.
Help me to communicate ‘with longer sentences’ - this gives advice on how you help your young child when they are able to use sentences but need some help starting and joining in with conversations, listening and responding to others, coping with changes and managing emotions.
Developing language through play
These advice sheets give you top tips on how to develop your child’s language skills through play.
- Play advice
- Play and its importance
Increasing commenting - making comments rather than asking lots of questions supports language development. This link will take you to a video with ideas on how to increase commenting
Tiny Happy People - the BBC have launched a website for families with young children – there are lots of activities on there that support language development grouped by age range – have a look and we’re sure you’ll find something new and fun to try at home. They also have an Instagram page you can follow: @bbctinyhappypeople
Aided Language Displays
Displays with core vocabulary for specific activities for students who have difficulty expressing their wants and needs using language:
Information on Aided Language Displays
Games and activities
Home routines
Learning activities
Numbers
Puzzle
Week
Splingo’s Language Universe App – app for iPhone and iPad - this app costs about £5 and has fun engaging games for children to follow instructions from 1-4 key words.
Environment
The restrictions on social and structured activities outside of your home are likely to change your own and your young child’s routine for the short while. We want to support you to set up an environment within your home which facilitates your child’s communication development.
A Communication Friendly Environment at Home - this advice sheet gives top tips on how create a structured, predictable and low distraction learning environment.
Everyday routines – these are great opportunities for your child to learn language and concepts. This sheet gives you ideas on how to support your child’s learning of language through functional activities.
Creating the opportunity to communicate - this sheet gives you ideas on how to create communication opportunities and optimise your child’s motivation to interact.
Now/Next Boards
Now/Next Boards is a simple and visual way to implement structure and predictability throughout your child’s day. Now/Next boards support children’s attention and listening skills.
- How to use a Now/Next Board
- Now/Next Board
Visual timetables
Visual timetables are another way of supporting your child’s focus on the tasks at hand and supporting their understanding of the routine. You can cut out the ‘Daily Routine Symbols’ and place these onto the ‘Visual Timetable Template’. This can be used beyond learning tasks, for example, to support your child with their morning routine.
- How to use a Visual Timetable
- Visual timetable for home
- Daily Routine Symbols
Special Time
This leaflet gives advice on special time. Special time is a time for you and your child to engage in 1:1 distraction-free play to support with your child’s language development.
Tips and resources for early communication development in babies
Communication starts developing even before your baby is born, so it is never too early to focus on communication. This section gives ideas on how to support your baby’s communication development between the ages of 0 – 18 months. Our ‘babbling babies’ resources below each give examples of how the same activity to support your child’s communication development can be adapted for 0-6 months, 6-12 months and 12-18 months.
- Special playtimes 0-6 months
- Special playtimes 6-12 months
- Special playtimes 12-18 months
- Bubbles
- Building Towers
- Copy cats
- Keep a record of how your baby communicates
- I can be a…
- Making noise
- Musical instruments
- Noise is all around us
- Peek a boo
- Sharing a book
- Tickling
- Treasure baskets
- Traffic light system (shows you how to follow your child’s lead)
Social communication - parent information talk
Take a look at video below to find how to support your child to develop their language and communication skills.
Social communication - Parent information talk
Talk about talking - getting ready for school
This video is specifically designed for parents of children with language and communication difficulties who will be starting in Reception year in September. It contains information about how language and communication develops, skills needed to access Reception year as well as tips and strategies for you to try with your child if you are concerned they are not school ready in terms of their language and communication skills.
Starting primary school is an important transition for children and young people with SEND and their families. Our transition pathway, which describes our role in the process is here: Starting school
The Richmond Mainstream Schools Service document outlines what to expect if you live in Richmond or Kingston and your child attends a state-funded mainstream school in Richmond.
This section will provide you with resources to support your school aged child's speech, language and communication skills.
Our Mainstream School Resource Handbook contains advice, activities and general resources for education staff to use to support children with speech, language and communication needs who attend mainstream school. The handbook was designed with school staff in mind but contains resources that parents and carers may also find useful.
Emotional regulation is something we all require in order to learn effectively and maintain our wellbeing. Your child may have difficulties regulating their emotions outside of their usual routine, there are ways you can support your child to identify and regulate their emotions at home:
Label the emotion - “I think you might be feeling frustrated because this task Maths is difficult”
Empathise - “I feel annoyed too when I find something difficult.
Validate - “It’s OK to be frustrated”
Set limits, if needed - “It upsets me when you push your work on the floor, because it means we need to print it out again”
Problem Solve - “Maybe we can try another activity, and come back to this when you feel calmer”
Children with speech, language and communication difficulties can have challenges identifying and expressing their emotions using language. Zones of Regulation by Leah Kuyper’s uses a colour coded system to support students with this.
Zones of Regulation Explained - an advice sheet explaining The Zones of Regulation
Welcome to the Zones of regulation video
Zones of Regulation Board - this can be used to show and remind your child of the different zones and the emotions that belong to them
Emotions Choice Board - these can be used to support children to identify how they are feeling.
Inside Out Zones of Regulation - with Disney’s ‘Inside Out’ Characters
Language
Children with language difficulties can find it hard to follow spoken instructions, express their ideas clearly to others and keep up with the pace of interactions with others. This means that daily tasks can take longer for children with language difficulties and they can find learning challenging.
The handouts below contain information, suggestions and tips for supporting children’s language in the home environment:
Creating a Supportive Language Environment
This advice sheet gives parents advice on how to support their child’s receptive (understanding) and expressive language at home.
Aided Language Displays
Single page displays with core vocabulary for specific activities for students who have difficulty expressing their wants and needs using language:
- Information on Aided Language Displays
- Games and activities
- Home routines
- Learning activities
- Numbers
- Puzzle
- Week
Aided Language Stimulation and Modelling - take a look at this for advice on how to model Aided Language Displays and other Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems.
Colourful Semantics Programme – this is a colour coded visual approach which supports student’s understanding and expression of ‘wh-’ words (‘who’, ‘what doing’, ‘what’, ‘where’) by Alison Bryan. This handout created by ‘London Speech Therapy’ will show you how to navigate through this programme.
Vocabulary Book - encourage your child to identify key words they are learning about in their lessons and to fill out the word maps. The word maps reinforce students understanding of the meaning and sound of the word.
Find the link between these words - these cut out cards can be used as a game to exercise your child’s ability to link words by their underlying meanings. This is an important skill for word learning.
Story Planner – this resource supports students to identify key information in a story and sequence this to create or recall a narrative.
Inferencing skills
This resource can be used to develop student’s inferencing skills (forming links between meanings which are not obvious).
- Blank level questions 1
- Blank level questions 2
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a type of speech, language and communication need (SLCN) that affects the way that children understand and use language. Take a look at the resources below for ideas on how you can support children and young people with DLD.
Environment
At school your child will be used to a predictable, structured and sociable environment. With students learning in different ways (e.g. google classroom), and parents potentially working from home, we want to support you to set up an environment which facilitates your child’s communication and learning.
Advice: Setting up the learning environment - this advice sheet gives top tips on how create a structured, predictable and low distraction learning environment.
Advice: Creating interaction opportunities at home - at school, your child will be used to a highly sociable environment where they mix with their peers and have opportunities throughout the day to interact. It is important to continue to create opportunities for your child to socialise. Please see top tips for how to create simple interaction opportunities within the home environment
Interaction Activities by STEM Learning - please see ideas for more interaction activities by STEM Learning.
Now/Next Boards
Now/Next Boards is a simple and visual way to implement structure and predictability throughout your child’s day. Now/Next boards support children’s attention and listening skills.
- How to use a Now/Next Board
- Now/Next Board
Visual timetables
Visual timetables are another way of supporting your child’s focus on the tasks at hand and supporting their understanding of the routine. You can cut out the ‘Daily Routine Symbols’ and place these onto the ‘Visual Timetable Template’. This can be used beyond learning tasks, for example, to support your child with their morning routine.
- How to use a Visual Timetable
- Visual Timetable Template
- Daily Routine Symbols
Task Planner
Task planners encourage students to break down task demands into smaller steps. This is particularly useful for students who have difficulty processing, retaining and understanding lengthy instructions
Space Reward chart
Identify a behaviour you want to reinforce, e.g. completing a non-preferred activity, requesting help etc. Then agree on a suitable motivator for your child. You can adapt this space chart to fit in with your child’s motivators. When you observe your child carrying out the behaviour you want to see, show them by ticking a star.
Traffic Light System
Support your child to check their own levels of understanding of a task by regularly identifying what ‘traffic light’ colour they are. Agree with your child before they start their learning for the day what to do if they need help.
Stammering
Take a look at the 'Stammering at School' video in the 'Children who Stammer' section of the website to find out how to support children who stammer at School.
Tips and resources for Early Years Practitioners
This section is specifically for early years practitioners to support with children who have speech, language or communication needs in their setting. These resources can also be used universally to support all children within the nursery setting with their communication development. This section also recommends particular websites that would be relevant to early years practitioners.
Take a look a the video above for practical advice on supporting speech, language and communication needs in Early Years and Pre-School Settings.
What to do if you have concerns about a specific child in your setting
• If you have concerns about a specific child in your setting, it is important to raise these concerns with the child’s parent in a timely manner. The Communication Trust have created a video on their website that can support you with preparing for this conversation. The Communication Trust advises that ‘the video is intended to be used as a professional development resource, to enhance confidence and skills in talking with parents about their child’s speech, language and communication development and skills’.The Communication Trust - A Professional Development Video: Talking to parents
• You can contact the Richmond speech and language therapy early years setting advice line directly if you would like advice about whether a referral is appropriate – 020 8614 5333.
Advice Sheets
ICAN Factsheet: Supporting Bilingual Children in Early Years Settings This advice sheet is from the ICAN charity for children’s communication. It provides further information on how to support children in early years settings learning multiple languages. This advice is suitable for early years foundation stage children (up to 5 years).
The Four S’s - Four key tips to help you support all children’s language and communication skills.
Creating the opportunity to communicate - as adults, we often anticipate children’s needs, which reduces their need to communicate. This advice sheet contains ideas for developing children’s communication skills by creating opportunities through everyday activities.
Reluctant talkers – ABC Handout - some children speak comfortably and confidently at home but when they start at a new setting they are very reluctant to talk and say very little or in some cases nothing at all. This advice sheet provides strategies for helping these children to settle and find their voice early on in their new environment.
Visuals in the nursery handout - Visuals in the nursery will benefit all children in the setting. This advice sheet talks about ways photos can be used in your setting to create a more communication-friendly environment.
Makaton for nurseries - Makaton supports children’s understanding and use of language. It does not replace words but when used with words, it is a very powerful tool in supporting early language development. This advice sheet explains Makaton and includes a range of useful Makaton signs to get started with using in your setting.
Play development summary - as you are aware, children go through a range of play steps in their development. Play is closely linked with language development as it provides us with a window into the child’s understanding. This advice sheet talks through the stages of play in more detail.
Ways to look at a book - There are so many communication skills a child can learn through looking at a book with an adult. This advice sheet talks about ways that looking at a book can support attention and listening, play and interaction, understanding of language, talking and speech sound development.
Developing listening skills for speech - children can’t say all speech sounds as soon as they start to talk. Their speech follows a typical developmental pathway, and they develop their skills through listening. This advice sheets gives tips and ideas to support children to listen and develop their speech sounds.
Help your child’s speech sounds - children can’t say all speech sounds as soon as they start to talk. Their speech follows a typical developmental pathway. This advice sheet gives an overview of the order in which children’s speech sounds develop, together with some top tips to help develop children’s speech.
Stammering advice - it’s not unusual for young children to have a period of stammering, especially at a time when their language is developing rapidly. For most children stammering resolves after a short time. This information sheet gives advice and tips on things you can do to support children who are stammering.
Useful websites
National Literacy Trust: Bilingual resources for early years children in a range of languages https://
More information and advice sheets for bilingualism in the early years https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/understanding-bilingualism-early-years/
Hungry Little Minds – Simple fun, activities for kids aged 0 – 5 (campaign.gov.uk) – This government website includes a range of activity ideas for different ages and can be shared with parents of children in your setting for providing them with further ideas on how to support their child’s communication development.
Activities for babies, toddlers and children - BBC Tiny Happy People – this website recognises the importance of communication and includes a range of advice and resources to support with communication development. They also have Instagram and Facebook pages that are regularly updated with ideas to try.
The Communication Trust – this website has a range of resources that are beneficial for early years practitioners including online CPD courses for further developing your skills in speech, language and communication.
National Deaf Children's Society - this website highlights that ‘1 in 5 pre-school children have glue ear at any one time’. It is therefore important to be aware of the signs to look out for so you can help identify children who may need to go for a hearing test. This link explains glue ear, the signs to look out for and how to support a child who has glue ear.
Starting secondary school and leaving school to progress to education, training or employment at 16 or 18 are important transition points for children and young people with SEND and their families. Achieving for Children provides help and support with the process of Preparing for Adulthood as part of their local offer. You can find out more here:
If your child has an EHCP their link therapist will work with school staff to support them through these points of transition. Our transition pathways, which describe our role in the process are here:
Starting Secondary School
Post 16
Post 18
Starting secondary school and leaving school to progress to education, training or employment at 16 or 18 are important transition points for children and young people with SEND and their families. Achieving for Children provides help and support with the process of Preparing for Adulthood as part of their local offer. You can find out more here:
Starting a new school is an important transition for children and young people with SEND and their families. Our Special School and Specialist Resource Provision transition pathways, which describe our role in the process is here:
Starting School
Starting Secondary School
Post 16
Post 19
This section contains specific information for children and young people with social communication difficulties or a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Please also look at the sections which correspond with your child’s age above for more information on how to support your child’s emotional regulation, create a structured a predictable environment and support their language skills.
Resources
People Games
When trying to build interaction routines with your child, you can try ‘people games.’
Now/Next Boards
Now/Next Boards is a simple and visual way to implement structure and predictability throughout your child’s day.
- How to use a Now/Next Board
- Now/Next Board
Visual timetables
Visual timetables are another way of supporting your child’s focus on the tasks at hand and supporting their understanding of the routine.
- How to use a Visual Timetable
- Visual Timetable Template
- Daily Routine Symbols
Take a look at the app below to access the 'Choiceworks' app where you can create and view visual timetables, schedules and calendars on an apple device.
Attention Autism
To build attention play ‘attention bucket’ games and extend to stage 2 ‘Attention Autism’ by Gina Davies
Social Stories
A social story is a short story written in a specific style and format which describes what happened in a specific situation and describes what people do, why they do it, what they think and feel and what the common responses are. Social stories can be useful for children who find social situations confusing and may have difficulty understanding neurotypical expectations of certain situations.
- Writing a Social Story
National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society has a wealth of information and support on their website including a Parent to Parent helpline
Social Thinking
Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner is an approach for students who have solid language skills, but require support with their social communication. The approach provides students, their families and professionals with a shared vocabulary and frameworks in which to make sense of our own and others’ thoughts, feelings, and intentions in context.
Parents often ask how they should respond if their child stammers.
When your child is talking show them you are listening and interested in what they are saying by nodding, waiting and giving them time.
Avoid interrupting your child to finish their sentence or tell them to take a breath or slow down as this can add increased pressure for the child (although it is not intended!)
Parents are often worried about whether to comment on the stammer and may fear that making this will make it worse. If you child is having a particularly hard time it is okay to acknowledge this in a neutral and supportive way, e.g. “Oh that was a bit tricky wasn’t it! Well done, you got there in the end!"
There is no need to give it a label, but showing the child that it is fine to mention it may help them to feel better about it. If your child is not bothered then no need to mention it and just keep on listening, interacting and talking!
Set up special 1:1 times with your child (you may need to do this with all your children) on a regular basis (at least 3x a week) and allow your child to choose the toy/game/activity and take the lead in the play. Make sure it is a time when you relaxed and not in a rush. These 1:1 special times can be a nice way to have calm, quality interaction with reduced pressure.
You can play games as a family to help with taking turns in conversation and everyone to listening to the ‘speaker’. You can make up stories together or talk about your favourite things. Please see attached ‘The Microphone Game’ sheet from the Michael Palin Centre.
We know that slowing our talking down and pausing can help all of us to plan what we want to say, choose words we want to use and support our fluency and ability to communicate our message clearly. Avoid telling your child to slow down, and instead, model slow talking and pausing in your own speech.
Support your child’ confidence and self-esteem by focussing on what your child doing well, giving praise and celebrating their successes.
Supporting your child to get enough sleep, eating a good meal, establishing a routine and slowing down their ‘pace of life’ can indirectly support their fluency.
Tips for talking to your child
Please see top tips for talking with your pre-school child from ‘The Stuttering Foundation’:
Top tips video (YouTube)
Michael Palin Centre
Specialist centre for stammering - click on the parent advice section for further advice: www.
Information and Advice for Parents
Please see Information and Advice Sheet for parents by the Michael Palin Centre
The Listening Game and The Microphone Game
These games are great ways to encourage your child to implement strategies to support their talking
- The Listening Game
- The Microphone Game
Stammering Information for Schools
Take a look at the video below to find out how to support children who stammer at School.
Important information: If at any time your child has difficulty breathing, in any way, you should contact NHS 111 or if an emergency, call 999. It is likely that a Paramedic would be sent to your home to advise on next steps i.e. either to go to A&E or you will be given further advice / strategies at home by the Paramedic or a home-visiting medic.
SLT Feeding Team
Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) are experts in the anatomy, physiology and psychology behind the skills required for all aspects of eating and drinking. We provide assessments and support for those experiencing difficulties with eating, drinking or swallowing. When the ‘mechanics’ of eating, drinking or swallowing go wrong – this is known as dysphagia.
What is Dysphagia?
This is where a person may have difficulty with:
- keeping food or fluid inside their mouth
- moving food and drink around their mouth
- chewing
- the act of swallowing
What are the risks?
When swallowing, the food or fluid should go down the food pipe (also known as the oesophagus); however, it may go down the ‘wrong way’ resulting in coughing or choking. This means the food or drink has entered the airway. If this occurs regularly, then it could signify a risk of aspiration (food or fluid entering the lungs) and could potentially lead to a chest infection or aspiration pneumonia.
A person who has difficulty feeding and or maintaining a healthy weight, may require enteral feeding such as tube feeding i.e: Nasogastric tube (NGT) or Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG). This would only be recommended after other strategies have been trialled and always as part of a discussion with Parents, SLT, Dietitian and Consultant Paediatrician.
Resources
Recommendations for Dysphagia
This sheet provides recommendations for children with dysphagia (chewing / swallowing difficulties)
Cough & Symptom Diary
Please complete this diary if you have concerns about your child’s feeding and share the information with your speech and language therapist
Advice sheets
These advice sheets give information on how to support your child to move on to different textures of food:
- Advice on Textures
- Advice on Textures Purees
- Advice on Textures Finger Food
- Advice on Textures Moving on
Pacing strategies
This advice sheet gives you information on how to pace food and fluids slowly to support your child
IDDSI Information
The IDDSI framework has been developed to introduce standardised and consistent terminology internationally for modified diet and thickened fluids and to provide clear descriptions of these textures.
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) outlines the different consistencies for food and drink.
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI). This refers to the different descriptions for food / drink. Your SLT may recommend a modified diet if your child is having difficulty with a particular texture and also a particular ‘level’ of fluid may be required to minimise any risk of aspiration. Your SLT would have given you specific advice for which level to follow.
Sensory-Behavioural Feeding Difficulties
Sensory Behavioural Feeding Difficulties are when a person has an aversion to eating or drinking. This may be based on the sensory properties of food or can be caused by a negative feeding experience such as prolonged tube feeding.
What is Fussy-Picky Eating?
Fussy picky eating can be part of normal development, and this is known as neophobia. Each child is different, some may grow out of neophobia and for some children this may be lifelong.
What is Sensory-Behavioural Feeding Difficulties?
Some children demonstrate significant reluctance to trying new foods. They may avoid wet sticky foods like sauces on pasta and prefer only dry, crunchy consistencies such as bread sticks or they may prefer foods presented in the same way at each meal (known as food jagging). This may result in a very limited diet.
What is Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)?
ARFID is a significant and extreme sensory-behavioural feeding difficulty. As described in the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V, 2013), it includes:
An eating or feeding disturbance (e.g. lack of interest in eating or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; concern about aversive consequences of eating) shown by persistent failure to meet nutritional or energy needs with one or more of the following:
- Significant weight loss (not always the case)
- Significant nutritional deficiency
- Dependence on enteral feeding/oral nutritional supplements
- Marked interference with psychosocial function.
It does not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa and there is no evidence of a disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced. It is not attributed to a co-existing medical condition or disorder.
It is important to remember that the child is not being stubborn or difficult about food, but are experiencing a fear or anxiety around food.
Please remember:
It is important that you try not to worry. You really are not alone in this as so many children develop a degree of fussy-picky eating. Try and follow the professional guidance outlined below and if you are concerned that they are losing weight or are unusually lethargic, contact your GP as a referral to a dietitian may be required.
Strategies for Home and Education
Away From Meal Times:
- Encourage them to have fun with food by:
- Food preparation e.g. cutting vegetables for the family dinner with no pressure to eat
- Helping with food shopping and putting shopping away
- Making a shopping list.
- Messy Food Play - this helps the desensitisation process as they are not expected to eat during this activity.
During Meal Times:
- Keep to regular meal and snack times. This helps to regulate the appetite.
- Try to eat as a family whenever possible, even if it is just once per week. This allows your child to see what and how you are eating
- Do not force-feed your child. This sets up a negative situation for both of you. We want eating to be a positive experience.
- Try to serve the meal at the dining table, rather than plate up in the kitchen, so they can see the whole meal.
- Encourage your child to serve the food to others at the dining table. This is a desensitisation approach and enables them to interact with food from a slight distance.
- Try to offer multi-vitamins each day. These may be available from your Health Visitor or Children's Centre.
- Try to offer preferred foods that are already 'fortified'. This means that they will get some extra nutrients in their diet.
Resources
Luka and the Food Cloud by Juliet Clare Bell and Dave Gray - a book about ARFID to read with your child.
Food Refusal and Avoidant Eating in Children
Food Refusal and Avoidant Eating in Children, including those with Autism Spectrum Conditions: A Practical Guide for Parents and Professionals by Dr Gillian Harris and Dr Elizabeth Shea - a book for parents / Health Professionals:
Beyond Fussy Eating
This is an online programme for families of children who have feeding difficulties. The programme will also help any health, education and care staff who work with children who experience sensory behavioural feeding difficulties.
The fun way to help avoidant, picky or fussy eaters.
To help you identify which foods your child mainly eats. It can also help to highlight which food groups may be missing from their diet.
Love it-Like it-Learning it Meal Planner
This is to help you meal plan and identify which foods to offer to try and expand their diet.
This demonstrates the different steps we all need to take before we will eat something
Another approach to encouraging your child to try something.
NHS Fussy Eaters
Advice with links to understanding challenging behaviours as well as meal planners.
ARFID Awareness UK
This is specifically for children with significant sensory-behavioural feeding difficulties or who may have ARFID. However, it has a number of resources for all those with challenging eating / limited diets.
Infant & Toddler Forum
This has a range of advice sheets on fussy-picky eating and although aimed at younger children, would benefit school-age children also.
Tiny Tastes
This is a reward based programme to help children try different foods.
Speech sound screening tool
Click the text above to access our speech sound screening tool.
Resources
Helping your child’s speech sounds
This is an advice leaflet containing strategies to support your child’s speech sound development.
Making music listening activities
This is an advice leaflet containing a range of listening activities which will benefit your child’s speech sound development. This is aimed at younger children.
Developing listening skills for speech
This is an advice leaflet containing a range of listening activities related to making music to support your child’s speech sound development This is aimed at older children.
Referred families
You may have been advised to complete the All About Sounds Course by your Speech and Language Therapist, if this is the case please access the All About Sounds Movie and Dragonfly Sessions below:
All About Sounds movie
Click on this link to launch a video with information on how speech sounds develop as well as tips and strategies for you to try with your child if you are concerned their speech is not as you would expect compared to other children you know.
Dragonfly Sessions
Please find here guidance on activities to try with your child to support their speech sound development once you’ve listened to and watched the All about sounds powerpoint presentation with narration
Session 1
There are 5 videos for this session. Please watch all 5 and try out the activities with your child. We advise you practise these activities with your child little and often (e.g. 5 minutes at least 3 times a week) for a few weeks before moving onto session 2.
Session 2
There are 4 videos for this session. Please watch all 4 and try out the activities with your child. Once you have watched both sessions, you can practise the activities from both sessions with your child little and often. You will start to notice changes in your child’s speech over the next few months.
Some of the changes will be very subtle so listen out for them – remember to praise any attempt your child makes to change the way s/he is pronouncing words.
Our service works closely with parents, early year’s practitioners and teachers to encourage families to best support multi language development.
The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) recognises that bilingualism in children and adults is an advantage. Using more than one language is something that should be celebrated, promoted and supported. Bilingualism stimulates brain development and helps children learn because they can think about their ideas in two (or more) languages.
Please also look at the sections which correspond with your child’s age above for more information on how to support your child’s speech, language and communication skills.
Bilingualism key points
- Bilingualism does not cause or contribute to a speech, language or communication disorder
- Only you can teach your child your native tongue, you must be the one using this language around them
- Parents should use their strongest language with their child, this helps to build a good language foundation and the second language can then map on top
- Speaking more than one language comes naturally to babies, whose brains are wired for all language, you can speak a range of languages to your child from birth
- At a very young age a child learns to tell the differences between the languages used around them
- If your child is mixing languages in a sentence (known as code-switching) this is a strength it shows that your child has a good knowledge of multiple languages
- It is important to identify who speaks which language to your child – try to be consistent with this, your child will learn to associate who to speak which language to
- If you are confident in speaking your home language and English you can speak both languages to your child. It may help to allocate times or places to speak certain languages e.g. speaking one language at home and one language in the community or speaking one language when you are alone and one language when your partner or other friends/family are present
- Try to use both languages in a range of environments and activities so your child learns the range of vocabulary they need - it may help to find a community group for your home language
- English as an additional language (EAL) Key Points:
- If you are not confident in speaking English please use your native language at home, your child will be exposed to English at nursery and school - it is much more important that your child has a good foundation language for English to map onto
- When your child is learning a new language it is common for them to go through a ‘silent period’. This is where they are taking in and understanding the new language around them before they begin to use it in their talking
- Visual materials may help a child learning English as an additional language in their nursery or education setting. They will be able to apply their knowledge from their home language to the visuals being used e.g. photos or symbols
- Playing with other children and participating in a wide range of activities that encourage communication is the best way to support a child’s bilingual development
When to refer
We refer children to our service under the same criteria for bilingual and monolingual children If there is a delay in your child’s first language and they are making limited progress with secondary languages it is worth seeking further advice.
You can contact our telephone advice line on 020 8614 5333.
Advice sheets
Biligualism - English as an additional language (ICAN factsheet)
This advice sheet is from the ICAN charity for children’s communication. It provides further information on frequently asked questions regarding bilingualism. This advice is suitable for early years and school aged children.
Supporting bilingual children in early years settings (ICAN factsheet)
This advice sheet is from the ICAN charity for children’s communication. It provides further information on how to support children in early years settings learning multiple languages. This advice is suitable for early years foundation stage children (up to 5 years).
Teaching your home language - top tips for parents (National Literacy Trust)
This advice sheet is from the National Literacy Trust for supporting early language development. It provides further tips on good communication techniques to support your child’s language development in your home language. This advice is suitable for early years foundation stage children (up to 5 years).
Useful websites
National Literary Trust
Bilingual resources for early years children in a range of languages
More information and advice sheets for bilingualism in the early years
ICAN Communication Charity
Resources from the ICAN communication charity - click on the 'resources for speakers of other languages' drop down menu. You will then find their 'Talk Together' booklet for babies and toddlers in a range of languages.
This section contains specific information for children and young people with any degree of hearing impairment.
Our service works closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team including Audiology and teachers of the deaf to support the needs of your children.
Research supports early help and prevention for children with hearing impairment and therefore the Richmond service offers an early help and prevention service for a child identified with a permanent hearing loss who has been referred into the service prior to any communication delay being identified.
Please also look at the sections which correspond with your child’s age above for more information on how to support your child’s language skills and their emotional regulation skills as well as their speech sound pronunciation.
Glue ear
Glue ear is a very common childhood illness; it can affect one in five pre-school children at any one time. It results in a temporary fluctuating hearing loss.
How my child’s communication may be affected
- Attention and listening – may not respond to their name, may demonstrate difficulties maintaining attention.
- Social interaction – may begin to stop playing with others and prefer to play alone, may demonstrate a change in behaviour
- Receptive language (understanding) – may not follow instructions or respond to questions you ask.
- Expressive language (talking) – may have a delay in their talking e.g. how many words they have compared to other children their age; may say ‘what?’ to you a lot of the time.
- Speech (pronunciation) – may have difficulties hearing particular speech sounds, which can impact upon how the child learns to use the sound and therefore the clarity of their speech.
Parental strategies for glue ear
- Get down to your child’s level and get eye contact with your child before speaking to them.
- Reduce background noise as much as possible (e.g. radios, TV, washing machine).
- Make their teacher is aware of your concerns and ask for them to sit at the front.
- Make sure you have their attention before speaking to them, by saying their name and touching them if necessary.
- Use gesture alongside language and encourage them to do the same.
- Slow your talking down rather than speak louder.
- If your child is struggling, use a shorter sentence. Repeat the main point again to make sure they have heard it.
- Ask your child to repeat back an instruction to check that they have heard it properly.
- Support verbal information with visuals e.g. gesture, Makaton, pictures
- See speech sound section for specific listening/speech based activities.
Resources
This resource was produced by the National Deaf Children’s Society. It outlines more details about glue ear for parents.
Permanent hearing impairment
Babies and toddlers
It is important to notice communication attempts from your baby, these may be subtle (e.g. kicking legs), and then be sure to respond to these communication attempts. It may be useful to keep a record of how your child is trying to communicate with you.
Help my baby communicate advice sheet
This advice sheet gives a range of strategies to support your baby’s communication development.
How is my baby communicating monitoring sheet
Use this resource to track how your baby is communicating with you, it may not be verbally. You can also track what this is in response to and therefore what your baby is motivated by.
University of Sheffield videos
This series of YouTube videos explore how babies learn to communicate as well as communication tips for supporting babies and toddlers with a hearing impairment.
Children
For older children with a hearing impairment, it is important to continue to consider environmental adjustments, especially minimising background noise, and also the communication partner’s communication style with the child.
Parents and school staff need to be aware of the impact of listening effort on a child with a hearing impairment.
It is also important for school staff to encourage and praise self-advocacy when a child has a hearing impairment, for example, the child informing staff that they did not hear something, the child informing staff that their hearing aid is not working.
Resources
Strategies for parents of children with a hearing impairment – under 5yo
This advice sheet provides advice for parents with regards to environmental adjustments and communication style with a child with a hearing impairment. Mostly relevant for child under 5 years old.
Strategies for parents and teachers of children with a hearing impairment
This advice sheet provides advice for parents and teachers with regards to environmental adjustments and communication style with a child with a hearing impairment. Mostly relevant for school-aged children.
Creating good listening conditions for mainstream schools NDCS
This resource was created by NDCS in 2016 to support mainstream teachers in ensuring they have good listening conditions for mainstream schools for children with hearing impairments to ensure they can fully access the curriculum.
Useful websites
National deaf children’s society
This website contains useful information for parents, children and young people and professionals.
Sound foundation for babies and toddlers
This website gives ideas on how to support your child’s early communication through everyday activities.
Useful Links:
Details of Children's Centres within the Richmond Borough
Achieving For Children is a social enterprise company created by the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to provide their children’s services. On 1 August 2017, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead became a co-owner of AfC and they now deliver children’s services across all three boroughs.
Portage - Portage is a home-visiting educational service for pre-school children with SEND and their families. Portage aims to:
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Work with families to help them develop a quality of life and experience, for themselves and their young children, in which they can learn together, play together, participate and be included in their community in their own right.
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Play a part in minimising the disabling barriers that confront young children and their families.
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Support the national and local development of inclusive services for children.
Local offer - information on local services and support available for families including children and young people aged 0 - 25 years with special educational needs or disabilities
Richmond Parent Carer Forum - The Richmond Parent Carer Forum is a newly formed independent group working to achieve better outcomes for children and young people with any special educational need, additional need or disability in the London Borough of Richmond.
Independent Advice and Support Services - The organisations offer (mostly free) independent advice and support on all SEND matters including the Assessment, Education, Health and Care Planning processes.
Independent Parental Special Education Advice - This website has free resources to help families get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and/or disability (SEND).
Family Information Service - The Family Information Service (FIS) offer a telephone, web and outreach service, providing information for parents, parents to be, carers and professionals to help support children up to their 20th birthday or 25th birthday if a child has a disability.
Local support groups:
Small Steps is a charity based in Richmond that run conductive education group classes for pre-school children with physical disabilities.
Skylarks is an independent Richmond-upon-Thames based charity that provides activities and therapies for children with disabilities and additional needs. They also support and provide therapies, courses and information for their whole families.
Kids (Richmond and Kingston SENDIASS) is a free, confidential and impartial service for parents and carers, children and young people (up to 25 years).
Henry's Bleu Moon A local parents and carers support network. Bringing together parents and carers of children with SEND. To connect up parents and carers of children with additional needs and create a support network across Richmond and Kingston.
Please see leaflet for more information
RUILS Family support groups - RUILS are a charity providing support to parents and carers in the Richmond borough. They provide regular coffee drop ins for families with children who have disabilities and/or additional needs on the 4th Tuesday of every month. You can pop in, have a coffee, and meet other families. Ruils staff are on hand to provide answers to any questions you may have.
National charities and support groups:
Speech and Language UK (formally ICAN and The Communication Trust) are a national charity. They provide a range of information services that provide help and advice to parents and practitioners about speech, language and communication.
- Free call-back service with a speech and langauge therapist
- Parent Resources
- Assessment services
STAMMA the British Stammering Association, is the UK national charity for people who stammer (or stutter) and those that support them.
Afasic website provides lots of information and supports families in getting the right help for children and young people with SLCN and all related queries.
Charitable funding:
Action for Kids is a charity that helps young people with physical and learning disabilities across the country find greater levels of independence and opportunity through the provision of mobility aids, employability training and family support.
Always look on the Bright Side of Life Charitable Trust awards grants to make children smile. The trust awards one off grants to children in need for activities/ items (not household)/trips that children’s families are unable to afford. The child must be disadvantaged due to financial circumstances, disability/ill health or other category.
Boparan Charitable Trust aims to help children and young people up to the age of 18, throughout the UK, who are disadvantaged either through poverty, disability or life-limiting conditions.
Cash for Kids is Bauer Radio’s network of local charities, which operate across 22 areas around the UK. Our mission is to respond to the needs of children in our communities, and we aspire to enable all children to live life to the full and achieve their individual potential.
Cauldwell Children offers a range of support to children with disabilities including family support, short breaks equipment, treatment and therapies. You can apply direct and the process is straightforward.
Children Today encourage applicants, usually parents, to come to them for funding and other services on a regular basis as their child’s needs change. Hopefully, this will continue as they grow and develop, gaining more independence and an improving quality of life that is also shared by all those around them. They will continue receiving support until the child reaches the age of 25 years.
Cerebra is a unique national charity that strives to improve the lives of children with neurological conditions, through research, information and direct, on-going support.
Dreams Come True is a UK children’s charity. Their mission is to enrich the lives of children and young people with serious and life-limiting conditions across the country by making their dreams come true. Over the last 25 years they have fulfilled dreams for more than 5,000 children and young people as well as their friends, family and carers.
Family Fund If you are raising a disabled or seriously ill child, the family fund may be able to help with a grant for household items, equipment, sensory toys, a family break or something to help with college for 16/17 year olds. You can apply as a parent carer, or agencies can apply on their behalf.Happy Days Children's Charity supports families with children aged 3-17 who have learning difficulties, physical or mental disabilities, acute, chronic or life limiting illnesses, been abused or neglected, witnessed domestic violence, been bereaved or act as carers for a parent or a sibling. Eligible applicants can apply for the costs of the following activities: Day trips/theatre trips/theatre workshops and Group Activity Holidays.
Local funders. There are a number of local funders such as Richmond Parish Lands Charity, Hampton Fuel Allotments and Barnes Workhouse Fund that offer grants to individuals and families particularly in relation to fuel grants, white goods and other household equipment and education. For a full list of the local funders. The Family Holiday Charity supports families on a low income, that have not been on holiday for the past four years and have at least one child between three and 18 years of age can obtain financial support for a break during 2016 and 2017. The FHA can only accept applications from referring agents (such as a teacher, social worker or health visitor, etc) and not directly from families. The website also has a great resource page which lists other charities and trusts that can support holidays and short breaks.
The Henry Smith Charity (Richmond). People experiencing hardship or distress who live in Richmond, Ham, Petersham or Kew. Applications in writing from referring bodies such as citizen advice and social services.
Tree of Hope is the crowdfunding charity that helps children and young people with a disability or illness by supporting their families to raise the money they need to pay for specialist care that is not freely available through the UK healthcare system.
Turn2us. A fantastic website that offers help and information for anyone experiencing financial hardship or debt problems, or who is looking for funding to support an individual need within the family such as a short break. It has a grant and benefits search engine which can be tailored to meet your requirements including locality, and a phone helpline that is free to call and gives you access to trained staff who can talk you through your options. The service is available to individuals and organisations acting on their behalf.