Explain How Multi Agency Teams Work Together To Support Children To Have Speech Language And Communication

‘’Communication is an essential tool a carer can use to meet the needs of children. It is a basic requirement of my job role to communicate with individuals and their families, other members of staff on a daily

The largest identified area of special need in the school falls under SLCN ( Speech, Language and Communication Need ) as set out in the SEN Code of Practice 2001 where 61% of SEND children have a medical diagnosis of receptive and/or expressive language difficulty, followed by 21% of SEND children with a medical diagnosis of and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Other types of need are Down’s Syndrome ( 2%), Apert’s Syndrome (2%), Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties SEBD (6%), Dyslexia (2%) and more generally literacy difficulties which are under investigation for potential specific causes (6%). These needs are justifiable as they have been recognised and identified as such by relevantly qualified and external agencies or are in the process of being more specifically identified

At this point we can begin to understand the limitations of body language, facial expression and gesture when language is not available. Although they allow for instant communication they cannot help a child to understand what is being seen or provide a way in which afterwards the child can communicate what she has seen. This means that children who only have the basic communication skills of body language, gesture and facial

An Advocacy service will help support and get to know the child, find their interests and help them to learn to talk prop

If a child or young person needs more than the support of the school environment, then a multi-agency team will be involved. This would involve the child’s teacher, teaching assistant, the school SENCO, qualified and experienced professionals, for example Speech and Language Therapists and most importantly parents. This might be through a recognized programme such as the Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme, Language through Reading or Social Use of Language Programme, or through a combination of approaches tailored to suit the individual child or young person.

A child will be assessed by an educational psychologist if there are concerns about their intellectual, communication and behavioural development. Assessments can be arranged by the SENCO or independently. The aim of the assessments is to find out why the child is not progressing and what support is needed in order for them to progress. Specific learning difficulties are often identified in this way such as Dyslexia, AHAD, Dyspraxia. Support and targets for the child are then set to help them achieve. The outcome of the assessments may involve the child referred to other professionals e.g. occupational therapist, optometrist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist. The psychologist will advise the school on how to promote development for example, keeping verbal instructions simple. Keep stories and group activities short to match attention span.

Information from carers and colleagues- the parents and carers would give helpful information that would tell the practitioners if the child has a disability and that would help tell whether they are going to need extra support. The parent knows lots about the child they would be able to tell if something is not right at home. The practitioners would notice if something is wrong at the pre-school if the practitioner is concerned about the child they would let the parent know if they think something is different. The parent could ask questions at parents meeting with the child’s key person about what the

If a child is to achieve the Every Child Matters outcomes laid out in the EYFS, their speech, language and communication needs must be met. If they are not met, it can lead to challenging behaviour, a lack of attainment and isolation. Therefore it's vitally important that practitioners recognise the signs of potential difficulties and know where to go for more information and support.

A child who is learning more than one language will exhibit certain signs if they have an additional or specific speech, language and communication need. It is vital to identify any specific speech, language and communication needs in a child as early identification and assessment is essential to support the child in the setting and at home. The initial concern may come from the parents or carers and then a review of the child's progress can be started.

Adults working with SEN children spend the majority of their time supporting that child however sometimes it’s the practitioners that needs the support. The role of the practitioners can be hard work and isn’t taken lightly, the practitioner needs support from other people around them to help promote their confidence and provide the correct provision for the children. A helpful support to practitioners could be the charity Mencap. Mencap work in partnership with people with a learning disability and all our services support people to live life as they choose.

The special educational needs (SEN) team are supported by a very active group who make sure that they provide a range of activities to meet the needs of our ever growing community of special schools, as well as colleagues in mainstream primary and secondary schools. Their aim is to work together to ensure good practice to promote effective approaches to enhance the students learning with Special educational needs.

A multi-agency approach is a range of professionals including speech therapists, Special Educational Needs Co-coordinator (SENCO) , key workers or physiotherapists etc. that all work together and support children and their families in provisions that need to be made in order to support a child with special needs. Working within close partnership with parents is expected for all babies and children within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

Communication is very important to meet the needs of children, with families and other members of staff on a daily basis to ensure effective team working. It also ensures any health and safety issues are recognised and reported. People communicate with each other for different reasons;

Speech, language and communication difficulties can have a profound and lasting effect on children’s lives and development. These can affect their ability to communicate and interact with others. The impact of these difficulties will vary depending on the severity of the problems, the support they receive, the demands of the child’s environment

From this case study we understand it is important to act quickly to support children who have speech and language or communication needs, as language is crucial to learning and enables one to express thoughts in an organised way. Children with language delay may also find it harder to communicate and form relationships with others. They may become frustrated, leading to possible behaviour problems. Very young children in particular do not have the experience to recognise the reason for their