Bad behaviour? no, just a lack of awareness and understanding of SLCN

Many of the children I work with get in trouble because they have language and social communication difficulties which impact simple, everyday interactions. This is just a typical one from last week:

A lovely young lady I met recently, Ruby aged 12 years, was very upset to receive a detention for something that had happened in school. The teacher was one she knew but was a maths teacher, who was covering a science lesson. 

This is what Mr Jones, the teacher reported and says happened in lesson:

He'd asked the class to be quiet, Ruby 'decided to continue talking'. He asked her if she understood what he'd said, and she said, 'Yes,' but carried on talking. He became cross and told her to 'be quiet.' She was shocked and said, 'But it was quiet working and if you wanted the class to be silent, you should have said.' Mr Jones felt that Ruby was being difficult and disrespectful for no reason.  He discussed this with her, but due to her response he felt he was unable to get anywhere and had no option but to give a detention for her poor attitude.

Teacher who was normally in maths covered science		Ruby dislikes change and hadn’t been prepared
Teacher asked the class to be quiet	Ruby carried on talking	Ruby has a literal interpretation of language, so he didn’t say ‘silent’
Teacher probably looked at Ruby and pulled a face to indicate he wasn’t pleased	Ruby carried on talking	She can’t read facial expressions and would not be able to interpret his intentions
He asked her if she had understood	She said, 'Yes.'	In her mind she had got the right interpretation
He said, ‘I meant silence!’	She said, 'you didn't say that!'	She has difficulty with word definition and is sure she knows, whereas she might be slightly off or way off She also cannot read inference
She said, ' You should have said that then.'		Ruby has little understanding of the rules of modifying language to teachers. She doesn’t know it's rude
Teacher thought she was being disrespectful	As she would be if she was of typical social understanding and /or pragmatic ability	She hasn't got the language or pragmatic skills to interpret the situation
	Ruby wouldn't let the subject drop	She has a clear fairness rule/sense of justice which she thinks the teacher was being unfair as she didn’t understand
Teacher discussed it	Ruby didn’t give the response he expected	She doesn’t understand as she thinks she didn’t do anything wrong
Teacher would be upset with her and may be was possibly feeling a bit under-confident as he was not teaching his subject		She can’t put herself in others shoes/see their point of view

 That's not the worst one I heard this week either!

We need so much more awareness about language and social communication difficulties, it's NOT just children with ASD!

Please support the campaign to save the Communication Trust as they are working hard to help schools understand more see more here

Communication problems are no laughing matter!

I went to  play at the weekend. It was well directed, superbly acted and every bit as funny as had been advertised: Talking Steps by Alan Ayckbourn. 

The blurb had described: 'When tongue-tied solicitor Tristram is sent along to oversee the sale of a large and crumbling house, reputedly a haunted former brothel, he may have bitten off more than he can chew'.

However, what I didn't find funny was the way the poor solicitor stammered and had word finding difficulties. I found that part really uncomfortable and was surprised that everyone else appeared to find it tremendously funny every time he opened his mouth.

In the end the character gets not just one girl but two and has the last laugh but even so, I didn't like that element.

I had to remind myself that it was written for a 1970s audience who would have laughed at speech impediments. I felt hopeful  that we have moved on since then and that no-one with a speech or language difficulty would be made fun of in any play written today.  

People have studied what makes something funny since time began. Philosophers, such as Aristotle and Plato, alluded to the idea of the superiority theory thousands of years ago. It suggests that all humour is derived from the misfortunes of others – and therefore, maybe our own relative superiority. Thomas Hobbes also alluded to this theory in his book 'Leviathan,' suggesting that humour results in any situation where there's a sudden realisation of how much better we are than our direct competition.

Am I right to be offended or do I just fully realise the huge impact when society doesn't fully understand the major impact of having a communication difficulty?

What do you think?

Help for parents: join the club

The Communication Trust estimates that over 1 million children in the UK have speech, language and communication in the UK difficulties yet the number of speech and language therapists is falling. More and more parents are being left to fend for themselves but where do they look? Where can they go for help?

We been moved to action due to serious concerns that parents of children with speech are not getting sufficient access to good quality evidence based advice. We have become increasingly worried when we see parents who are on NHS waiting lists asking for advice and then being told they should be doing X Y or Z from other parents. Others are using ‘Dr Google’ which we all know can be very alarming and point us in a completely wrong direction, in many instances’. At Small Talk Speech and Language therapy, we know that language and communication targets should be integrated into everyday routines as much as possible. Children learn language in the situations where they need to know the words so no amount of flashcards or worksheets can do that. Other children have problems generalising what they learn so again, it must be in the real situation.

Activities which are done everyday that both motivate and interest the child are always going to work better than things that the child isn’t interested in. Snack time, meal-times and bathtime or even getting onto the car. Parents are busy so it can’t be extra work for them.

We have created a membership club for parents so that they can have access to real live speech and language therapists so they can ask the questions and have good, evidence based advice. They have webinars and short ‘how-to’ clips plus lots of other tips and tricks to help. There will also be a forum so other parents can talk about what they found useful.

They will have a monthly podcast show, the Smart Talkers Super Saturday Show, to look in depth at  current topics and interview relevant expert in the field. They will also have parents who have been in similar situations  talk about their family’s journey.

My blood pressure rises every-time I see bad advice being given. It’s well meant but wrong and is not in the best interests of the parent or the child. Self esteem in the child and parent confidence are so important.

We have launched the Parent Hub and hope to be able to support many more parents. www.smalltalkparenthub.com

Consultant Speech and Language Therapist

Small Talk Speech & Language Therapy

www.private-speech-therapy.co.uk

Developing a parent hub

We aim to support the parents we see through the process of speech and language therapy. While we aim to do this the best way we know how, there are many who do not have access to a speech and language therapist at all.

We are setting up a membership club to aim to do this for people we don't see. To make sure it is exactly right, we would really appreciate your help.

Please see the survey for the parent hub by clicking here

Thank you very much!

HEALTH VISITORS REPORT INCREASE IN CHILDREN’S COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES

Evidence submitted to the Bercow: Ten Years On review into children and young people’s speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) from the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV)[1] has revealed an 8% rise in health visitors reporting that they are seeing higher numbers of children with delayed language, with the number increasing from 64% in 2015 to 72% in 2016.

The iHV evidence shows that nearly three quarters (72%) of health visitors that responded to the 2016 survey reported an increase in children with delayed speech and communication development. This means they may use simpler sentences, fewer words and struggle to understand the same instructions as their peers.

This evidence submission coincides with the launch of the parent and carer consultation for Bercow: Ten Years On – an independent review into the state of provision for children and young people’s SLCN run by I CAN and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

The final report and recommendations will be published in 2018, marking 10 years since the Government published The Bercow Report: a Review of Services for Children and Young People (0-19) with Speech, Language and Communication Needs. 

Jean Gross, Chair of Bercow: Ten Years On and former government Communication Champion for children, said: “In 2008, the original Bercow Review showed that around two-thirds of parents and carers that responded felt that information about support for children was not easily available, and nearly 40% said that the quality of information was poor. That was damning evidence that things needed to improve. But have they? That is what we need to find out.

“The Institute of Health Visiting’s evidence highlights a worrying trend in health visitors reporting a rise in children with delayed language. Now is the time to find out how parents and carers really feel about the reality of the SLCN support they have received for their child so we can understand what, if anything, has changed over the past decade. We are asking them to speak out so we can ensure that the Bercow: Ten Years On recommendations about information and provision are firmly rooted in their experience.”

Elizabeth Stanley, National Rep for the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF), said: “Ensuring that parents and families have a good understanding of how best to support their child’s development is vitally important in improving outcomes for children and young people. Being able to communicate is an essential part of life; we need parents, carers, professionals and organisations to listen to each other and work together in a collaborative way to improve the lives of our children.

“Bercow: Ten Years On needs to learn from those families receiving good support for their child as well as those who feel it is not so good. This will ensure that recommendations can include ways to replicate best practice. It is therefore imperative that parents and carers use the survey as a platform to share their experiences and contribute to the evidence base.”

The iHV statistics follow the recent announcement that health visitor checks will remain mandatory in the early years, which includes checks to identify language difficulties in children at a young age.

Parents and carers can directly take part in Bercow: Ten Years On by completing a short survey online (closing June 2017). In addition, practitioners can access early-years, primary and secondary activity packs that can be carried out with parents and carers in local settings.

Further information is available at www.ican.org.uk/Bercowsurvey.

Find out more about Bercow: Ten Years On visit www.ican.org.uk/Bercow or follow #Bercow10years on social media.

[1] Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) survey of 1251 health visitors in 2016 and 1413 in 2015 

 

Announcing the launch of the Bercow: Ten Years On parent and carer consultation

In January  the first phase of evidence gathering was launched as part of the Bercow: Ten Years On review. Aimed primarily at those working with children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) the evidence submitted has provided rich information about the experiences of those supporting children and young people with SLCN. We’re pleased to announce that the second phase of evidence gathering opens today, giving parents and carers an opportunity to share their views of information and provision for their child’s SLCN. Seeking the views of parents and carers of children with SLCN will help us to ensure the Bercow: Ten Years Onreview recommendations are firmly rooted in the reality of their experience. This comes at a time when evidence submitted to the Bercow: Ten Years On review by the Institute of Health Visiting shows that nearly three quarters (72%) of health visitors that responded to the 2016 survey reported an increase in children with delayed speech and communication development. It’s essential that we find out if and how the picture of support for children’s early language has changed. What information is available for families? How easily available is it? There are two ways to take part in the inquiry. If you are a parent: We would like to hear about your current experiences of support for your child’s difficulty with speech, language and communication. Support could be from a speech and language therapist, or other experts like advisory teachers. It could also be the way that staff in your child’s early years setting, school or college/training provider work with them. Fill in this short survey to share your views. If you are a practitioner: We would like to make sure we capture the views of all parents and carers, including those who may not normally complete a questionnaire or who may need extra help. We have designed activity packs for parents and carers to respond in a practical way, with the support of a familiar practitioner or member of school staff. If you would like to complete the questionnaire with a parent please download a pack suitable for the age of the child: early years, primary, secondary and beyond . The parent’s response can be uploaded by you to the survey here . If you have any questions about the Bercow: Ten Years On inquiry, please email Bercow10@ican.org.uk.

Tricky Tongue Twisters for Afasic!

The Afasic Tongue Twister Challenge is a fun and simple way to raise awareness of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). The idea for this challenge came from the children at Backstage Youth Group in Wales, which is run in partnership with Tape Community Music and Film. To view some of their videos, check out the Afasic Cymru Facebook page.  Get involved today by following these easy steps!  Step 1 – Choose a tongue twister (see below for some great examples!) Step 2 – Video yourself saying the tongue twister Step 3 – Upload your video on to Facebook so all of your friends can see! Step 4 – Donate £3 to Afasic by texting ‘TWST 50 £3’ TO 70070 Step 5 – Nominate others to do the challenge too! You can also make a donation directly onto the Just Giving page here!

• She sells seashells on the seashore.
• Flash message. Flash message.
• Mix a box of mixed biscuits with a boxed biscuit mixer.
• A proper copper coffee pot.
• I saw Esau sitting on a seesaw. Esau, he saw me.
• Toy boat. Toy boat. Toy boat.
• Lovely lemon liniment.
• Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistles stick.
• Good blood, bad blood.
• Three free throws.The instinct of an extinct insect stinks.
• Comical economists. Comical economists.
• Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
  A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
  If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
  Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?
• One-One was a racehorse.
  Two-Two was one, too.
  When One-One won one race,
  Two-Two won one, too.

Staffordshire Early Years SLCN Conference

Come and join us for our first annual Staffordshire SLCN Conference

Sat 16th April
The Conference CentreJohn Taylor High school Dunstall Rd, Barton-under-Needwood, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire DE13 8AZ

Registration - 9.30am

Selective mutism:  the way forwards Libby Hill is a consultant speech and language therapist and one of the very few in the UK who is trained to work with children with selective Mutism. With 1 in 150 being diagnosed with the condition, we all need to know how to deal with it. Libby will discuss how to identify SM from reluctant talkers and practical ways to manage in your setting.

Behaviour is communication: Kathryn Stinton is a specialist early years teacher who has worked in mainstream and specialist settings for twenty years. Kathryn will look at the typical development of social skills and factors which can impact on this, as well as the role of the environment in promoting positive behaviour for both adults and children.  A range of practical strategies will be discussed.

The development of language for learning: a Blank solution Natasha Hallam is a speech and language therapist who works in mainstream and special schools settings. Natasha will look at the development of children’s language for  learning and give you practical ways to both assess the children’s levels and tailor your activities accordingly.

2 year olds not talking; how to measure what they can do Margaret Gomm and Georgina White are both speech and language therapists with a great deal of experience of working with younger children in children’s Centres and Nurseries. They will look at the common issue of 2 year olds who cannot talk. They will give you practical ways to record communication before words and tips for working with non-verbal children.

Closes - 3.30pm

Buffet lunch provided

FEES & PAYMENT £85 per delegate £65 early bird until 28th February 2016. 

Places are limited to 50 so please book early to avoid disappoinment.

Payment and booking is all managed online: BOOK HERE

For more information: Libby Hill Small Talk SLT Ltd 

office@smalltalk-ltd.co.uk www.private-speech-therapy.co.uk

June 2015 SEND Reforms Survey

The Communication Trust is committed to supporting all those working within the reformed SEND system to meet the needs of children and young people with SLCN and their families. As part of this work, they undertook two online surveys in June and November 2014 to find out how practitioners, service providers and commissioners were preparing for and implementing the SEND Reforms. They used the valuable information gained from these surveys to ensure we are able to offer relevant support to those working with children and young people with SLCN in the areas they report needing it most.
 

They are now running a third survey  across June 2015, to find out more about the perceived opportunities and remaining challenges of the reformed SEND system for children and young people with SLCN, almost a whole academic year on from the reforms coming into effect. The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete and we would be extremely grateful if you would take the time to complete it and pass the link on to your colleagues and networks to help get the broadest response possible.
 

The survey will be open from 29th May - 29th June 2015 and is available here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/sendreformsforslcn2015.

Please help AFASIC... and have some fun too! 'Zip It' for Afasic

As we enter a New Year, AFASIC are encouraging us to get involved in their latest challenge that should be a bit of fun, and also raise some money towards their work. They are often the only place a parent can turn when they have a child with SLCN and no-one else seems to understand that it affects the entire family.
 
They really need  help to ensure that Afasic has the funds it needs to provide this ongoing help and support for children, young people and their families who are affected by speech, language and communication disabilities now and into the future.
 
How to get involved
Please take part in the Afasic ‘Zip It!’ challenge this spring  - you can take part yourself, encourage your local school to take part, get people in the office to take up the challenge, or get the family to have a quiet and challenging evening at home!
 
The challenge is to stay silent and use only non-verbal methods of communication for a period that you can decide (it could be 5 minutes, an hour, a morning, a day etc.). For more information and to register for a full information pack go to  http://www.afasic.org.uk/support-us/fundraise-for-us/zip-it-challenge/