Effective Support for Pupils with

Speech & Language

Difficulties Whitburn Church of England Academy

Can you think of any pupils who have language difficulties ?

What are speech, language and communication impairments?Over a million children and young people in the UK have a speech, language or communication impairment. That’s an average of 2 children in every classroom.

Some children can have difficulty in moving the muscles which control speech; others can’t understand how a conversation works or the meaning of a sentence.

Many skills are needed for speech and language to develop - so there are many ways that children’s speech and language can go wrong.

Some children can’t understand or use language at all.

Education and participation in society depend upon the ability to communicate.

Communication is the key to education and to taking part in society.

Speech and language impairmentsSome children do not develop speech and language as expected.

They may experience difficulties with any or all aspects of speech and language - from moving the muscles which control speech to the ability to understand or use language at all. These difficulties can range from the mild to the severe and long-term.

Sometimes these difficulties are unrelated to any other difficulty or disorder - they are therefore said to be specific language difficulties. Some children may have both a specific language difficulty and other disabilities.

How do you recognise speech, language or communication difficulties?

Older children with speech or language impairments may:

•jump inappropriately from one topic to another in conversation

•talk about one subject and find it difficult to switch to others

•find it hard to learn to read

•struggle to understand abstract ideas such as time or emotions

•misinterpret language which isn’t literal - like “pull your socks up”

Different forms of speech and language impairment

speech apparatus - the mouth, tongue, nose, breathing and how they are co-ordinated and operated by muscles

phonology - the sounds that make up language

syntax or grammar - the way that words and parts of words combine in phrases and sentences

semantics - the meaning of sentences, words, and bits of words

pragmatics - how language is used in different situations and how feelings are conveyed

intonation and stress (prosody) - the rhythm and music of the way we speak

Within these areas some children may have difficulties in understanding language (receptive difficulties), some in using language (expressive difficulties), and some in both understanding and using language.

Memory strategies

•Write it down•Make notes•Draw it•Use mind maps•Use mnemonics•Explain information to someone else•Use the information to solve problems•Repeat info over & over (Over learning)

Visual strategies

Our minds are organised and more prepared to receive information through the visual route.

Students with language difficulties find it very hard to remember instructions and stay on task

Make instructions visual so the pupil can SEE and refer back to what they have to do.

New vocabulary Use multi sensory learning

•See it (use objects, real situations, photos & pictures)

•Hear it

•Say it – say the word and use it in a sentence

•Read it

•Write it – again the individual word & in a sentence