| SKILL | WHAT TO DO FIRST Identifying and supporting need | ASKING FOR HELP Starting Assess, Plan, Do, Review | WHEN MORE HELP IS NEEDED Targeted support |
| Expressive Language | Individual child: Consider referral to ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) for further support. Early Years practitioners to refer to specialist services e.g. ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) for any immediate concerns e.g. breakdown in placements or complex safeguarding issues. Classroom/Early Years room: Early Years practitioners to create a communication friendly classroom offering opportunities to continue to develop children’s expressive language, vocabulary, grammar and participation in learning and social activities. Create a communication supportive environment. See advice and guidance from Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives. Create language friendly classrooms using ISCAN Language Friendly Classrooms online training. Early Years practitioners to access Language Friendly Classrooms training delivered by ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team. Early Years practitioners to refer to advice sheets and visual support resources for expressive support and embed into all classroom activities. Visuals available for: Activity specific communication boards for aided language modelling. Supporting vocabulary knowledge and vocabulary checklist. Supporting narrative skills. Creating opportunities to communicate. If struggling to embed and apply strategies, or more personalised, bespoke communication systems are required, consider accessing further help from ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team. Whole school/Early Years setting: Early Years practitioners to access support from Early Years Quality Team (EYQT). Early Years practitioners to encourage a total communication approach and accept all forms of communication e.g., spoken, gesture, signs, written word, Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC). Early Years practitioners to have access to a robust, consistent symbol-based system to support all children and provide communication opportunities. Examples of these include Boardmaker, Twinkl and Widget (cost included to purchase). Early Years practitioners to follow ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team’s Language and Communication Standard for reception-aged children. Early Years practitioners to access Early Years Forum for general advice and strategies (for reception-aged children). Early Years practitioners to have access to information to support communication development including: BBC Tiny Happy People from CBeebies Parenting Tiny Happy People. Parent/carer and Child Interaction Strategies from Greater Manchester Combined Authority Parent Child Interaction Support Package (18 months – 2.5 years) – Greater Manchester Combined Authority. | Early Years practitioners to continue to embed Communication Friendly Classroom strategies. Early Years practitioners to access Language Friendly Classrooms training delivered by ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team. Early Years practitioners to embed more targeted approaches to the whole classroom and support carryover to curriculum-based activities within the classroom. Early Years practitioners to consider carrying out targeted interventions in small groups to support expressive language and communication. Examples of these may include: Building Vocabulary i.e. using Word Wheels. Colourful Semantics to develop sentence structure. Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) –Introduction (part 1), Modelling and demo of AAC (part 2). Early Years practitioners to consider purchasing a targeted evidence-based language intervention to support use of language e.g.: WellComm screening toolkit and intervention using The Big Book of Ideas. Blacksheep Press speech and language resources for teachers, speech therapists and parents/carers. Communication Trust what works database of evidence-based speech language and communication interventions. BLAST auditory skills and talking programme. For all children requiring access to alternative communication systems, referral to ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is required. Additional resources and support for aided language modelling, choice boards and core word teaching are available on: The Ace Centre: Resources | Ace Centre. Assistive Ware: AAC Resources – Assistive Ware. Complete a one-page profile on communication styles to share with all Early Years practitioners. Early Years practitioners to access Early Years Forum for general advice and strategies (for reception-aged children). Consider referral to ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) for further support and advice around targeted resources. Early Years practitioners refer to specialist services ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) for any immediate concerns e.g. breakdown in placements or complex safeguarding issues. | Early Years practitioners to continue to embed Communication Friendly Classroom strategies and communication opportunities throughout the day. Multi-agency assessment to identify persistent and complex needs e.g. access advice from external services such as Tameside Specialist Outreach Support Service (TSOSS), ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy and Tameside Educational Psychology Service (EPS), to tailor programmes and activities to support their speech and language development, including expressive language skills. Early Years practitioners deliver and support daily, individualised targeted interventions, based on support and guidance from external services. Certain interventions may require specialist training from the ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team. Use of a robust, bespoke high or low Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) system, embedded within all routine and learning activities, accessible at all times to the child with specialist training, targets and support from the ISCAN Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) team. ISCAN SLT may complete onward referrals for external specialist services e.g., The ACE Centre. |