Last week, Speech and Language UK published a report about the incidence of speech, language and communication needs in children in the UK. The findings are stark, with an estimated one in five children not developing the language skills that will allow them to comfortably access classroom provision and learn effectively.
Over half of the teachers surveyed for the report said they had not had enough training in supporting children to develop their language skills and felt this was not a priority among policymakers and leaders.
But this does not reflect the position everywhere. In Jersey, a small charity called Every Child Our Future - in collaboration with representatives from the Childcare and Early Years Service (CEYS), Jersey Early Years Advisory Service and the Jersey government’s children, young people, education and skills department - has established an innovative three-year pilot programme to address the needs of both teachers and children in this area.
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The project is designed to explore the impact of having a paediatric speech, language and communication therapist working in mainstream Reception and nursery classrooms. Two therapists (each 0.5 FTE) have been appointed to work across two schools, in collaboration with an early years adviser and each school’s early years teaching team.
The therapists work within the classrooms, interacting with children, providing advice and training, and helping to coordinate the implementation of assessments and group interventions.
Children already diagnosed with speech, language and communication needs continue to access their therapy as planned, but this project is about early intervention and the identification of children who need targeted support.
Benefits of speech and language therapy in early years
After one year, those involved are already convinced of the benefits. The therapists report that they have supported school teams with the early identification of children with high levels of need and helped to ensure those children have accessed the appropriate therapy quickly. They have also helped to support the training of staff and the implementation of effective small-group intervention.
The teaching staff, meanwhile, say that they have valued the therapists’ skills in translating assessments of children’s language into practice and learning how to ensure every conversation is a language-learning opportunity.
Parents are also supportive of the pilot, reporting that they value the collaborative approach and workshops led by the therapists.
This multidisciplinary approach has had many benefits in its first year, including faster identification of children with severe needs and rapid language development for other children in the classroom. There has been more training for everyone and stronger communication and liaison across services.
The therapists say they have been amazed at the pace of school life and have recognised the inherent daily organisational challenges faced by teaching teams as they manage the learning and assessment of the children in each class. In return, the skills and knowledge of the therapists are deeply respected by the teachers and parents.
And the cost? Well, admittedly, adding another member of staff to a class teaching team is costly. But, as the Speech and Language UK report reminds us, a young person who struggles to talk and understand words is six times more likely to fail English tests at age 11, 11 times less likely to pass maths, twice as likely to have a mental health problem, and twice as likely to be unemployed as an adult. So, perhaps this is a cost we can no longer avoid.
