The Ultimate Guide to SLCN

How to use this book

The Ultimate Guide to SLCN is designed to help SENCos, teachers, teaching assistants (TAs) and other staff to support all pupils with SLCN within the classroom.

10% of all children present with SLCN and this number rises sharply for students in areas of social disadvantage where as many as 50% of children start school with language and communication needs. It is, therefore, crucial that all school staff have the skills and knowledge to support children with SLCN within the classroom. For existing children in your class with SLCN, or new pupils arriving with a specific diagnosis, you can pick up this eBook for advice on how to support them.

The first part of the book is written for all staff working within schools, supporting children with SLCN. This section explains: common terminology related to SLCN, the role of a Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT) and quality first teaching strategies to put in place to support all pupils. There is a checklist to use if you have concerns about a child’s speech, language and/or communication skills in your class and guidance on how to become a communication friendly school.

The second part of the book focuses on specific diagnoses that children with SLCN may have. This includes conditions that are diagnosed by a SaLT, such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), but also other diagnoses that would not be given by a SaLT but may result in SLCN. Each different diagnosis is outlined including the difficulties the child may experience within the classroom and specific strategies for supporting them. Use this section of our eBook to dip into when you have a child in your class with a diagnosis and want to know where to start.

Enjoy!

Look out for these as you read on…

Our Top Tips will highlight important points to think about throughout the book.

We’ve done the research for you and fact-checked some common misconceptions to set the record straight.