Speech, Language and C ommunication

1. Speech, Language and Communication Solent Teaching School CPD Alliance programme November 2013

3. Speech is………

4. Language is…….. Central to all teaching and learning!!!!

5. Communication is………

6. Come and play Input(understanding)

7. OK I’m in goal John replies to Tom - Output Expressive

8. Byers-brown & Edwards 1989 Children who are unable to communicate effectively through language as a basis for further learning are handicapped socially, educationally, and as a consequence, emotionally.

9. Why do things sometimes go wrong for children with language difficulties? • Early in a child’s development language becomes a substitute for an action • As they learn to process information they develop the ability to express their needs. • Abnormal language development leads to a disruption in the development of behavioural control • Child is put under pressure to conform in situations where the ability to respond is compromised. Resulting in tantrums and arousal problems.

10. The first steps • A baby makes the distinction between feelings of dis/comfort and distress/contentment but these feelings are not labelled by the baby. • This is done with the help of a parent/carer therefore they develop emotional literacy • The reliance on others to manage these emotions then progresses into self regulation

11. Feelings state talk • A parent or carer helps a child to become aware of their own feelings by using Feelings State talk. • A child falls over - pain/discomfort – pacified and soothed – emotions and feelings are labelled by the parent/carer • In time the child will rehearse events with language • The quality of the Feelings State talk at 3 years will predict empathetic skills at 6 years

12. Emotional literacy • Learning emotional language helps children to understand emotions and talking about emotional states helps children to manage and control emotions • Children first learn to recognise and control their own emotions before they can understand and respond to the emotions of others • Only then does ‘how do you think he felt when you…………?’ become meaningful

13. Self regulation • Only once we have learned to recognise emotions in ourselves and others can we learn to control them. • Small children rely on carers to regulate their states of arousal • High cortisol levels leads to lower threshold for stress and sensitivity to stress triggers • Cortisol is the stress hormone and levels are set @ 6months

14. Language and self regulation • Executive function • Evaluate • Prioritise • Select responses • Language plays a key role in the development of self regulation • Thinking process – Have I seen this before, what did I do, did it work, what alternatives do I have, try it and see?! EVENT RESPONSE

15. Language as a tool for self regulation • At 2 years – children have some impulse control with the support of adults. Their understanding of language may not be clear yet • 3 – 4 years – children use their language as a method of self regulation eg commentary in play • 6 – 7 years – the commentary becomes internalised ‘private speech’ and this is used to guide behaviour

16. Summary • From the early years children with language difficulties may show • High states of arousal and sensitivity to stress • Poor peer relationships • Limited emotional literacy and empathy • Limited ability for self regulation of their behaviour. • These difficulties will persist without appropriate intervention

17. KILLER FACTS Communication disorder is the most common disability seen in childhood affecting up to 10% of children in society. 7% of 5 year olds entering school have significant speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) Up to 55% of children in deprived areas do not have the necessary speech and language skills needed to learn to read and write 70% of young offenders have SLCN

18. Stoke on Trent 2004 All 3 year olds children screened in 2004 84% language levels 2 years or below Unable to access the curriculum, implications for behaviour and life chances Post interventions – 39% significant delay Basingstoke October 2009 found significant delay 33% Nursery aged children 39% Year R

19. Cycle of Deprivation Children from low income families are found to be generally 16 months behind in vocabulary at point of entry to school Vocabulary at 5 years is the best predictor of children in social deprivation who ‘escape’ the poverty trap Vocabulary must be a priority in Foundation stage (Report The EYFS (0-%) Curriculum September 2012: Prioritisation of Speaking and Listening

20. So what are the implications for schools? Poor communication skills impact on……… Educational achievement • vocabulary at 5 year is the best predictor of GCSE results • Behaviour and exclusions • 2/3 of children 7 – 14 years with challenging behaviour have language impairment. • increased risk of exclusions • Mental Health • 40% 7 – 14 years referred to CAMHS have undetected LI. Long term – more unemployment, redundancy, low income

21. Missing children? • A study of 7 year olds (Conti-Ramsden and Bolting) showed that children with clear speech may have language problems that are difficult to recognise. • We miss 4 out of 5 of them • What to look out for to spot them? Attention and listening, Vocabulary, Early number skills, Story telling, Expressive grammar, Reading comprehension

22. Activity • Work in pairs. • One person faces the screen the other person faces away from the screen. The person facing away from the screen will need a pencil and paper • Person A describes the picture on the screen to person B using only gesture • Person B draws the picture as described by person A

23. Picture for Activity

24. Swop places!! • Now describe the following item using words no gesture – sit on your hands!! • Do not use the name of the item on the screen • Draw the item being described

26. Factors affecting development of speech, language and communication • Social difficulties/lack of opportunity to communicate. This may be as a result of poor parent/child interaction and living in a language poor environment. • Learning difficulties. The child who experiences general learning difficulties will also have language difficulties. His levels in language will be commensurate with his general cognitive ability. • Emotional and behavioural difficulties. The child with EBD may also have weak understanding and expressive language skills. • Sensory impairment, for example, hearing impairment. Hearing impairment has a direct and significant impact on the child’s language development. Intermittent and low-level hearing loss can also have an impact on language development and social interaction. • .

27. Pervasive developmental disorders and syndromes. Many syndromes and pervasive developmental disorders have associated language difficulties, for example, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, etc. • Neurological conditions, for example, epilepsy, brain injury, cerebral palsy. Some of these conditions may have associated language difficulties but this is not always the case. • Turbulence. The child who has been exposed in the early years to rapid and sometimes traumatic changes in environments and languages may have some degree of language difficulties. • Physical impairments, for example, cleft lip and palate

28. Receptive Language

29. Why do you think children have difficulty listening?

30. A.L.U.R.E • Attention • Listening • Understanding • Remembering • Expressing

32. Problems with understanding.. Descriptions of classroom behaviour may include…. • He won’t do as he is told • He is in a world of his own • He is always one step behind everyone else • He just doesn’t care • He doesn’t even try • He is just a naughty boy

33. Listening and understanding Child listens Listening time becomes shorter Receptive language problems – does not understand Understanding does not improve Child stops listening

34. Support for understanding in the classroom • Visual experiential support for learning • Clear routines. Visual timetables • Demonstrate/show whenever possible • Opportunities for hands on learning • Use natural gestures – it helps to engage attention • Mind mapping. Use topic and concept webs • Diagrams to represent text • Visual dictionaries for topic vocabulary

35. Support understanding in the classroom Adult language • Mark clearly when listening is expected • Keep verbal instructions short and simple • Simplify instructions • Repeat key words and ask for the pupil to repeat back to you • Keep order of instructions the same as the order of action

36. Think about your own language • Common words that have an alternative specific meaning may cause difficulty e.g. ‘light’ • Early social use – light/dark • Key stage 1 and 2 use – light and heavy • Key stage 3 and 4 use – white light (science) and light fingered (figurative) Be aware of idioms, metaphor, simile as those may be taken literally

37. Teaching vocabulary • Identify key content words (e.g. igneous) and process words (e.g. compare and contrast) that are essential to know. • Try to link new words to familiar words and experiences. • Child describes the word by meaning and by attributes such as colour, first letter etc. • Provide opportunities to use and repeat the words

38. Help them with…… • The language of adults in the classroom • Speed • Chunking • Repeating your sentence • Check understanding • Simplifying language • Sequencing tasks • Idioms • Support your language with visual cues/actual objects/written key words

39. Expressive Language

40. Why do some children have difficulty expressing themselves? • Fear • Not understanding what is being asked • Lack of vocabulary • Cannot structure a narrative • Cannot organise the words so that they can be understood • Cannot organise sounds

41. In a classroom we may notice • Waiting a long time before responding • Starting to speak and then pausing mid-sentence/or repeats what he has just said • Struggles to find the right word and makes substitutions e.g. bottle/battle; clock/watch • Word order problems in sentences, sequencing ideas e.g. to describe an experiment • Slow delivery of conversation • Limited use of abstract language e.g. trust

43. Emotional responses may include • Social isolation – few friends • Distress in response to verbal teasing • Physical responses to social situations • High levels of frustration/anxiety • Problems explaining what they have done instead – swearing (lack of narrative skills)

44. Oral narrative • Oral narrative is a natural conversation between people and can be an internal function • Narrative can be • a social skill • a survival skill • an education skill • Deficits result in poor relationships, being in trouble all the time and poor academic success

45. Support for expressive language in the classroom • What do we do already? • Give extra time to reply • Avoid letting others talk for him or anticipating needs • Use modelling • Pre prepare responses to planned class questions • Use reduced options or alternatives • Support for less structured time

46. Modelling • If a pupil makes a mistake with grammar or word order don’t correct it but model back the correct way of saying it • By repeating what was said • pupil - the micesrunned under the sofa • Adult – Oh the mice ran under the sofa, did they? • Pupil – Kate is my friend he is • Staff – oh she likes you does she?

47. Social skills and social narrative

48. HOW language is used Descriptions from staff may include; • He never stops talking • He doesn’t know when to stop talking • He will just say anything • He keeps butting in…….. Always pestering me when I’m busy or talking to another pupil • He is really naughty or disruptive

49. Signs associated with pragmatic difficulties Does the pupil know……. • How to end a conversation without being rude • Reading and providing non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, eye contact, prosody, loudness of voice, gesture, inferences about feelings and proximity • Adjusting what is said and how it is said to the audience • Knowing when to talk and when to be quiet!!

50. Prosody • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’ • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’ • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’ • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’ • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’ • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’ • I didn’t say ‘she stole my bag’