Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) may show differences in how they recognise and respond to other people, this is known as social understanding and social communication.
They may:
Children who are neurodivergent may be living with one or more neurodevelopmental conditions. These include autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and Tourette’s syndrome. Many of these conditions are associated with social or communication differences.
Schools follow a graduated approach to supporting children with SEND, led by the Special Educational Coordinator (SENDCo). This includes making reasonable adjustments to the environment, task presentation and targeted interventions and support. For children and young people with Communication and Interaction needs, this might include having personalised visual supports (e.g. visual timetable, social stories, comic strip conversations) and small-group interventions.
Attention is a skill needed to help a young person focus on the relevant information to achieve a goal, in spite of distractions, tiredness, or boredom
This is part of our executive functioning. Executive functioning skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and carry out multiple tasks successfully.
A young person might:
Teach ‘Stop and think’ strategies
Comic strip conversations (created by Carol Gray) are simple visual representations of a social interaction.
They can show:
Comic strip conversations use stick figures and symbols to represent social interactions and colours to show how people may be feeling.
Comic strip conversations can be used to explore a child’s understanding / view of a social interaction through drawing. They can also be used to help to develop a child’s understanding of a social interaction by drawing the situation, including visual cues and new ideas. Comic strip conversations can be kept by the child as a visual reminder / prompt.
Children take the lead role within a comic strip conversation. The child draws as they talk. The adult guides the child’s drawings with questions to gather information (e.g. Where were you? Who were you with? What were you feeling? What did you say? What did others say? What did you think when they said that?).
They are encouraged to write/draw and talk for the majority of the time. The adult offers support and guidance through the process.
Children and young people with Communication and Interaction needs can be supported in many ways. Schools and settings use a range of evidence‑based strategies to help with understanding language, using language, social communication, and interaction with others. Support is always based on the child’s individual needs.
Below are some of the most commonly used approaches.
These tools help children understand:
Many children benefit from structured, predictable learning environments. Strategies may include:
These small group sessions help children develop:
Many children benefit from support to understand and manage their emotions. Strategies may include:
Small changes to the classroom can make a big difference, such as:
Schools may receive support from:
No - your child does not need a diagnosis to receive support for Communication and Interaction needs. Schools and early years settings must provide support based on a child’s needs, not on whether they have a formal diagnosis. This is part of their duty under the SEND Code of Practice. Schools must use a “graduated approach” (Assess–Plan–Do–Review) to put support in place as soon as needs are identified.
An Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) isn’t always appropriate for a child or young person – most can have their needs met in schools and settings.
You may want to consider requesting an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) if your child’s Communication and Interaction needs are having a significant impact on their ability to access learning, make progress, or take part in school life and the support already in place is not enough.
If you think your child may be autistic, you can request an assessment through either health services or your child’s school/early years setting. A diagnosis can help you understand your child’s needs, but remember you do not need a diagnosis for your child to receive support in school.
In Dorset, referrals are usually made to the Children’s (Paediatric) Development and Behaviour Pathway. This may involve:
There are many simple, everyday strategies that can help develop communication and interaction skills at home. You don’t need specialist training to use them, and small, consistent changes can make a big difference.
If you are concerned about your child’s communication, you can speak to:
