Social Communication Pathway

Early Years Social Communication

What is Social Communication?

Social communication refers to the use of verbal (spoken language) and nonverbal (eye gaze, facial expression, gestures) communication in social situations, to tell other people what you want, express feelings, relate to other people and develop meaningful relationships.

What might differences in this area look like?

Children may experience differences in the following areas:

Language differences:

  • Delayed language
  • Loss of words
  • Uses vocalisations/echolalia (repeating others)/chunked phrases for self-regulation or enjoyment
  • Use of gestures might be inconsistent, minimally used or not used
  • Might be able to label items, but struggles using language to make requests

Social differences:

  • Preference to not make eye contact
  • Differences interacting with peers
  • Might prefer to play alone
  • Differences participating in conversation e.g. less likely to engage in ‘small talk’

Interests, activities, movements & sensory experiences:

  • Preference for particular movements or stimming e.g. likes to rock/spin/tap and finds this regulating
  • Preference for patterns or sequences they enjoy e.g. lining up toys
  • Preference for predictability e.g. enjoys eating the same food, likes to walk the same route to nursery, enjoys routine
  • Enjoys play that involves organisation, matching and mechanics e.g. sorting, matching, lining up, construction
  • May experience dysregulation or meltdowns when routines, places or people are not suitably predictable
  • May have a particular interest which brings joy and can engage in this for long periods
  • Over or under reactivity to sensory input e.g. may find loud noises difficult to cope with or may seek out sensory input with lights
  • May experience sensory aversions or interests e.g. food or not liking certain textures of clothing

How may a Speech and Language Therapist help parents/carers develop their skills to support their Early Years child?

Our Speech and Language Therapy team supports and promotes children’s communication and language development in the Early Years (up to when a child goes to primary school). We assess, diagnose and develop packages of care, including training of the wider workforce and parents/carers to improve outcomes for children with social communication difficulties.

We currently offer the following packages of care:

  1. Play and Connect – a webinar which provides information on communication and strategies that parents/carers can use with their child to support the development of their communication skills.
  2. Copy and Connect – supports you to develop positive social interactions with your child, using principles from Intensive Interaction.
  3. Show and Share – supports you to develop your child’s shared attention, communication and social interaction skills through the use of visually based and highly motivating activities.
  4. Total Communication – introduces you to a variety of methods to support the development of your child’s communication and increase their reasons for communicating, including requesting, protesting, making comments and expressing their thoughts and preferences. These supports may include using gestures, signs, spoken language and/or a core vocabulary board.
  5. Watch, Wait, Communicate – uses principles of VERVE and Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) – support you to identify and understand your child’s communication skills and identify and enhance the ways you support your child with their progress.
  6. Gestalt Language Processors – supports you to learn and implement strategies which support your child’s communication development if they are learning language through intonation and repetition of heard phrases.

How do you refer to the Early Years Social Communication team?

We accept referrals from parents/carers, health professionals (such as Health Visitors and GP), and other professionals (such as nursery staff or portage workers). We ask that you complete an Early Years checklist so that we can identify the most appropriate care for each child.

Cut-off for Early Years Speech and Language Therapy referrals

For children who will be starting in Reception at primary school in September of any academic year, the last date an Early Years Speech and Language Therapy referral will be accepted is the preceding May half term. This will allow time for the child to be seen for their initial assessment and have a report written with targets and advice by the time they start school. This will greatly support the transition process as the school staff will receive clear recommendations on how to support the child in their new setting; this will also help ease parental anxiety during the transition phase. These referrals will be accepted in the usual way, with a completed SPA form and Early Years checklist.

If a child is not referred by May half term, they can be referred via the SENCo at school. Please note that a referral for a school-aged child requires evidence of how the school has supported the child for two academic terms with clear outcomes of the strategies and interventions which have been put in place. Children not referred by May half term will not be able to be referred to the school-aged service until the subsequent Summer term.

Download and complete the Early Years Checklist 

What can you do at home in the meantime?

You can visit https://progress-checker.speechandlanguage.org.uk/ to see how your baby or child is getting on with their speech, language and communication development.

The following websites provide simple activities and games that you can carry out with your child to develop their speech, language and communication skills:

You can also visit your local Family Hub, which provides a range of groups that are aimed at supporting parents/carers to develop their child’s communication skills. There are specific groups aimed at supporting communication development, including, Peep-A-Boo (for children aged 0-18 months) and Peep Play and Talk sessions (for children aged 18months-4years). Families can find out what’s on at their local Family Hub at: https://startforlife.lbbd.gov.uk/family-hubs-activities-timetable/

 

Child with adult child with abacus

Teacher and children Woman with child

School Age Communication

What is Social Communication  

Social communication refers to the use of verbal (spoken language) and nonverbal (eye gaze, facial expression, gestures) communication in social situations to develop relationships. These are important skills to develop meaningful relationships at home, nursery, school, and college.  

What may difficulties in this area look like? 

The child or young person may experience difficulties in: 

  • Using and understanding non-verbal communication for example facial expressions, personal space.  
  • Interacting within social situations such as turn-taking during a conversation, waiting for their turn in a activity 
  • Seeing other people’s points of view  
  • Understanding non-literal language, such as ‘pull your socks up’  
  • Using language to problem-solve  
  • Coping with unstructured situations e.g., playtime in school  
  • Coping with changes in routine   

How may a Speech and Language Therapist help parents/carers to develop their skills to support their school aged child? 

Our Speech and Language Therapy team offers a child centred, evidence-based approach for children and young people aged 0-16 (or 19 if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan) to their parents/carers, and professionals working with the child and young person within educational settings.  

We offer assessment, training, intervention and advice to support children and young people who have difficulties with social communication and Autism Spectrum Disorder (to promote neurodiversity, we prefer to use the term “Condition”, rather than “Disorder”).   

Assessment and/or intervention takes place within the child or young person’s familiar and natural environments, such as home or school. 

How can you get in contact with the Speech and Language Service? 

  • In the first instance, share your concerns or queries with the Teacher, and the Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or Inclusion Manager at your child’s school. They will be able to speak to you about your concerns and share ways in which they will, or already are, supporting your child to develop their social communication skills.  
  • The SENCO or Inclusion Manager can also make a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy team if needed. 
  • A fully completed Single Point Access (SPA) form
  • A completed Speech and Language Therapy Screener. Screener for KS1&2. Screener for KS3&4.
  • Evidence about what strategies have already been tried in school for at least two terms. It is important to include a review of these. If you need help with this, speak to your Speech and Language Therapist.
  • Please view this helpful video which takes you through the referral process for school aged children https://youtu.be/QfxYYBFfcsw
  • If your child attends an Early Years setting, please take a look at the 'Early Years Social Communication' tab for further details. 

What can you do at home in the meantime? 

Some useful website links for information and activities:

For more support, please look at: