TomEndacott, Author at Resource Library - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

What is selective mutism? A child who is consistently not able to talk freely within a school or nursery setting may have ‘selective mutism’. This is a fear (phobia) of talking in certain ‘settings’, usually nursery or school, or with certain people, causing an unconscious...

What is a social story? A social story is a short story that has been written in a specific style and format. It describes what happens in a specific social situation or upcoming event. Social stories can also be used to support teaching new skills such as toilet training or dressing. Social stories...

What is joint attention? Joint attention is the sharing of a moment between two people when they both know that they are focused on the same thing.  You might also hear the terms ‘shared attention’ or ‘shared/joint engagement’. This means a child can focus their attention on the person they...

Before the appointment Please think about any important things you might want to tell us about your child’s speech, language or communication skills. If you have examples of your child’s speech or communication, you might want to write them down to bring along to the appointment. It can be a...

Social communication Children of this age will probably be using facial expressions to communicate how they feel and use eye contact and looking as a way of interacting. They should start to show more interest in sharing in activities like a toy, a book or a physical game, with another person for...

By 2 years old children should be building on their earlier skills of looking, reaching, pointing and using facial expressions. They can also enjoy sharing interactions with others for longer periods of time. The words they understand and use should continue to grow, with short sentences emerging...

This is a huge year for development and your baby will be growing and changing in so many ways. Here are some of the communication skills you can expect to see over the first year. Social communication Throughout their first year of life babies become more interested in others and recognise people...

By 3 years old we would typically see children showing awareness of and interest in adults and other children. They should be able to understand and follow daily routines and instructions, and be putting words together to ask for things, answer questions and tell people about things. Social...

Comprehension monitoring means checking that a child has the ability to be aware of when they do not understand information or instructions given to them. Once they are aware they need to realise that they need to ask for help to be able to understand. All children can benefit from being given or...

How does commenting work? Language difficulties are nobody’s fault but changing the way you talk can really help your child. In play and every day activities, simply talk about what your child is doing. When playing together, try and change from giving your child instructions and asking them...

Language difficulties are nobody’s fault but changing the way you talk can really help your child. Here are some strategies for children with more language. Leave gaps for your child to finish the sentence The adult says a sentence and leaves it unfinished, or with a gap, for the child to fill in...

Language difficulties are nobody’s fault, but changing the way you talk can really help your child. How do I use this strategy? When you talk to your child, use language that matches their language level or one step beyond. If your child has no words, try modelling single words. For example:...

Language difficulties are nobody’s fault but changing the way you talk can really help your child. How do I use this strategy? Say it as they would if they could. When your child uses a noise or sound, gesture, facial expression or word – you would say a word or phrase that matches what...

Language difficulties are nobody’s fault, but changing the way you talk can really help your child.

Language difficulties are nobody’s fault but changing the way you talk can really help your child. How do I use this strategy? When you are playing with your child get down to their level so you are ‘face to face’. When you and your child are playing together get down on your...

How do I use this strategy? Repeat back to your child the word, phrase or sentence they have said, correcting any mistakes. This strategy allows you to acknowledge what your child has said, but then let them hear the correct version. It helps you to give praise and reinforcement, rather than...

What is intensive interaction? Intensive interaction is an approach designed to help people at the early stages of communication development. It was developed by the Intensive Interaction Institute. Intensive interaction is a fun and enjoyable way of developing your child’s communication. It is...

How does giving time work? Language difficulties are nobody’s fault but changing the way you talk can really help your child. When you play with your child, leave plenty of time and gaps for them to say something or to respond to your language. Before you have the next turn in the conversation,...