Parent and child interaction (PCI) pathway

What is the parent and child interaction (PCI) pathway?

This pathway aims to support children’s speech, language and communication skills by coaching parents in the use of effective strategies to use in their interactions with their child.

PCI workshop

When your child reaches the top of the waiting list you will receive a letter with a link to a video and details on how to book your face to face appointments.

You need to watch the video and try the strategies before coming to meet with the speech and language therapist. It’s important you get in touch to book the appointments within 6 weeks of receiving the workshop video.

You will then be offered 3 face to face appointments. These might be weekly or may be spread further apart if that works better. In these sessions the speech and language therapist will talk to you about the strategies you have used, discussing which have worked and give you advice and support about how to keep doing them.

What happens during the appointment?

If it’s appropriate the speech and language therapist might record a short video of you and your child playing and use this video to give you further suggestions on things to work on at home. Please do not worry if you do not want to do the video there is no pressure to do this.

The speech and language therapist will also observe your child, interact with them and do some very informal assessment if appropriate. We hope that this will help you home feeling confident to keep using the strategies.

What happens next?

There will usually be a review appointment 6 to 8 weeks after you have finished your 3 face to face appointments. This will give a chance to review progress and hopefully your child will be ready to move onto another pathway.