Speech, language and communication advice for professionals

What are the typical milestones for speech, language and communication development?

Children develop their speech, language and communication skills at different rates. For more information, see typical stages of speech and language development in children.

Where can I find information to share with parents or carers?

For information to share with parents or carers, see speech, language and communication advice for parents and carers.

How can I improve the speech, language and communication provision in my setting?

Professionals aiming to develop universal speech, language and communication provision across the setting please use our Communication Friendly Environment Audit Tools:

CFE Guidance
CFE Foundation Stages
CFE Primary
CFE Secondary
CFE Specialist Hub

How do I know what level of support a child needs?

For children with differences in their communication development, education professionals should use the screening tools below. See language screening guidance version 2 document to identify which tool should be used.

Language and communication screening tools:
Language Screening – Guidance V2
Language Screening – Provision Mapper V2
Language Screen 1 – Early Communicator Picture and Target Answers V2
Language Screen 1 – Early Communicator Record Form V2
Language Screen 1 – Early Communicator Worked Example V2
Language Screen 2 – Conversational Talker Picture and Target Answers V2
Language Screen 2 – Conversational Talker Record Form V2
Language Screen 2 – Conversational Talker Worked Example V2

Speech sound screening tool:

The speech sound screening tool can be used for children 3 years and above.

Speech Sound Screening – Guidance V2
Speech Sound Screening – Provision Mapper V2
Speech Sound Screen – Pictures V2
Speech Sound Screen – Record Form V2
Speech Sound Screen – Worked Examples V2

Universal advice

Universal advice is for supporting the development of all children’s speech, language and communication skills.

How can I support a child’s speech sound development?

For information on strategies you can use to help develop your child’s speech development.

Should I be worried about a child’s lisp?

For information on different types of lisps.

How can I support a child’s language development?

If your child is in the early years.

If your child is primary or secondary school age.

If your child is bilingual.

For information on the benefits of bilingualism.

How can I support a child who stammers?

For advice about stammering please visit:

• STAMMA
• The new ‘Penguin’ app for children who stammer – Action for Stammering Children
• Stammering- Speech and Language.org.uk

Targeted advice

Targeted level provision is for supporting the development of children with an identified speech, language and communication need. This group of children need additional support to achieve at age related expectations.

Should I get the child’s hearing checked?

If there is concern with a child’s communication skills is important for the child’s hearing to be checked if this has not happened for some time. For information visit the Sheffield Children’s Audiology service page.

What is the Communication Support Framework?

The screening tools will identify the level of support required for the child on the Communication Support Framework.

You should use this framework if the screening tool indicates that the child requires support for developing their language and communication skills.

The framework provides recommendations on strategies that adults can implement as part of a graduated response, including how adults can adapt their talking and teaching, and any targeted speech and language interventions that should be implemented.

What small group speech and language interventions are available?

The screening tool may indicate that the child may benefit from a targeted intervention to support their speech and language development. These may include

• LEAP – Language Enrichment Activity Programme
• VIP – Vocabulary Intervention Programme 
• Pre-teaching vocabulary groups
• NIP – Narrative Intervention Programme
• Language for Thinking
• LFBE – Language for Behaviour and Emotions

Where can I find training for supporting speech, language and communication needs?

For educational professionals, to access our training videos for targeted language interventions visit Learn Sheffield – learnsheffield.co.uk

Other useful links:

Training modules for professionals – Learn Sheffield – learnsheffield.co.uk

Resource library for educators – Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives – speechandlanguage.org.uk

Twinkl provide many resources relevant to children with Speech, Language and Communication needs.