Increase observations to understand how the child communicates, with who and where do they communicate best, what their strengths and interests are, and how these can be used to encourage engagement in activities. Monitor how the child responds to your communication with them and whether they follow the words you are saying and/or the gestures you are using.

Plan and adapt tasks and activities to take account of the child’s individual communication needs.

Provide frequent practice to develop communication skills through recall and repetition.

Develop close home and school links to ensure strategies are used across both environments to support the generalisation of skills.

Use resources such as the Communication Trusts ‘Communicating the Code’ to support children with identified communication and interaction needs.

Provide additional support is in place to develop emotional vocabulary and emotional expression using visual and real-life situations (e.g. use of feelings visuals, scales or ‘feelometers’).

Provide regular communication groups, working on speech and language skills on a frequent basis with a small group of children. It can be helpful to include good role models alongside children who need additional support (with support from a Speech and Language Therapist as needed).

Elklan Language Builders Resources from Elklan are practical books which provides detailed advice and activities to promote the speaking and listening skills for Key Stage 2 children.

Certain interventions may require specialist support/training from the Speech and Language Therapy Service (e.g. Vocabulary training).

Access additional staff training/peer support to support key adults to understand how to support children with specific communication and interaction needs, and how to respond to behaviours associated with communication and interaction difficulties (e.g. frustration at not being able to communicate, distressed behaviours as a result of not understanding spoken instructions of expectations – see the SEMH and Getting Risk Support sections and training pages).

ELKLAN - accredited courses for education and other staff working with those with speech, language and communication needs. Provides staff with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of a range of practical ideas and skills to deliver a range of small-group, targeted interventions (Elklan Trained TAs).