What is SLCN?
Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
The term SLCN stands for Speech, Language and Communication Needs. It is estimated that around 10% of children experience some form of SLCN. Children with SLCN have difficulties in one or more of the following areas:
- Speech sound delays/disorders (pronunciation)
- Comprehension difficulties (understanding of language)
- Expressive difficulties (spoken language)
- Social interaction skills
- Attention and listening
- Stammering
- Selective Mutism
Children with diagnosed conditions such as Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Hearing Impairment, Learning Difficulties, and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) account for around 3% of children with SLCN. SLCN in children without a diagnosed condition is often under-identified – one of the roles of a Speech and Language Therapist is to support schools and families to identify if a child may have a communication need.
Take a look at our quick questions below:
- Does the child move quickly from one activity to the next?
- Do they have difficulty sitting still?
- Do they struggle to engage in adult-led activities?
- Do they ‘drift off’ or get distracted easily?
- Does the child substitute certain sounds in words for other sounds?
- Do they have difficulty making themselves understood?
- Do they become frustrated when others don’t understand them?
- Does the child have difficulty following instructions?
- Can they read but struggle to understand the story?
- Do they struggle to answer questions?
- Does the child get anxious and upset when things change?
- Do they struggle to take turns and form friendships?
- Do they have difficulty keeping a conversation going and knowing the appropriate things to say?
- Does the child get anxious and upset when things change?
- Do they struggle to take turns and form friendships?
- Do they have difficulty keeping a conversation going and knowing the appropriate things to say?
Questions?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to some common questions
Useful Links
If you are concerned about your child’s communication skills, you can check their progress using this tool: www.talkingpoint.org.uk/progress-checker
STAMMA: https://stamma.org/
National Autistic Society: www.autism.org.uk