ABSTRACT
It is now well established that speech language and communication (SLC) skills are crucial for children’s social, educational and long-term outcomes (Gowsami, 2008; Roulstone et al., 2010; Whitebread & Bingham, 2011). In England, children’s early language and cognitive development has been the subject of successive Government policy initiatives placing emphasis on the role of early childhood practitioners (ECPs) to identify, assess and support any problems with children’s development as early as possible with appropriate intervention so that children’s developmental trajectory can be optimised. This chapter includes descriptions of parents’ experiences with early childhood intervention (ECI) services for young children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in one Local Authority (LA) in England. It highlights the difficult and subjective nature of early identification of problems with SLC and illustrates this with a vignette of a child diagnosed with autism. The author argues that identification of young children’s progress requires ongoing monitoring and assessment and ECI can be very effective for young children with SLCN. However, ECI services are currently more responsive and accessible to parents whose children who have severe and complex SLCN than those who have mild to moderate SLCN. This raises questions about how young children at risk from special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are supported and how children’s trajectories can be optimised in line with policy intentions.
