About Speech, Language & Communication Needs (SLCN) Speech,
language and communication underpin everything we do – making
our needs known, expressing our likes and dislikes, interacting
with others and building relationships. We often take these
skills for granted, but many children struggle to communicate.
They have speech, language and communication needs or SLCN. A
child with speech, language and communication needs: - Might
have speech that is difficult to understand - They might
struggle to say words or sentences - They may not understand
words that are being used, or the instructions they hear - They
may have difficulties knowing how to talk and listen to others
in a conversation Children may have just some or all of these
difficulties; they are all very different. Speech, language and
communication are crucial for reading, learning in school, for
socialising and making friends, and for understanding and
controlling emotions or feelings. SLCN is often called a ‘hidden
difficulty’. Many children with SLC