Speech and language referral therapy guidelines - 11 years to 15 years, 11 months

Refer to SLT if young person does not meet exclusion criteria* below, plus:

• Setting have accessed and implemented the following targeted support for 3 months and there has been no/minimal progress: 
  • Completion of an appropriate targeted language group or other structured targeted language intervention. 
  • Implementation of activities and strategies to support specific language needs through ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ process.
• AND the young person has difficulty with more than one of the following:
  • understanding spoken language at home or in school that has a functional impact, for example, poor attainment, behaviour difficulties, difficulties making friends due to inability to follow language or pace within conversations. 
  • following multistep/sequential instructions or explanations 
  • understanding ‘what’, ‘where’, who’, ‘when’, ‘how’ questions in conversation and classroom activities/ language.

*Exclusion criteria:

• Learning, sensory, and emotional needs are the primary presenting need and can be supported by those around them or other services.  
• CYP and/or supporting adults are using appropriate strategies that support their language and communication difficulties, with no current impact on learning.

Refer to SLT if young person does not meet exclusion criteria* below, plus:

• Setting have accessed and implemented the following targeted support for 3 months and there has been no/minimal progress:
  • completion of an appropriate targeted language group or other structured targeted language intervention.
  • implementation of activities and strategies to support specific language needs through ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ process. 
• AND young person has difficulty with more than one of the following: 
  • story telling / narrative:  Retelling factual information, explaining a point of view, including enough detail and sequencing events logically.
  • joining sentences together to explain complicated ideas; missing words out or using words in the wrong order.
  • using a range of verbs and uses empty verbs such as ‘do’, ‘get’, for example, ‘girl do football,’ (instead of girl kicking football) ‘Dad get flowers’ (instead of Dad buying flowers).  
  • finding the correct word to use or naming items correctly
  • not being able to make themselves understood leading to frustration
  • using spoken language that impacts on the CYP's ability to fully participate in classroom or social opportunitiesx

*Exclusion criteria :  

• Learning, sensory, and emotional needs are the primary presenting need and can be supported by those around them or other services.  
• CYP and/or supporting adults are using appropriate strategies that support their language and communication difficulties, with no current impact on learning.

Refer to SLT if young person does not meet exclusion criteria* below, plus:

• Setting have accessed and implemented the following targeted support for 3 months and there has been no/minimal progress: 
  • attended “Supporting Social Communication in School Aged Children” training.
  • implementation of activities and strategies to support specific communication and interaction needs through ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ process. 
• AND young person has any of the following: 
  • Young person is not using a communication system (i.e. spoken words/phrases, sign, pictures or other symbolic system) with a key adult.
  • Young person is not communicating for a variety of reasons (for example rejecting, requesting, responding, commenting, self advocate).
  • Young person is not having conversations about topics of interest to them. 

*Exclusion criteria:   

• Young person who presents with differences in their communication skills linked to a possible or diagnosed neurodivergence such as Autism. Neurodivergent communication (for example, taking longer turns in conversation, speaking about a small range of topics, talking in detail about a topic, eye contact differences) does not need to be changed, but accepted within an inclusive environment.  For more information on neurodivergent communication watch our Celebrating Autistic Neurodivergence.
• Young person has differences in their social skills that appear to relate to the child’s general developmental level. 

 

Refer to SLT if all the following apply:

• setting can provide a list of 10 words to show examples of current speech errors
• adults are finding it difficult to understand the young person
• the young person has a speech error pattern present which is causing concern or having an impact.

OR the young person has cleft related speech concerns and referral is from a specialist cleft centre or other relevant professional, or the young person has cleft related speech errors or nasal speech in the absence of identified cleft palate.