0-2 years: What can I do as a practitioner? - More help
What can I do?
1001 days (conception until 2 years) are critical in a child’s life and directly impact on their development and future outcomes.
For children of any age growth is an important indicator of their health and wellbeing.
Their health and wellbeing in turn impacts directly on their opportunity for optimal learning and development and thus their future outcomes.
Speech, language and communication are key indicators of a child’s future outcomes making chat, play and read so important. The importance of parents building a relationship and developing communication skills begins during pregnancy and continues after birth right through the early years and into adulthood.
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Assess and monitor children’s communication development as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage. If the child has English as a second language talk to parents about how the child performs in their home language.
Settings use screening tools to assess a childs needs, put in place a plan with targets using the Staged Pathway and Child Development Tool, sharing targets with parents and monitor this plan making a note of progress or ongoing difficulties.
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Consult with the SENCo – the special educational needs coordinator for the early years setting.
Speak to parents/carers to raise awareness of the importance of communication and language. Talk to them about different strategies they could use and share the work you are doing so it can be mirrored at home.
Plan language and communication development into everyday activities and the curriculum using the Stoke Speaks Out Staged Pathway.
Use the Early Years Graduated Response Toolkit
Entrust Early Years Area SENCo can provide advice and guidance to early years providers to support children with special educational needs and disabilities and signposting to other agencies.
Early Years Forum
The Early Years Forum - Staffordshire Early Years Forum can provide further advice, signposting and funding.
Make a referral to speech and language service Speech and language therapists will assess the child and develop and intervention plan with targets to work on. Liaise with the speech and language service about the interventions required and what you can do to support these. It is good practice to attend the childs speech and language appointment to find out about the intervention plan and how this should be implemented throughout their learning.
Some children need extra support to communicate by using signs, symbols, or communication aids. A speech and language therapist will be able to assess if this is necessary and support the child in accessing relevant support systems. This information will be shared with settings so it can be used throughout the childs learning.
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Carry out interventions/strategies provided by the Speech and Language Therapy Team and other professionals consulted. It is good practice to attend the childs speech and language appointment to find out about the intervention plan and how this should be implemented throughout their learning.
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Re-screen to review progress. Provide feedback to parents/carers and Speech and Language Therapists.
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Early years practitioners working in Stoke and Staffordshire can currently access training via the Early Outcomes Fund. More information on these can be found at: