Indicators of communication and interaction difficulties

Communication and interaction difficulties are experienced by five to ten per cent of children and affect pupils’ ability to access the curriculum. Pupils may have difficulties with:

articulation

Indicators include:

• poor speech production
• inability to produce certain sounds
• delay in the development of sound production
• impairments associated with the tongue, mouth, etc (eg cleft palate).

speaking — vocabulary, grammar and meaning (semantics)

listening and attention

understanding and comprehension

social use of language (pragmatics) and social skills

verbal memory.