Sensory and physical needs

Original post by Hufflepup

COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION NEEDS


Speech, Language & Communication Needs (SLCN)

Children with speech, language and communication needs cover the whole range of ability. They may have difficulty in understanding and/or making others understand information conveyed through spoken language.


Their acquisition of speech and their oral language skills may be significantly behind their peers. Their speech may be poor or unintelligible. They may experience problems in articulation and the production of speech sounds. They may have a severe stammer.


Children with language impairments find it hard to understand and/or use words in context. They may use words incorrectly with inappropriate grammatical patterns, have reduced vocabulary or find it hard to recall words and express ideas. They may also hear or see a word but not be able to understand its meaning or have trouble getting others to understand what they are trying to say



Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Autistic spectrum disorder is a relatively new term which recognises that there are a number of sub-groups within the spectrum of autism. Children with autistic spectrum disorder find it difficult to:

Understand and use non-verbal and verbal communication
Understand social behaviour – which effects their ability to interact with children and adults
Think and behave flexibly – which may be shown in restricted, obsessional or repetitive activities
Children with autistic spectrum disorder cover the full range of ability and the severity of their impairment varies widely. Some children also have learning disabilities or other difficulties, making diagnosis difficult.

They may have difficulty in understanding the communication of others and in developing effective communication themselves. Many are delayed in learning to speak and some never develop meaningful speech.

Children find it difficult to understand the social behaviour of others. They are literal thinkers and fail to understand the social context. They can experience high levels of stress and anxiety in settings that don't meet their needs or when routines are changed. This can lead to inappropriate behaviour.

Some children with autistic spectrum disorders have a different perception of sounds, sights, smell, touch and taste and this affects their response to these sensations. They may have unusual sleep and behaviour patterns.

Young children may not play with toys in a conventional and imaginative way but instead use toys rigidly or repetitively e.g. watching moving parts of machinery for long periods with intense concentration. They find it hard to generalise skills and have difficulty adapting to new situations and often prefer routine.

Children with asperger's syndrome share the same triad of impairments but have a higher intellectual abilities and their language development is different from the majority of children with autism.Remember if you believe in yourself - others will too!![/