What to expect from our service
We offer a face-to-face appointment in school or clinic, or a virtual appointment via video call. Telephone consultations with parents may also be offered.
We will discuss your concerns and work with the young person to identify if there are speech, language and/or communication needs. We will also provide support strategies and advice for you and your child’s school or college to support them in their learning.
What helps?
It helps when teachers and adults supporting young people adapt the way they talk and share information to support understanding and avoid misunderstandings.
General Support Strategies
- Be clear with expectations about what will happen and how long for.
- Prompt them to listen first to instructions before beginning a task.
- Provide clear and unambiguous instructions so that they know exactly what to do and what is expected.
- Keep instructions short and give them in the order you want them to be done.
- Chunk information and repeat.
- Demonstrate new tasks.
- Write down long instructions simply as a visual prompt to follow so that they do not have to rely on memory.
- Say exactly what you mean rather than leaving them to interpret any complex language.
- Avoid using sarcasm and metaphors because these styles can be difficult to understand and can make communication unclear.
- Check back to see what has been understood. Ask them to re-tell the information in their own words. If they have misinterpreted any abstract language, explain what it means in context.
- Make sure they are ready to listen when important information is shared.
- Encourage them to say when they have not understood and ask for help if needed.
- Don’t rely on them asking for help, check in after you have given instructions to make sure they can start the work.
- Explain difficult or unfamiliar words.
- Give them time to process information and to respond.
- Find opportunities for them to demonstrate strengths, interests, and skills.
- Forewarn them of any changes to the daily or weekly routine so that they don’t come as a surprise.
- Provide them with the opportunity to take a ‘brain break’ or movement break if needed.
Person-Centred Support for young people
It is helpful for young people to know and share what is important to them and how they like to be supported. This encourages self-advocacy and supports transitions through school, into college and into employment.
A useful tool for sharing what is important and what helps a young person is a One Page Profile (OPP). This is something you can do at home or in school/college. The young person has ownership of their OPP and can share the information with those supporting them to ensure that they understand what is important to them and what helps.
For more information, visit the pages below:
- Person-Centred Thinking Tools – Helen Sanderson Associates
- Getting started with a one-page profile – Helen Sanderson Associates
- Young Person’s Identity Card – Afasic
Additional information about teenage communication
For more information about young people’s speech, language, and communication skills, visit the below web pages:
- Ages and stages 11–17-year-olds
- Universally Speaking 11-18 – free booklet available from Speech and Language UK
- My child is growing up but we still need support – Afasic
- What To Look Out For in Older Children and Teenagers – Afasic
Life after school or college
- Preparing for work (Afasic Factsheet)
- Life skills (Afasic Factsheet)
Useful links:
- Explaining DLD to your child (Afasic Factsheet)
- I CAN talk series – 10 PDF documents
- Young people – wellbeing support
- Navigating Life as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Teen – Young Minds
- Educational Support for Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- Autism Together – Services for adults with autism and their loved ones
