SLCN in Older Children and Teenagers

Many people assume that Speech Therapy occurs in the early years or much later in life. But, did you know many Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) are lifelong and are still present in older children and teenagers? 

Older children and teenagers may still struggle with many aspects of communication. Besides, some aspects of SLCN may only present with the expectation to use more adult-like language comes into play! 

So, what does SLCN look like in older children and how can you support these individuals?

 

How common is SLCN in teens?

Around 10% of children have life-long or long-term SLCN, meaning that these conditions continue to impact them as a teenager. These can be a wide range of needs, which we will explore shortly.

In areas of deprivation, children have a much higher risk of SLCN, including poor language use or delayed language, such as limited vocabulary. 

(Naturally, this is one of the many reasons Chatterbug is keen to provide accessible support, regardless of background!)

Additionally, children with more subtle SLCN (such as low-profile Selective Mutism or Social Communication needs) may completely slip through the net and go undiagnosed until secondary school.

 

What conditions affect teens with SLCN?

For the most part, any SLCN can affect older children and teenagers! However, some are more common. These might include:

Social Communication Skills

You may also have heard this referred to as ‘pragmatic’ language skills. This impacts how well we communicate with others, making a conversation a two-way street! Things like maintaining eye contact, body language, turn-taking and staying on topic. It might even extend to the use of figurative or non-literal language, and not understanding this.

Stammering

Dysfluency disorders, like stammering and stuttering, are life-long conditions. In this instance, you want to improve the speaker’s confidence rather than trying to find a ‘cure’. 

Selective Mutism

As mentioned earlier, those with low-profile Selective Mutism may slip through the net until later in life! This SLCN can be very present in older children and teenagers. Low-profile SM tends to mean the individual can respond minimally, with yes/no or non-verbal communication or speak when it is absolutely necessary. That’s why they slip through the net until adult-like language, where better pragmatic language use is expected, is needed from the young person.

Expressive Language

Most individualscano communicate their wants, needs, thoughts and feelings through their language use. Those with expressive language disorders will struggle to get their message across to others.

Receptive Language

On the other hand, receptive language disorders impact the individual’s ability to understand words that they hear or read.

Information and Auditory Processing Disorders

The individual may struggle to process spoken language due to their working memory or speed of processing abilities. This comes into play especially when new information (such as new concepts or vocabulary)

Articulation (Speech Sound) Disorders

These are typically resolved in early years intervention, but some of the trickier sound errors might continue on until their teen years. Of course, this is more likely to occur if the teenager or young person did not receive early intervention.

Limited Vocabulary

Restricted vocabulary is more typical in young people and teenagers that come from social disadvantage. At this age, they may be aware of the social implications that come with having a limited vocabulary.

 

Why are communication skills so important for teens?

The impact speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) can have on a teenager can be extremely damaging. Additionally, many secondary schools have restricted services and support for SLCN.

Without speech, language and communication skills, teens may fall behind and create a gap between themselves and their peers.

This gap comes in many forms. Such as: social relationships, social, emotional and mental health (SEMH), academic success, criminality rates, and unemployment/no further education.

When it comes to exams and further education, only 20.3% of SLCN students are achieving grade 4/C or above in English and Maths at GCSE, compared with 63.9% of all pupils. So, you can clearly see the impact!

 

Do teens really need speech and language therapy?

The short answer? Absolutely!

As mentioned, the impact of SLCN on teens can be extremely detrimental and isolating. The support that can be offered by our speech and language therapists is essential to a teen’s personal and academic development.

Our speech and language therapists will even work closely with your SENCO, teachers and teaching assistants to help build more accessible classrooms. This support also aids the intervention in being more successful and consistent.

Intervention can come at a variety of different levels:

Universal: the strategies that can be used to provide intervention at a whole-class level, that can even be beneficial to every student!

Targeted: the strategies that are used to target a specific student or specific speech, language and communication need. This level might require specific training and activities to best support the student.

Specialist: the intervention our therapists will provide for your students. This includes our assessment and therapy and supporting the parents and teachers in understanding the caseload.

Therapy is extremely individualised and will look different for every student. That’s why we create tailored plans for each student.

 

How can schools get funding for speech and language therapy?

There are a variety of funding options available for secondary schools. This comes on 3 different levels.

Element 1 Funding

The first level of funding that schools can receive is age-weighted pupil funding (AWPU). This is around £5000 per student and is typically referred to as the ‘bums on seats’ funding. However, only some of this can go onto SEND provisions and services!

Element 2 Funding

The second level of funding is the Notional SEN Budget. This is for any child with an EHCP and, depending on their needs, can receive up to £6000. 

Element 3 Funding

This final level of funding is for high needs and comes from Local Authorities. This is a much higher level of funding but differs for different child needs.

There is also additional funding available in Leeds, Funding For Inclusion (FFI). This is specifically used to financially support schools that need additional support for Special Education Needs.  

Working with Chatterbug will allow us to help you identify the teenagers and young people in your school with SLCN. Models like our Intervention First service allow us to screen as many students as possible to refer to SLT and receive an EHCP. This service ensures that all students on an EHCP receive the funding and intervention they need to bridge the gap between them and their peers.

 

How can Chatterbug help solve this problem?

At Chatterbug, it is our mission to improve awareness of SLCN and accessibility to Speech and Language Therapy services. (By the way, we mean regardless of class, age, ethnicity – you name it!)

That’s why we are launching our Secondary School Offer. We want to provide you with a cost-effective solution that gives every teenager and young person equal opportunities.

Our team will provide you with more information about the service Just contact them on

Phone: 0113 240 8510               Email: [email protected]

Additionally, get regular updates on all our upcoming services, best tips to support SLCN and offers on our training.

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