1. How Language and Communication Needs can impact on Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

2. Objectives To help develop an understanding of the impact of Speech Language and Communication Needs on Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Primary School Children To suggest some practical ideas that could be used to help these children in the classroom.

3. “the ability to understand, manage and express the social and emotional aspects of ones’ life in ways that enable the successful management of life tasks such as learning, forming relationships, solving everyday problems and adapting to the complex demand of growth and development.” Elias et al (1972) What is Social Emotional and Behavioural Development?

4. What does typical emotional development look like by the time they get to school? From birthBabies are sociable 3mReact positively to positive emotions and vice versa 12mShow primary universal emotions; sad; angry; afraid; happy; surprised; disgusted 18mBegin to pretend. Tend to mimic primary emotions 2yrsUse words for emotions such as happy; sad; angry and frightened also crying and hurting 2-5yrsMore words emotions; surprise; excitement; boredom and loneliness 3-4Children understand that situations elicit emotions 4-5Can recognise external causes of emotions in others By school age Demonstrate a culturally appropriate range of emotional display, can hide disappointment etc.

5. Understanding/Comprehension Language processing Planning and organising Listening, attention Output Expressive skills Input Receptive skills Sounds, words, sentences, narrative Language in a social context - communication Language Processing

6. The Components of Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Speech Semantics Grammar Pragmatics

7. Prevalence Aggressive behavioural difficulties are reported in young children with SLCN (Carson et al, 1998) There is a higher incidence of behavioural and psychiatric problems in children with SLCN (approx 50 %) compared to non-impaired children (approx 12%) (Goodyer, 2000) Poor interaction and increased withdrawal leads to poor self esteem (Jerome et al, 2002) Children with SLCN are at risk of being bullied at school (Conti- Ramsden and Botting, 2004)

8. Communication breakdown exercise How did you feel giving the message to your partner? How did you feel receiving the message from your partner?

10. The impact of SLCN on socialisation and behaviour Difficulties constructing sentences to convey meaning Unable to explain things, re tell events, negotiate Reduced access to lessons, difficulties forming and sustaining friendships, getting into trouble

11. The impact of SLCN on social and emotional behaviour Behaviour ? Explanation Smiles when told off and/or laughs when someone is hurt Difficulties understanding and interpreting emotions, social rules Poor listenerComprehension difficulties Hits, bites, kicks other children in the playground/classroom Unable to communicate message effectively e.g. will you play with me? Unable to follow and join in conversations Avoids starting work, runs away or refusal to start a new task Reduced understanding of task, outside of their comprehension levels. Difficulties with transition, unable to predict what will happen next.

12. Behaviour ? Explanation Tantrums, screams, shouts, throws objects across the room Unable to communicate message effectively e.g. sentence construction, finding the words they need Reduced understanding of task, too complex? Is the task written? Does it involve reading for meaning? DefianceReduced understanding, feeling like the situation is out of their control, anxiety Irritating other childrenUnable to gain peers attention through verbal communication

13. Behaviour ? Explanation Appears aloof and avoids contributing to class discussions Difficulties putting a sentence together to convey meaning Difficulties understanding questions Difficulties using language to problem solve, predict, negotiate Often seen playing alone in the playground Difficulties using language to initiate and sustain an interaction Difficulties understanding rules of games Don’t appear to make choices, express likes and dislikes Difficulties requesting and refusing things, not enough time for processing

14. The terms SLCN and SEBD overlap and often these ‘labels’ are describing the same children

15. What can we do? We need to understand the Why?,what is the root of the problem? Prevention is better than cure Teach missing skills Develop positive interactions and raise self esteem Work in collaboration with the child’s ‘network’.

16. Strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours Practice language and skills that may help them to manage themselves How to ask for things Turn taking Language of emotions Narrative Monitoring their behaviour/how am I doing?

17. Strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours Slow down and give them time to think Keep your instructions simple or break them down into understandable chunks Give the child time to process what you have said Go to an area where they can have time out so they can deescalate behaviour in their own time Support their answers and thinking with verbal forced choice Support their answers and thinking with pictures/symbols/signs

18. What can you do? Be consistent Think about what you want to achieve/ what behaviours you want to change. Tackle one thing at a time Keep your language simple/ have a mantra Give yourself time away from the child if things are getting difficult Don’t be afraid to ask for help Be kind to yourself

19. Strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours The Classroom Visual timetables Cue/prompt cards Labelling and pictures so they know where to find things Timers for tasks Pictures and names of staff who they might come into contact with Differentiated tasks Smooth transitions

20. Strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours

22. Simplify rules: make them meaningful and visual Make rewards and consequences clear: make them visual use sign/symbol and pictures and make them achievable Reinforce good behaviour by reminding them about the things they have achieved e.g. stickers, stars, prizes, certificates Give them alternative methods for expressing themselves Give them a second chance

23. Strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours

25. What can the school do? Look at underlying reasons for behaviour Give curriculum time to teaching play and social skills Give priority and value to learning behaviour skills Share behaviour plans to keep a consistent approach Have an ethos where staff are aware of the stresses of managing challenging behaviour and can step in to help Help with monitoring, observing and recording behaviour

26. Strategies for dealing with challenging behaviours Be positive You can make a difference!