Communication and interaction resources

Resources to support children and young people who have difficulties with speech, language and communication. This can also include those who have difficulties interacting with others.

Communication and interaction: activities and resources for children and young people

Name	Description
The Curly Hair Project	These are online webinars. Topics include autism and emotions, managing anxiety. Some are for children and young people themselves not just parents. You need an adult to give permission to use them. They are also paid for, not free (prices start at around £5).
Ambitious about Autism: Resources and downloads	Lots of resources including a sheet of ideas to help manage feelings of anxiety.
SymbolWorld	SymbolWorld is a website created for symbol users. It has material for all ages and includes news, personal contributions, stories and learning materials, all supported with Widgit Literacy Symbols.
Pinterest Lego building challenges	There are lots of ideas for Lego challenges here. If you don't have Pinterest yet, ask an adult to help you.

Communication and interaction: activities and resources for parents and carers

Resources for supporting use and understanding of spoken language, speech sound development

Name	Description
HM Government: Hungry Little Minds	The Department for Education launched this campaign to encourage parents and carers to engage in stimulating activities in the early stages to boost their children's communication, language and literacy skills. The focus is on children aged 0- 5 years.
Speechlink Parent Portal	The Parent Portal is a new parent support site for children with speech and language difficulties. There are speech activities to help children to hear the difference between speech sounds (sound discrimination) and to identify sounds at the beginning and ends of words (phonics). These skills are important for both talking and reading. The language activities will help develop children's ability to follow instructions, understand talking and learn new words more easily.
Afasic	Support and advice for parents and carers of children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
RADLD: Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder	A website created to raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
Children's Speech Therapy NI	Ideas for developing the communication skills of children under the headings of play, interaction, understanding and listening.
BBC Tiny Happy People	This is a BBC site which gives simple activities and play ideas to develop your child's communication skills, along with information about early development.

Resources for support with stammering

Name	Description
The British Stammering Association	Offer support and information for those that stammer and those in contact with them. Focuses on connecting people, to support, signposting and providing information about stammering and advocating for and representing those who stammer.
MPC: Michael Palin Centre for Stammering	The centre helps children, young people and adults who stammer from all over the world. It offers specialist therapy for stammering in children and adults, supported by Whittington Health NHS Trust, Action for Stammering Children and the Stuttering Foundation.

Resources for supporting social understanding and making and keeping friends

Name	Description
National Autistic Society	This page has lots of links to other services and resources: Mental health ideas, information about Coronavirus, exercise ideas, ideas for families and activities.
The Curly Hair Project	Online webinars for children and parents. Topics include managing anxiety, meltdowns and shutdowns, emotions and autism. This training is not free. It costs from around £5 per session.
Social Story: Don't Worry Little Bear	These stories can help give more information on Coronavirus and reassure children and young people.
National Autistic Society social stories and comic strip conversations	Social stories can be used to help explain new situations or to help learn a social rule. Comic strip conversations help children to look back at something that happened and why. This page has more information about them and ways to write your own.
Social Thinking: Free online books and think sheets and Social Thinking: ideas to develop focus and 'whole body listening' at home	This site helps to teach social thinking: thinking about yourself and thinking about others. There are some free read aloud books and sheets on the site.
Twinkl: visual timetables and resources	Ideas for visuals to use at home. There are timetable cards, cards for daily routines and 'now and next' cards for example. Some free resources, some paid.
ChatterPack working towards boards	Ideas for using structured boards when learning at home.
North East Autism Society: hand washing video	A video from the North East Autism Society for children who are reluctant to wash their hands.
Identiplay: teaching play to children with autism	Identiplay is a type of mirror play. It can help children learn how to use toys and think of stories in play. The book is by Nicky Phillips and Liz Beavan.
Autism Education Trust	Resources to support parents/carers and education staff. Also has sections for young people (The Den) and a section for younger children including siblings with a brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder (The Kids Zone). It is advised that parents/carers check the content of both of these before sharing.

Communication and interaction: resources for professionals

Resources for supporting use and understanding of spoken language, speech sound development

Name	Description
Integrated Treatment Services: speech and language therapy resources	The resources section of the website provides links to a range of therapeutic approaches, such as Colourful Semantics.
RADLD: Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder	A website created to raise awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).
HM Government: Hungry Little Minds	Department for Education launched this campaign to encourage parents and carers to engage in stimulating activities in the early stages to boost their children's communication, language and literacy skills. The focus is on children aged 0-5 years.

Resources for supporting with stammering

Name	Description
The British Stammering Association	Offer support and information for those that stammer and those in contact with them. Focuses on connecting people, to support, signposting and providing information about stammering and advocating for and representing those who stammer.
MPC: Michael Palin Centre for Stammering	The centre helps children, young people and adults who stammer from all over the world. It offers specialist therapy for stammering in children and adults, supported by Whittington Health NHS Trust, Action for Stammering Children and the Stuttering Foundation.

Resources for supporting social understanding and making and keeping friends

Name	Description
Social Thinking: methodology	Ideas for developing children's social thinking: thinking about themselves and thinking about others. Includes lots of articles and free resources.
Social Story: Don't Worry Little Bear	These stories can help give more information on Coronavirus and reassure children and young people.
National Autistic Society social stories and comic strip conversations	Information about social stories and comic strip conversations plus guidance about how to write your own
Autism Education Trust	Resources to support parents/carers and education staff. Also has sections for young people (The Den) and a section for younger children including siblings with a brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder (The Kids Zone). It is advised that parents/carers check the content of both of these before sharing.

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03000 263 333

Our address is:

Education Development Centre
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County Durham
United Kingdom
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Related information

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and our Local Offer