At the Children’s Respite Trust, we’re committed to continually developing our knowledge and skills to give every child the best possible support. Recently, our Senior Early Years Educator, Sharron, took part in specialist training on speech and language difficulties, with a focus on developing communication for Autistic children. The course, run by All Things Inclusion and Autism, offered valuable insights into how we can further adapt and refine our practice.
This training was made possible thanks to funding from our My Voice Project, which supports staff to access specialist learning opportunities that directly benefit the children in our care.
In East Sussex, Autism is now the most common and rapidly growing primary need for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). As a SEN-specific nursery at Little Stars, we are seeing an increasing number of Autistic children joining our setting – all of whom experience communication challenges to varying degrees. This makes it vital for us to keep building on our understanding and to upskill our team so we can provide the highest standard of care.
Autistic children often face communication barriers that neurotypical children do not, such as difficulties in expressing themselves, having their needs understood, using communication aids, or processing spoken language and social cues.
Reflecting on the training, Sharron said:
“From the course I have developed a wider understanding of how activities can be tailored in specific areas to aid communication exchanges, and how we can strengthen our current methods and strategies to ensure every child has a voice or can develop a communication method which meets their individual need, so they can be heard.”
Through ongoing learning like this, and with the continued support of projects like My Voice, we are ensuring that every child in our care can develop the communication skills they need to feel understood, valued, and included.