
Social communication refers to the use of verbal (spoken language) and nonverbal (eye gaze, facial expression, gestures) communication to connect with others. These skills help us express ourselves, understand others, and build meaningful relationships at home, nursery, school, college, and beyond.
Sometimes, children and young people may experience differences in their social communication and interaction style. This might mean they find it harder to understand or use body language, take turns in conversation, or cope with changes in routine and social situations. These differences are often part of being autistic.
Autism is a natural variation in how an autistic individual experiences and interacts with the world. It involves a different way of thinking, sensing, and communicating – not a deficit or something to be ‘fixed’. Because autism exists on a spectrum, every autistic person is unique, with their own strengths and challenges.
Autistic children and young people may:
Autistic children and young people, and people with differences in their social communication may show some of the following:
Recognising these social communication differences as part of autism helps provide the right support for autistic children and young people, enabling them to develop their communication skills and confidently engage with their social world.
For more information on autism and the autism referral and assessment process, please visit the Barking & Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge Children’s Autism Service website: https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/bhr-childrens-autism-service/
Our Speech and Language Therapy team supports and promotes children’s communication and language development in the Early Years (up to when a child goes to primary school). We assess, diagnose and develop packages of care, including training of the wider workforce and parents/carers to improve outcomes for children with social communication difficulties.
We currently offer the following packages of care:
We accept referrals from parents/carers, health professionals (such as Health Visitors and GP), and other professionals (such as nursery staff or portage workers). We ask that you complete an Early Years checklist so that we can identify the most appropriate care for each child.
For children who will be starting in Reception at primary school in September of any academic year, the last date an Early Years Speech and Language Therapy referral will be accepted is the preceding May half term. This will allow time for the child to be seen for their initial assessment and have a report written with targets and advice by the time they start school. This will greatly support the transition process as the school staff will receive clear recommendations on how to support the child in their new setting; this will also help ease parental anxiety during the transition phase. These referrals will be accepted in the usual way, with a completed SPA form and Early Years checklist.
If a child is not referred by May half term, they can be referred via the SENCo at school. Please note that a referral for a school-aged child requires evidence of how the school has supported the child for two academic terms with clear outcomes of the strategies and interventions which have been put in place. Children not referred by May half term will not be able to be referred to the school-aged service until the subsequent Summer term.
Download and complete the Early Years Checklist
You can visit https://progress-checker.speechandlanguage.org.uk/ to see how your baby or child is getting on with their speech, language and communication development.
The following websites provide simple activities and games that you can carry out with your child to develop their speech, language and communication skills:
You can also visit your local Family Hub, which provides a range of groups that are aimed at supporting parents/carers to develop their child’s communication skills. There are specific groups aimed at supporting communication development, including, Peep-A-Boo (for children aged 0-18 months) and Peep Play and Talk sessions (for children aged 18months-4years). Families can find out what’s on at their local Family Hub at: https://startforlife.lbbd.gov.uk/family-hubs-activities-timetable/
Our Speech and Language Therapy team offers a child centred, evidence-based approach for children and young people aged 0-16 (or 19 if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan) to their parents/carers, and professionals working with the child and young person within educational settings.
We offer assessment, training, intervention and advice to support children and young people who have difficulties with social communication and Autism Spectrum Disorder (to promote neurodiversity, we prefer to use the term “Condition”, rather than “Disorder”).
Assessment and/or intervention takes place within the child or young person’s familiar and natural environments, such as home or school.
Some useful website links for information and activities:
For more support, please look at: