SPEECH & LANGUAGE SCHOOL & NURSERY
OUTREACH PROGRAMME
For most children with Down syndrome, speech & language development is the area in which they face the biggest challenges. It is also the area which can be hardest to get specialist support.
We know that schools and nurseries are eager to ensure that they are doing everything they can to support our members but it can be difficult to know which programme and specialist interventions are most suited to an individual pupil.
We are delighted to be working with specialist Speech & Language Therapist, Amanda Griffiths, to deliver support to schools & nurseries. Our programme provides support and tailored advice to schools to ensure that teachers feel equipped to support the development of our members in an inclusive environment.
Parents/ carers can register their child for our Speech & Language Programme and we then work with the school to provide support on an ongoing basis through a combination of information sessions, individual observations and advice.
Please complete the form below to request support from the Outreach Programme.
Meet our Consultant Speech & Language Therapist, Amanda Griffiths
We are delighted to have teamed up with Amanda Griffiths to develop and deliver our Speech & Language Programme for schools and nurseries.
Amanda is an experienced speech and language therapist with over 25 years of working with children & young people who have speech, language and communication needs. Amanda is also a mum to four boys, including Ben, 22, who has Down syndrome.
Amanda works across the South West, supporting children, families and schools. She sits on the Education Advisory Committee for Speech and Language UK, the UK's largest charity supporting children with communication needs. Currently, Amanda is also pursuing a research doctorate at UCL's Institute of Education, exploring how to help teachers better understand and support children’s speech, language and communication.
OUTREACH PROGRAMME: Registration
Parents/ carers can easily sign up their child's school/nursery using the form below.
Following registration we will make contact with the school/nursery to arrange a 'Step 1: Introductory Understanding of Down Syndrome Meeting'. Amanda will arrange a telephone call with the parent/carer to obtain more information about the child.
Schools/ nurseries can contact us directly to arrange an 'Introductory Understanding of Down Syndrome Meeting' but we require parent/carer consent using the form below before an observation can be arranged.
OUTREACH PROGRAMME:
Introductory Understanding of Down Syndrome Meeting
Informal face to face 1 hr chat for teachers, support staff (and anyone else who wants to join) with Amanda Griffiths, Speech & Language Therapist specialising in inclusive education, and a representative from Downright Perfect.
The session is an opportunity for staff to ask questions and raise any concerns they have. Sessions are adapted to suit the prior knowledge of the attendees and the topics raised by staff at the time but we ordinarily cover: key communication & learning characteristics, practical strategies, adapting the learning environment & teaching approaches to promote participation & independence and signposting to other sources of advice.
Cost: FREE (provided on a pro-bono basis by Amanda Griffiths, SALT)
OUTREACH PROGRAMME:
Individual Child Observation
Following the introductory session and Amanda's telephone call with the child's parent/carer, Amanda will arrange to carry out a 1 hour individual observation of the child in school/ nursery. The aim of the observation is to provide tailored advice on supporting the individual pupil with their speech, language and reading including recommendations on adapting existing approaches and advice on any suitable specialist interventions.
During the observation Amanda will provide verbal advice on possible strategies and answer any questions. This will be followed with a brief written summary report sent to both parents/carers and the school.
Cost: FREE (funded by Downright Perfect)
