Checklist Use this if there is a child in your care you think may have speech, language and communication

speech, language and communication needs. Read each statement and then tick the ‘R’ (red) column
if the child strongly matches the statement, ‘A’ (amber) column if they occasionally match the statement and ‘G’ (green) if they do not match the statement.

Talking difficulties – what you might see and hear R A G Listening difficulties – what you might see and hear R A G Difficulties taking part – what you might see and hear R A G

1. Do they have a limited vocabulary? Do they... 1. Do they find it difficult to listen or 1. Do they find it hard to understand the
a. Use less words than other children their age understand? Do they... rules of conversation? Do they...
b. Over-use general words – ‘thingy’, ‘that’, ‘put’, ‘get’ a. Fidget or not engage with tasks a. Avoid eye contact or stare at people when
c. Use the wrong words for things - ‘shark’ instead of ‘whale’, or b. Struggle to follow long or complex talking
made up words like ‘cuttergrasser’ sentences b. Struggle to take turns, interrupt too much,
d. Use lots of fillers or hesitates a lot – ‘um’, ‘er’, ‘y’know... like’ c. Watch other children so they can take over conversations or struggle to get
work out what to do or are they last to involved
2. What are their sentences like? Do they...
follow instructions c. Misunderstand feelings and facial
a. Miss out the small words in sentences that carry less
d. Concentrate on non-verbal tasks for expressions of others
meaning – ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘is/was’, ‘and’
much longer than verbal ones
b. Miss off the endings of words – ‘ing’, ‘ed’, ‘s’ 2. Do they struggle to talk and listen with
2. Can they understand questions? other children? Do they...
c. Sound muddled or disorganised when talking in longer sentences
Do they... a. Have difficulties joining in with group
d. Recount events in a way that makes them difficult to follow
a. Answer with an irrelevant comment conversations, games and activities
3. Is their speech unclear? Do they... b. Fail to notice what others are doing or fail to
b. Repeat part of the question
a. Miss out sounds from words, miss ends off words or never use pick up clues about how they are feeling
c. Answer a slightly different related question
some speech sounds c. Take over, get things wrong, or disrupt
d. Not respond
b. Substitute one sound for another – ‘a tup of toffee’ (a cup of games
coffee), ‘lellow’ (yellow) 3. Does new or less visited vocabulary take d. Have situations when other children do not
a long time to stick? want to play or partner with them
4. Do they have a stammer or stutter? Do they...
a. Lengthen or repeat some sounds or words, or get stuck because 4. Do they struggle to distinguish the 3. Do they take things literally? Do they...
no sound comes out difference between speech sounds?
a. Struggle to understand jokes, idioms,
Do they...
b. Try to hide their difficulties by avoiding speaking in certain sarcasm or metaphors
situations, or change what they were going to say mid sentence a. Struggle to break up words in order to
read or spell On completing the checklist, if you’re still concerned about the child, refer
to avoid a word they find difficult
back to the Universally Speaking booklet to check what they should be
b. Strugggle to count out syllables in words
5. Do they have literacy difficulties? Do they... doing and talk to their parents about your concerns. Mainly red and amber
c. Struggle to match sounds and letters statements are a cause for concern. If mainly amber and green, you might
a. Struggle to recognise initial sounds or sound out words want to monitor their progress and revisit the checklist at a later date.
b. Struggle with organising text in written work, with words missed 5. Do they have literacy difficulties? If more formal assessment is required, a full range of assessments can
off, poor grammar or poor written texts Do they... be found on Pearson Assessment’s website www.psychcorp.co.uk
a. Have difficultiy comprehending text Visit www.talkingpoint.org.uk for more information or use the more
6. Do they have behaviour difficulties? Do they...
and making inferences detailed checklist in the publication Don’t Get Me Wrong available at
a. Have low self-esteem, seem withdrawn, do not initiate speaking www.hello.org.uk/resources
in class, or become frustrated 6. Do they have behaviour difficulties?
Do they...
7. Do they have social interaction difficulties? Do...
a. Show withdrawn or disruptive behaviour
a. Other children find it difficult to understand them or possibly
tease them about their speech 7. Do they have social interaction
difficulties? Do they...
a. Have difficulties making friends or
joining in with group activities
www.hello.org.uk