A high proportion of children and young people with mental health problems also have speech and language challenges. Jane Harris, Speech and Language UK Chief Executive, tells us about the impact and the systemic changes that could make a huge difference
For at least 1.9 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feels like an impossible hurdle. At Speech and Language UK, we work to give every child the skills they need to face the future with confidence. We design innovative tools and training for thousands of nursery assistants and teachers to use in their classrooms. We give families the confidence and skills to help their children, and we run two special schools. We also put pressure on politicians to prioritise help for speech and language challenges.
We know that children and young people who are struggling with talking and understanding words, especially when their needs are unrecognised and unmet, are far more likely to face difficulties with their mental health. As many as 81% of children with emotional or behavioural disorders have significant speech and language challenges, often unidentified. We also know that 45% of young people referred to mental health services have difficulties with language skills.
A child or young person with speech and language challenges may face anxiety and frustration caused by not understanding what other people are saying, or by not being understood themselves, or both. They also may have difficulty thinking things through and working out the consequences and implications of their actions. All too often, their needs are not recognised or understood, and these young people are punished for not listening or not completing their work. This further impacts their learning and their self-esteem. One study found that two-thirds of pupils at risk of permanent exclusion from a secondary school had language difficulties. These young people are also likely to face social isolation from their fellow students as a result of their difficulty communicating.
The mental health support offered in many cases doesn’t help
Traditional talking therapies are often not appropriate for children with speech and language challenges because they don’t have the skills to be able to access them. The lack of mental health provision in the UK means that children and young people can often be waiting far too long for access to essential services. This means that many children and young people are left on a waiting list for months or years, only to be told that the only support available is something they can’t access because of their challenges. That is the reality for too many children with speech and language challenges. A lot of what is available in mental health services is fundamentally unsuited to their needs.
Families of children and young people with speech and language challenges are in the difficult position of trying to access support for their child in a system that is increasingly difficult to navigate. In many cases, a young person is disciplined or excluded from school because of their behaviour when the root cause is difficulty with speech and language. Good advice for all families who are concerned about their child’s learning, mental health, or behaviour is to consider whether there could be an underlying difficulty with speech and language development. Does their child talk and understand words at a level similar to their peers? Our Progress Checker and Ages and Stages pages can give families an indication of what to expect.
A lot more needs to be done to help the 1.9 million children currently struggling with talking and understanding words. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS) needs to be better equipped to help children struggling with talking and understanding words. Given the high proportion of children with mental health problems who also have speech and language challenges, mental health staff should be trained on how to recognise and help these children and young people.
The best way of doing this would be to work with those with lived experience and find out what works best for them. There also needs to be research into what mental health approaches work to help children with speech and language challenges.
But there are broader, systemic changes that would make a huge difference. All teachers and early years practitioners should receive training on how to help a child develop their talking and understanding of words. This will also help them to identify a child who is struggling. They should also know where to refer them for further support and possible diagnosis if necessary. Teachers and schools need to know what is available to help children with speech and language challenges. We need guidance about what evidence-based tools and interventions work best and which might be most appropriate for each school or classroom. If a child’s need is identified and the proper support is given, that will hopefully reduce the number of children needing mental health services as well.
