16 Years +
Facts and figures
45
of young people referred for mental health service have communication difficulties.
60
of young people accessing the youth justice service present with SLCN (speech, language and communication needs).
4
more likely to be unemployed for a longer period of time if you have DLD.
8
of long-term unemployed men have SLCN.
Overview
By 18 young people are able to confidently follow complex directions, can advocate for themselves when they need help, and should have a wide vocabulary which they can use to form longer complex sentences. They can maintain the topic of conversation for longer periods of time and use language creatively for social purposes. They can switch between formal and informal conversational styles with ease.
Advice
Continue to support vocabulary development by explicitly teaching the meaning of new academic words, checking the young person understands more complex vocabulary they may encounter, and by modelling interesting descriptive language during conversations.
It’s helpful to keep encouraging young people to reflect on their language or communication skills i.e. how could you have made your point more concise? Or how could you approach that situation differently next time?
Help & support
If you’re concerned about your young adult’s speech, language and communication development, or simply seeking some support, there are a number of helpful organisations you can contact.
Ones we recommend include:
The Communication Trust (a database of commonly used intervention programmes and their evidence),
Speech and Language UK (a communication charity providing information, support and their child’s progress checker tool)
AFASIC (a parent-led initiative offering objective advice).
Resources
Discover our range of free online speech and language resources offering tips you can easily apply with your child at home.
Events and Training
Advance your knowledge of speech, language and communication development and ways to support children’s skills by attending one of our events.
