Ideas to develop your baby or child’s communication skills. Find strategies, activities and resources that will help your child develop understanding, talking or communication skills. The resources and activities might be things you choose to do yourself at home. They might also include more particular activities advised by a practitioner or activities and programmes that your child's school or setting might use. You may find more specific activities that can be advised or delivered by a speech and language therapist.
Ideas to develop your baby or child’s communication skills. Find strategies, activities and resources that will help your child develop understanding, talking or communication skills. The resources and activities might be things you choose to do yourself at home. They might also include more particular activities advised by a practitioner or activities and programmes that your child’s school or setting might use. You may find more specific activities that can be advised or delivered by a speech and language therapist.
On these pages you will find information, advice and support to help your child's communication which is listed under universal, targeted or specialist and ideas to do at home, your child's progress, services, activities you can do and general information and websites you can go to. Click on one of the universal, targeted or specialist signposts or one of the green buttons below to find out more.
On these pages you will find information, advice and support to help your child’s communication which is listed under universal, targeted or specialist and ideas to do at home, your child’s progress, services, activities you can do and general information and websites you can go to. Click on one of the universal, targeted or specialist signposts or one of the green buttons below to find out more.
Ideas to develop your baby or child’s communication skill
Last Update - 30/Aug/2024
Speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
The most fundamental life skill is the ability to communicate. Speech, language and communication needs is the term used to describe difficulties with:
The most fundamental life skill is the ability to communicate. Speech, language and communication needs is the term used to describe difficulties with:
producing speech sounds accurately
stammering
voice problems, such as hoarseness and loss of voice
understanding language (making sense of what people say)
using language (words and sentences)
interacting with others, for example, difficulties understanding and using the non-verbal rules of good communication, using language in different ways to question, clarify or describe things or taking into account other people’s perspectives.
Some difficulties are short-term but others will be more permanent and remain throughout childhood and adult life.
Everyone with SLCN is different and may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or communication at different times of their lives.
Learn more about the signs and symptoms children struggling with talking and understanding words may experience from Speech and language UK.
Last Update - 09/Sep/2024
Activities (specialist)
Children and Family Health Devon resources
Children and Family Health Devon have a number of toolkits (concentrating & listening, play, understanding words, using words and sentences, sensory processing, sounds and speech, social and emotional development, stammering) to help support you and your child.
Children and Family Health Devon have a number of toolkits (concentrating & listening, play, understanding words, using words and sentences, sensory processing, sounds and speech, social and emotional development, stammering) to help support you and your child.
Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory, recall and organisation of language and expression. Find out more about Makaton here.
Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory, recall and organisation of language and expression. Find out more about Makaton here.
We want to help every parent or carer in Torbay to find the right support at the right time. Support isn’t just for the tough times. It’s there to help make your whole parenting experience easier and more enjoyable.
We want to help every parent or carer in Torbay to find the right support at the right time. Support isn’t just for the tough times. It’s there to help make your whole parenting experience easier and more enjoyable.
Where you can get support
Torbay Family Hubs
We have 3 family hubs in Torbay but also offer services and support at home and in the community. Our hubs are –
St . Edmunds Family Hub, Victoria Park Road, Torquay,TQ1 3QH
Paignton Family Hub, The Beehive, Bishops Place, Paignton, TQ3 3DZ
Brixham Family Hub, The Barn, Brixham Enterprise Estate, Rea Barn Road, Brixham, TQ5 9DF
Our 0 to 19 Torbay Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting and School Nursing) services. 0 to 19 Torbay is a partnership of Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Action for Children and The Children’s Society.
Health visitors are registered nurses/midwives who have additional training in community public health nursing who work in partnership with community public health staff nurses who are trained nurses and community nursery nurses. They provide a professional public health service based on best evidence of what works for individuals, families, groups and communities; enhancing health and reducing inequalities for children 0 to 5 years and beyond. We can help with many areas of child development including sleep, behaviour, healthy eating, bladder and bowel issues.
Call our advice line: 0300 333 5352 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Closed on bank holidays
The maternity service at Torbay Hospital offers Midwifery Led and Consultant Led care for approximately 2,000 women and birthing people per annum. The service is provided by midwifery teams based in the community giving antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care both at home, family hubs and in the hospital.
For all urgent concerns or questions please call the maternity triage phone on 01803 656588. Special Care Baby Unit: 01803 654602
Social media, just search NHS Infant Feeding Torbay.
Infant Feeding clinic – every Wednesdays at the Beehive, Paignton and Thursday at St. Edmunds, Torquay.
Baby Feeding Group – Monday’s and Wednesday’s check out the what’s on page for dates and times.
To see our lactation consultant Health Visitors, contact the advice line to make an appointment. Tel: 0300 333 5352 (Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm) or Email: publichealthnursing.torbay@nhs.net
National Breastfeeding helpline – Breastfeeding information and support available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call 0300 100 0212 or chat via their website
Find out about our breastfeeding masterclasses by visiting our what’s on pages, just search breastfeeding masterclass.
Our Early Help Universal offer covers an umbrella of services which are available to all children and families. Our Early Help Service is available to children and their families and is made up of two types of services that combine in different ways to form Torbay’s Early Help offer.
These are universal services and targeted services.
Universal services include: Post-16 education, schools, early years settings, housing and finance advice and support, family hubs, children’s centres and youth centres, GP surgeries, libraries, maternity services, specialist public health or community nurses and community connectors.
Targeted services include: Early Help Panel, Family support, health professionals, mental health services, special education needs support services, jobcentre plus, school attendance and exclusion support, domestic abuse services, alternative provision, housing services, police, substance misuse services and targeted youth services.
Housing & Cost of living surgeries
Youth Homeless Prevention Service
Family Group Conference
Parenting Drop ins
Parenting Teens Group
Reducing Parental Conflict/EPIC partnership for whole family support
Talk to your Early Years Setting or Health Visitor at the
2 – 3 year Early Years Progress check
2 – 2.3 year Health Visiting developmental review. call the 0 to 19 Torbay advice line on 0300 333 5352 (Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm) or Email: publichealthnursing.torbay@nhs.net
Or you can talk to one of the early years team at any of our family hubs. Click here to find out about the support available in Torbay
