Communication & Language

At The Rowan Schools we promote a ‘Total Communication Approach’ to our curriculum and daily
activities in our schools. With a deep understanding of the stages of communication our staff support the children and young people to continue to develop their individual communication skills. Using a variety of strategies and tools we promote communication in all its forms.
Some of the support tools used in our schools include:

Intensive interaction: This strategy helps to enhance early communication skills, along with
developing attention, enjoyment in interacting with other people, sharing your space with other
people and developing and understanding non-verbal communication.

Multi – sensory cues: Using a variety of objects of reference to enhance meaningful connections,
make choices and prepare for changes, along with musical signifiers to begin or end lessons and
sounds and smells of the day to provide a variety of sensory cues throughout the school day.

Visuals: Using symbol or photographic support cards, boards and choice items, children and young people begin to use a photograph and then a symbol of an item rather than the item itself (objects of reference).

Signing: At Rowan Schools we use the signalong system for signing provided by the Signalong
Communication Charity, 

The Curiosity Programme: Is designed by Gina Davis to promote interactions and
curiosity between children and young people and an adult. It begins by using Intensive Interaction at least 3 times a day to build the early non-verbal communication skills and continues onto providing interesting and curious items to explore alongside an adult. Then we continue into 1:1 fun games, such as ‘I see’ ‘hot potato’ etc. Children and young people would then move onto the

Attention Autism programme: again, a programme designed by Gina Davis and this uses highly motivating visual items to develop early communication skills including, joint attention, listening, shared attention and turn-taking. 

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): this will include high- and low-tech items such as, communication boards, PECS, Conversation books, PODD, Big mac switches and talking tiles. Along with supporting children and young people to access their personal communication devices and Apps.

NELI Preschool: To promote the acquisition of language through an intervention designed to provide
language rich stories for all children alongside small intervention groups.

NELI: An evidence-based approach providing intervention groups to support the acquisition of key
vocabulary, listening and narrative skills.

Voice 21: Promotion of Oracy skills. Oracy is the ability to articulate ideas, develop understanding
and engage with others through spoken language and listening.

 

Useful Links: (Please click on the links below for more information)

Sign A Long Link - You can sign up and access free signs every month, plus free resources.
Communication Policy