Menu

Quick Checker – Communication and Interaction

Spotting possible issues and understanding what might make talking and connecting with others harder.

Part of
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool: Step by step

Click "navigate this page" to see the page contents, as well as a full list of the Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool step by step pages.

Navigate this page
Back to Somerset’s SEND Local Offer

Page contents

Use the links below to navigate directly to sections of this page.

Part of
Somerset’s Graduated Response Tool: Step by step

The purpose of this pathway is to ensure every child and young person in a Somerset school receives the support they are entitled to

1Statutory Special Educational Needs (SEN) information

  1. Statutory Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) information

    2Understanding the Graduated Response

    1. What is the Graduated Response?
    2. The Assess, Plan, Do, Review Cycle
    3. Screening and Assessment Tools as part of the APDR process
    4. Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC plans)

      3Funding

      1. Funding
      2. Available funding for Special Educational Needs (SEN)

        4Expectations for Teachers, Governors, SENCOs and Headteachers

        1. What different people in schools should do
        2. School Governors’ responsibilities
        3. Headteachers’ responsibilities
        4. Teachers’ responsibilities
        5. SENCos’ responsibilities

          5Expectations for Whole School Inclusion

          1. Expectations for Whole School Inclusion

            6Quick checkers

            1. Quick Checker – Cognition and Learning
            2. Quick Checker – Communication and Interaction
            3. Quick Checker – Sensory and Physical
            4. Quick Checker – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

              7Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

              Information about the four areas of need set out in the Code of Practice

              1. Inclusion for each Broad Area of Need

                8Cognition and Learning

                1. Universal – Cognition and Learning
                2. SEN support – Cognition and Learning
                3. How can I find out more? – Cognition and Learning

                  9Communication and Interaction

                  1. Universal – Communication and Interaction
                  2. SEN Support – Communication and Interaction
                  3. How can I find out more? – Communication and Interaction

                    10Sensory and Physical

                    1. Universal – Sensory and Physical
                    2. SEN Support – Sensory and Physical
                    3. How can I find out more? – Sensory and Physical

                      11Social, Emotional and Mental Health

                      1. Universal – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
                      2. SEN support – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)
                      3. How can I find out more? – Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

                        12Graduated Response Tool – Complex Medical Needs

                        1. Graduated Response Tool – Complex Medical Needs

                          13Supporting tools, documents and signposting

                          1. Supporting tools, documents and signposting

                            Introduction

                            The Quick Checker can be used to support conversations between class teachers and parent carers at the initial concern stage. The Quick Checker is not a diagnostic tool but it is designed to identify barriers within the Communication and Interaction area of need.

                            Quick Checker for Communication and Interaction - Expressive language

                            For the statements below, consider if there are concerns for the child or young person’s:

                            • expressive language – their ability to use language to communicate with others, for example, finding the words they need or putting them in a cohesive sentence
                            • difficulty with speech sound or articulation skills
                            • difficulty using speech sounds accurately
                            • ability to use and express their ideas with clearly voiced and fluent speech, for example, stammering

                            Quick Checker for Communication and Interaction - Receptive language

                            For the statements below, consider if there are concerns for the child or young person’s:

                            • ability to understand and process language including auditory memory and vocabulary, for example, remembering the length of a sentence
                            • ability to understand a sentence as a whole, for example, may cue into certain words
                            • attention and/or listening skills – their ability to engage successfully with language
                            • difficulty with sequencing words or events to tell a story

                            Quick Checker for Communication and Interaction - Social and non-verbal communication

                            For the statements below, consider if there are concerns for the child or young person’s:

                            • social communication, difficulty with social understanding and interaction, for example, building and maintaining friendships
                            • the rigidity of thought, for example, the ability to manage changes in routine, literal understanding and use of language
                            • difficulties with non-verbal communication such as eye contact, interpreting facial expressions, non-verbal cues and prompts, body language
                            • poor awareness of the needs of the listener and what’s appropriate, for example, not giving context, detail, speed of speech, tone of voice
                            • poor conversation skills, not taking turns, taking on board other’s ideas, following another’s topic of conversation, using a monologue, dominating the conversation

                            Quick Checkers to download

                            Last updated: October 24, 2025

                            Next review due: April 24, 2026

                            Back to top