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