Resources to help you and your child
You play a key role in helping your child learn to speak, understand language, and communicate. Every interaction supports their brain development.
The resources below offer practical ideas, information about typical development, and guidance if you have concerns.
- Kent Baby offers support from pregnancy to school age
- Kent Family Hubs webpage offers dedicated developmental support for 0 to 5-year-olds
- BBC Tiny Happy People - simple play ideas to build language
- NHS Start in Life - everyday tips to help your child learn to talk
- Speech and Language UK - help for families, including typical stages of development, signs to look out for, and practical advice.
For specific speech and communication needs, visit one of the following for support about:
- a range of different speech, language, and communication needs from The Pod from Kent Community Health Foundation Trust
- Autism and communicationfrom our SEND Information Hub autism webpage
- Developmental Language Disorder from Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder website
- Makaton training and guidance from More Than Words Charity and Makaton
- Selective mutism from SMiRA
- Stammering speech help for parents from a dedicated parent webpage from STAMMA
- Speech and language development from Speech and Language UK and Afasic
Or, visit our Local Offer Directory for local and national speech, language, and communication needs support.