I CAN - Working with Children Centres

I CAN is the children’s communication charity. We work to foster the development of speech, language and communication skills in all children with a special focus on those who find this hard: children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

I CAN have a number of programmes and products that that support the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Children’s Centre Practice Guidance.

Early Talk is a unique, evidence-based programme designed to aid the communication development of all pre-school children through integrated therapy and educational approaches. On May 10th, Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children and Families announced that Early Talk is being rolled-out by I CAN and DfES to 200 children’s centres. Find out more about Early Talk.

I CAN knows that many staff and volunteers working with children want additional training in how best to support children’s communication skills and on how to include children with SLCN. We have also been asked by many early years workers to provide resources that can be used with parents and families to encourage good speech and language development. I CAN's resources can be ordered at www.ican.org.uk/resources.  We are grateful to BT and Openreach for supporting the development costs of these DVDs.

Communication Skills Centres

I CAN’s runs two Communication Skills Centres which provide independent assessment of children communication skills and their impact on learning. Through outreach and consultancy, they aim to support Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, Local Education Authorities and families to understand the needs of each child to ensure that they get the support they need.

The Communication Skills Centres provide independent assessments of a child’s communication skills and the impact of these on learning. Each assessment helps families, local authorities and other professionals understand the communication and learning needs of the child, ensuring they get the appropriate specialist support they need to make progress.

Assessments are carried out collaboratively by drawing upon professional expertise of the staff at I CAN specialist schools and include a speech and language therapist, teacher, educational psychologist and occupational therapist.

Assessments are available for children aged 4-19 years old and fees will be paid by purchasers including Local Authorities, Primary Care Trusts, Local Education Authorities or by families directly if they cannot access the support they need from statutory services.

To arrange an assessment or get more information contact your nearest Communications Skills Centre below:

Nottinghamshire: 01623 795361 dawnhouse@ican.org.uk

Surrey: 01932 872302 meath@ican.org.uk

Chatter Matters: Making life easier for you and better for your child

This resource, introduced by Dr Tanya Byron, encourages parents, siblings and grandparents to develop their children’s communication skills by making the most of feeding, bathing and changing times with children before they start school.

This DVD and the posters that come with it explain how parents can give children a great start in life by helping them grow into good communicators. Order copies here.

View some sample footage from Chatter Matters.

Learning to Talk, Talking to Learn

The self-study DVD resource supports all workers in the early years including child minders, playgroup co-ordinators, pre-school teachers and nursery nurses to create communication-rich environments. The resource includes tips and examples of how early years professionals can turn every activity in their setting into a communication development opportunity.

What sets this resource apart is a series of observation sequences that give practitioners the opportunity to view and note how early years workers have seized opportunities for speech and language development in their setting. Order copies here.

Register for updates!

If you would like to receive further information about resources like Chatter Matters, and to receive offers, and information about other products and services from I CAN and our partner organisations, register here.