Our approach to speech and language therapy in schools
Specialist speech and language therapy sits at the heart of everything we do. But effective support has to reach beyond the therapy session – into classrooms, relationships and everyday school life.
We work with the child, the staff supporting them and the environment around them to remove barriers to communication and learning.
Schools deserved a different approach
Before founding Interactions, Anna worked within the NHS, with a particular focus on improving speech and language therapy services for schools.
She saw children removed from lessons for an intervention, only to return to a classroom in which nothing had changed. Teachers did not always receive the guidance they needed to reinforce new skills, and therapy could become disconnected from a child’s wider learning and school experience.
Anna created Interactions because she knew schools deserved a more collaborative approach: expert speech and language therapy delivered by people who understand education and work alongside school staff.
We don’t just work with children.
We work with the environment around them.
Speech and language therapy that works in real classrooms
A child may make progress in a quiet therapy room. The real test is whether that progress helps them understand a lesson, join a conversation, ask for help or participate more confidently in school life.
That is why we look beyond individual therapy sessions.
Our role is to help staff understand what will help and make recommended approaches realistic to use – not to add to an already busy workload.
We understand the school
We consider the curriculum, classroom demands and pressures facing the staff supporting the child each day.
We work collaboratively
We listen to SENCOs, teachers and support staff, explain our findings clearly and develop strategies that are realistic for the setting.
We focus on lasting progress
We help staff embed effective approaches throughout the school day, giving children more opportunities to develop and generalise their communication skills.
Supporting communication, learning and independence
Although every child and school is different, five principles guide how we connect speech and language therapy with classroom learning and everyday communication.
Differentiation
- Differentiating learning objectives, classroom language and resources
- Using visual support to increase understanding
- Linking communication targets with curriculum content
- Developing class-based approaches alongside existing teaching
Generalisation
- Embedding recommended strategies within the classroom
- Linking individual, group and class-based work
- Giving staff practical ways to reinforce new skills
- Creating opportunities to practise communication throughout the day
Environment-based approaches
- Developing communication-friendly classroom strategies
- Adapting adult language and interaction
- Introducing appropriate visual support
- Building on approaches already working well
- Increasing meaningful opportunities for communication
Links to literacy
- Linking therapy targets with reading and writing
- Developing vocabulary for curriculum learning
- Using structured visual systems to support sentences and written work
- Identifying language difficulties that may be affecting literacy
Promoting independence
- Recognising when they have not understood
- Asking for clarification or help
- Identifying strategies that work for them
- Communicating their needs to other people
- Taking a more active role in their own support
Honest professional advice is part of our responsibility to every child and school.
Speech, language and communication needs do not exist in isolation
A child may also be experiencing needs associated with autism, trauma, anxiety, sensory regulation, literacy, executive function, behaviour or emotional wellbeing.
Our expertise in speech and language therapy remains the lens through which we begin. But we consider the wider factors affecting the child’s communication, learning and experience of school.
By bringing together specialist assessment, observation and the knowledge of the adults around the child, we can help schools understand what may be contributing to the difficulties they are seeing – particularly when needs are complex or previous support has not produced the hoped-for progress.
The values behind every Interactions partnership
Our values are not separate from the work. They shape the decisions we make, the advice we give and the way we build relationships with schools.
Together, these values give schools confidence that everyday communication needs and more complex situations will be approached with care, honesty and sound professional judgement.
Integrity
We give honest professional advice and do what we believe is right for the child and school.
Collaboration
We bring together our specialist expertise and the knowledge of the people who work with the child every day.
Generosity
We share knowledge, ideas and resources to help schools feel informed, capable and supported.
Evidence
Our recommendations are grounded in professional expertise, current research and evidence-based practice.
Continuous learning
We invest in our team, learn from one another and continually develop the support we provide.
Professional judgement – not intervention for its own sake
Withdrawing a child from the classroom is not a neutral decision. If we recommend direct speech and language therapy, there must be a clear professional and evidence-based reason for it.
Direct individual or group intervention will be appropriate for some children. In other situations, staff coaching, classroom adaptations or changes to the communication environment may be more effective.
We will always give schools honest advice about what we believe will help – and what will not. That means using therapist time thoughtfully, adapting as priorities develop and measuring value through the quality and impact of the work rather than the number of appointments completed.
Frequently asked questions about our approach to speech and language therapy in schools
Although every child and school is different, five principles guide how we connect speech and language therapy with classroom learning and everyday communication.
What is a whole-school approach to speech and language therapy?
A whole-school approach connects specialist speech and language therapy with the child’s classroom, curriculum, relationships and wider experience of school.
Rather than focusing only on individual therapy sessions, the speech and language therapist works collaboratively with school staff to develop practical strategies, build knowledge and create an environment that supports communication throughout the school day.
How does speech and language therapy support learning in the classroom?
Speech and language therapy can help remove communication barriers that make it harder for a child to understand instructions, learn new vocabulary, participate in lessons, develop literacy skills or ask for help.
Support may include direct therapy, classroom observations, visual resources, adaptations to adult language and practical strategies that make teaching and learning more accessible.
How can schools embed speech and language therapy strategies in the classroom?
Schools can embed speech and language therapy strategies by making them part of everyday teaching, classroom routines and interactions.
Our therapists work alongside teachers and support staff to model recommended approaches, explain why they help and adapt them to the realities of the setting. We shape them to fit existing routines and responsibilities so staff can use them consistently throughout the school day.
Does every child with SLCN need one-to-one speech and language therapy?
No. One-to-one or group speech and language therapy may be appropriate for some children, but it is only one part of effective support.
For other children, support may be more effective when it involves classroom observation, changes to the communication environment, staff coaching or practical strategies used throughout the school day. Our therapists use assessment and professional judgement to decide which combination is most likely to help.
How can speech, language and communication needs affect learning, behaviour and wellbeing?
Speech, Language and Communication Needs can affect a child’s ability to understand lessons, express themselves, develop relationships, manage emotions and participate confidently in school life.
Communication difficulties may sometimes appear as confusion, anxiety, frustration, withdrawal or behaviour that is difficult for adults to understand. Looking at the whole child helps schools identify what may be contributing to the difficulties they are seeing.
What does evidence-based speech and language therapy in schools mean?
Evidence-based speech and language therapy is rooted in current research, specialist knowledge and experienced professional judgement.
Our therapists continually develop their skills through training, supervision and continuing professional development. We use that learning to recommend approaches that respond to the individual child, make sense within their school environment and have a clear rationale behind them.
We review support as children’s needs and school priorities develop, so therapist time and resources continue to be used purposefully.
Talk to us about your school
You may be questioning whether more intervention is really the answer, or looking for a service that works more closely with staff and the wider school environment.
Talk to us about the challenges you are seeing. We’ll help you consider a thoughtful, evidence-based way forward for your school.