Social Communication

Provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions expected to be made by settings according to the ages and stages of the CYP

Universal

• Be aware that some CYP may have difficulty interpreting social cues such as gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice or praise, and respond in a calm, attuned and respectful way that supports understanding and emotional comfort.
• Use modelling and developmentally appropriate play-based approaches (e.g. turn-taking games or curiosity-led approaches) to build engagement, connection, and early interaction skills.
• Explicitly teach and model social communication skills, including how to ask for help, take turns, share and engage in reciprocal interactions, using structured activities (e.g. role play, small group work, social stories, Comic Strip Conversations.)
• Support CYP to understand others' perspectives (e.g. thoughts, feelings, intentions) through modelling and discussion.
• Provide prompts or sentence stems to support social communication (e.g. "Can I join in?", "What do you think?").
• Teach and model strategies for repairing communication breakdowns (e.g. asking for clarification, repeating or rephrasing).
• Support the development of turn-taking and shared social interaction through structured interventions, including small group activities and explicit adult modelling using simple, developmentally appropriate activities.
• Offer individualised reinforcement and acknowledgement of positive social behaviours in a way that is comfortable and motivating for the CYP.
• Reduce social pressure by offering low-demand opportunities for interaction and allowing CYP to observe before joining in.
• Prepare CYP for social situations in advance (e.g. explaining expectations, routines or possible outcomes).
• Provide structure during unstructured or socially demanding times.
• Encourage access to positive social experiences through structured opportunities based on shared interests, supported by trusted adults who can help CYP feel safe and comfortable in social situations.
• Facilitate positive peer relationships and structured social opportunities, such as buddy systems or interest-based lunchtime clubs, to support inclusion and shared engagement.

Targeted

• Use appropriate Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) [HH1] [HH2] approaches, introduced gradually and used consistently by all adults and shared across home and educational settings to support understanding and expressive communication (e.g. Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), commonly used words as symbols on lanyards (e.g. playtime, toilet)).
• Introduce and consistently use signing or other non-verbal communication systems, starting with a small core vocabulary and building gradually, ensuring all adults and family members use the same approaches for consistency.  (please note, this could be part of a universal offer in an Early Years setting).
•  Use evidence-informed interventions such as:
  • LEGO®-Based Therapy / structured group work - for collaborative communication.
  • Intensive Interaction - to build early communication and engagement
• Use structured small group sessions with:
  • Clear roles (speaker, listener, questioner)
  • Defined activities and outcomes
• Gradually reduce adult support as confidence increases.