Led by Conservative MP John Bercow, the final report, published onTuesday, highlights a crucial link between early intervention andidentification with children's later educational attainment.
It includes 40 recommendations, including a National Year of Speech,Language and Communication to raise awareness.
It also calls for closer working between health and education servicesorganised around the family and prioritised by level of need, and fortraining to ensure that everyone working with children has a basicunderstanding of typical communication development so that they canidentify any problems.
Children's communication charity I CAN, a member of the expert advisorypanel, described the review as 'groundbreaking'.
Chief executive Virginia Beardshaw said, 'It moves the neglected issueof speech, language and communication out of the shadows and into thespotlight. Communication is central to children's life chances, directlyunderpinning learning, attainment, friendships and well-being.'
She added, 'The majority of speech and language problems areidentifiable from the second year of life, yet many children slipthrough the net. We know there is a "golden time" from nought to fivewhere if problems with speech and language are picked up, there is amuch greater chance of solutions being found.'
The review has taken on board all of I CAN's goals from the charity'sthree-year Make Chatter Matter campaign. These include: all parents ofunder-fives receiving information on typical child communicationdevelopment; all early years, schools and play settings to becommunication friendly; and all those in the children's workforce toreceive training and information on communication development.
I CAN welcomed recognition of the importance of health and educationservices working together, as in its 23 early years centres.
The Early Talk project in Calderdale, for example, started in April 2007as a three-year partnership of health and family services, the speechand language therapy team and the early years support service.
The parent-led speech and language charity Afasic, also a member of theadvisory panel, warned that health and education services must be madeaccountable for provision so that children and young people with speech,language and communication needs could gain access to services.
Chief executive Linda Lascelles said, 'We have waited too long for realtangible change. Children, parents and families rightly expect that theywill finally be listened to.'
- Further information: See www.dcsf.gov.uk/bercowreview/index.shtml.
