Children are referred to SSLIC by their local speech and language therapist or by a speech and language therapist based at the Child Development Centre. SSLIC work with children in reception and key stage 1. The child is referred if they have:

• Severe difficulties with speech sounds.
• Severe difficulty formulating mature sentences.
• Difficulties understanding the language they hear spoken to them (DLD).

Other aspects of the child’s development will be within normal limits (in other words delays in speech and language are not associated with other conditions such as significant general difficulties with learning or autism.