The Better Communication Research Programme is part of the government’s response to the Bercow Review of provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, published in July 2008. The government published its response Better Communication, the speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) action plan in December 2008, which committed to a series of initiatives to improve services for children and young people with SLCN culminating in the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication in 2011.

The research programme is based in CEDAR with Professor Geoff Lindsay as overall Project Manager. The core team also comprises Professor Julie Dockrell (Institute of Education, University of London (ULIE), Professor James Law (Newcastle University) and Professor Sue Roulstone (University of West of England, Bristol) as project co-directors. In addition the team comprises Professor Anna Vignoles (ULIE), Professor Jenni Beecham (LSE), Dr Steve Strand (CEDAR), and Professor Tony Charman (ULIE) who will provide specialist inputs to the programme. A number of researchers based at CEDAR and the partner universities are involved with specific projects over the three years of the Programme.

This is an ambitious programme which had five separate projects in Year 1. A longitudinal study has been set up to run over the period of the Programme focussing on children and young people with primary language difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders. The other four projects were designed to run for a year, to gather information that is both useful in itself and provides a basis for further work in Years 2 and 3. One study examined the effectiveness of interventions for the full range of SLCN, analysing the research literature and exploring with practitioners any new approaches under development. Two other studies explored data available from sources such as the National Pupil Database and School Census in order to explore patterns of prevalence and need, and also to identify the bases for a study of cost effectiveness. We also worked directly with parents and young people with SLCN themselves to identify their own preferred outcomes for provision made. The results for the first year of work have now been published in our 1st interim report We are now underway with our Year 2 programme.

This is a very exciting, complex research programme and the whole team are delighted to have this opportunity to undertake research that will inform policy in this important area. We had links with other researchers and stakeholders including the Communication Trust, I CAN, Afasic, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, local authorities and primary care trusts (in particular speech and language therapy services), as well as engaging with parents and young people with SLCN themselves. Further reports will be published as the work progresses.

Links to the earlier study which informed the Bercow Review are below:-

Research Report

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW053.pdf

Research Brief

http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RBW053.pdf

 The core team