The 'Can Do' Communication Passport

What the communication passport is and how to use it.

A free communication passport is available. It is easily accessible online and can be downloaded and printed out. Grab it HERE

What’s it for?

The passport is designed for you, as a parent, to complete and give to anyone who looks after, or even, spends time with, your child. It could be their nursery, or school, childminder, other carer or family members. The idea is that all the information required to help your child’s language development is provided in a single document, in a clear, simple and concise way. It is really important that others who interact with your child understand their communication abilities, needs and preferences. In a nursery setting the passport can really help a new member of staff get to know your child as quickly as possible in order to connect with them and interact in a supportive way. They will immediately understand if they have to adjust the way they talk to your child and modify their expectations of them. How we interact with all children, but especially those with speech and language difficulties, is key. Consistent use of strategies that are effective in supporting their language development and communication across settings gives the child an environment that supports their language development, all of the time. That consistency can make a big difference.

)

What’s in it?

Cover: The front page of the passport has space for your child’s name and photograph so that it is very obviously distinguished as their document.

All about me: The second page, has space for their name, date of birth/age, who lives with them and their favourite things. You can write in the things they like to talk about, their favourite toy and what it is that ‘lights them up’. This gives someone a starting point for a conversation with your child. There is also space to write about what worries your child (some children they may be sensitive to noises, for others it may be new or different people, or being asked direct questions). This information will allow the person reading the passport to better understand your child’s behaviour and modify their own communication enabling them to better support your child.

The next few sections are tick box lists which allow you to indicate where your child is up to by ticking each box that applies to them:

Understanding: The first list is about comprehension. You are asked what your child’s first language is and to note down any other languages they speak or understand. There is then a tick list of statements which follow the developmental stages for comprehension. Does your child understand: pictures, gesture or signing, single words (where’s your hat?), two key word phases (get your hat and put it on your head). In this request they have to understand what to get and what to do with it. Do they only understand things that are happening now? When children are first at the level of understanding 2 words in a sentence you have to talk to them in the ‘here and now’. You can’t talk about what’s going to happen, tomorrow, or later, or yesterday. What they can see and what they hear has to be linked together for them to understand. Or maybe they do understand about what happened ‘yesterday’ or ‘in the morning’ or what’s going to happen ‘tomorrow’ and then you can tick the box that says ‘I understand when you talk about things we did yesterday’ or ‘things we are going to do’. For lots of children communicating with them is about getting their attention, so you can also tick a box that says ‘I understand when you talk slowly and get my attention first’. If you say their name, or place your hand on their arm, or get eye contact with them then they will understand. Or you may be able to tick ‘I understand 3 key word sentences’ or ‘4 key words in a sentence’. So sentences are getting longer and more complex. An example of a 3 key word sentence would be ‘get the book and put it under the table’, there are lots of choices for what to do and the child has to understand two objects and the location. They must understand the 3 elements of the sentence to get it right. It is expected that children will understand 2 key words by 2 and 3 keywords by 3, but that might not be the case for your child. People have very high expectations of children’s understanding. People often perceive that children understand everything that is said to them but, actually, understanding develops in a very particular way. They don’t understand everything for a long time and if we remember that we can adjust our language to talk more appropriately to them.

Talking: The second tick list is about expressive language. There is a list of all the ways your child could be expressing themselves which you can tick: using pictures, gestures or signs, sounds, single words, two word phrases, talking about the here and now, talking about things we did yesterday or at home, things we could do later, talking with words that are unclear, talking in full sentences or putting words together but can’t use grammar yet. So there are tick boxes covering all the different stages children may go through as they learn to talk.

How I communicate: The third tick list is about how your child communicates. Not what they are understanding, or putting together in terms of sounds and words, but instead for what purpose they communicate. Will they ask for what they want, comment on something, show you something, or ask for help? Do they use words with their friends but not adults. Do they use social niceties e.g. hello and please or thank you. What are they communicating, for what purpose? Do they ask questions like ‘what’ and ‘who’? Do they ask more complex questions about ‘when’ or ‘how’ and ‘why’? Do they communicate how they are feeling? Again you can tick the ones your child can do. Some children have lots of language but they don’t use it very well or ‘functionally’. For example, they may be able to repeat lots of phrases or tell you lots of information but they wouldn’t ask you a question, or they wouldn’t come and ask you if they needed help, or if they needed to go to the toilet. This is very important as if your child has lots of language but they aren’t using it for many reasons it is very easy to make an incorrect judgement them. It is important to understand how your child uses language in order to understand their behaviour. An example would be a child who is wetting themselves at nursery because they won’t ask to go to the toilet. Knowledge of how functional this child’s language is, would allow staff to make adjustments.

I struggle with: The next page is more open ended. It provides a series of statements with space for you to answer in ‘free text’. The statements begin : I like to play with, I need help with, I may not tell you when, I’m upset by, and, I show you that I’m worried by. Children don’t always communicate these things very clearly. They use different ways of communicating and it’s not necessarily always something that an adult will interpret intuitively. We might think ‘why are they doing that, I don’t understand, why are they asking for that, that seems odd’ but once you know the meaning for that child, things fall into place, you can interpret and make sure they have what they need, and make life a little easier for them. Give as much information as you can.

Ways you can help me: The next page has a space for you to write in ‘the main thing your child needs’. Then there is a tick list of strategies that are generally effective in helping children to communicate. Again, you can tick those which work best with your child. The strategies include: getting on my level, getting my attention before talking (this will help all children to function better), talking slowly, using gestures, using short sentences, and telling me one to one and not in a big group. Talking to children individually is often really important for children with language difficulties. Often nurseries and teachers have very high expectations of children’s listening skills and will deliver instructions to big groups and it just doesn’t work for all children. Some children do what they need to as they watch the other children but if the instruction had been delivered to them one to one then that would have helped their language development. Other strategies include: give one instruction at a time, wait and allow me to answer for up to 15 seconds (it can be hard to leave that gap but it’s amazing what comes forward if you can), give me a choice of two answers, don’t put me on the spot in a group, only talk to me about the here and now, use pictures, symbols and gestures, repeat back to me what I’ve said, and, don’t tell me I’m wrong just model what I would have said if I could.

Other things you should know: The second last page has space for ‘other things you need to know about me’. If a stranger was working with your child what else would they benefit from knowing? There is space for you to write anything you think is important.

Your observations: The final page has a space for the recipient of the passport to note down any observations they have about your child or their communication.

How do I use it?

Don’t let the passport be put away in your child’s file. It needs to be accessible and ‘there for everyone to see’. Put it in a plastic wallet and ask that it stays accessible for all. It is designed to be very easy to pick up and read quickly. Getting that across and into the ethos of the care provider can be tricky but it can work so well. ‘Oh we’ve got a folder about that little boy, have a look.’ Very quickly within 3 minutes the keyworker will now everything they need to about your child and also learn some good strategies for supporting them and other children.

The passport could be given to relatives too. It may be especially useful at times when families get together (e.g. Christmas) and your child may meet people they only see occasionally. It can be difficult to communicate your child’s needs with extended family and having a formal document can give them strength. You often don’t want to appear critical, for example by telling in-laws or aunts or uncles ‘not to ask questions all the time’. These can be difficult conversations to have and the passport can help.

Every positive interaction your child has helps them. Children can have really positive interactions even if they have really significant language difficulties. It’s about the adults around them upskilling and being competent communicators. By getting their interaction ‘right’ adults can open up a whole new world to these children. It minimises the impact of the child’s communication difficulties and they flourish. It’s about us as adults learning new strategies and practising them. It’s not always easy, but it works. Getting that connection with a child feels amazing and enabling them to interact and communicate boosts their self-esteem, and positivity, and access to the world. The communication passport supports your child to have more positive connections and interactions which in turn will allow them to live a more participatory life.

Find this useful?

If this is useful check out our Home/Setting journal. It gives you lots of opportunity and support to communicate with nursery on a day to day basis.

You can buy it HERE

Good luck x