The guidelines are designed to help you to identify how a child’s communication skills should typically develop between the age of 3 months to 5 years. They will also help you to identify when a child’s communication skills are not developing as expected for their age and stage and this should help you to consider whether it would be appropriate for a request for assistance to be made.
The RFA guidelines can also be used in conjunction with the communication jigsaw ‘What to Try Before Making a Request for Assistance’ to give you ideas and strategies that can be shared with families to support their child’s communication development. When referring to these guidelines, it is important to consider the child’s wellbeing and whether this is being affected by their communication development.
A Request for Assistance would be considered at any age if:
• Child is heard to have dysfluent speech (stammering) or if the parent reports hearing this
• Child has difficulty with eating or drinking in terms of chewing and swallowing
• If a child has a hoarse voice please request assistance from ENT prior to SLT involvement
Request For Assistance Guidelines
The NHS Tayside request for assistance guidelines have been adapted from NHS Lothian's guidelines found on the ‘Maternal and Early Years’ website.
- Age 3 Months Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 9 Months Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 12 Months Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 18 Months Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 2 Years Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 2.5 Years Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 3 Years Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 3.5 - 4 Years Request for Assistance Guidelines
- Age 4.5 - 5 Years Request for Assistance Guidelines
