Almost half region's kids struggle to communicate, survey reveals (From The Northern Echo)

Almost half region's kids struggle to communicate, survey reveals

9:00pm Monday 8th February 2010 in

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ALMOST half of children in the region struggle to communicate, new figures show.

A survey by children's communications charity I CAN found that 38 per cent of parents agree that it is vital for their child to be a good communicator.

However, 49 per cent of all children in the North-East still find it hard to communicate, the study found.

The survey was commissioned to coincide with the launch of I CAN's Chatterbox Challenge Month this February.

It found that the biggest area of concern for North-East parents was their child's ability to know and use a variety of words.

Problems with listening and their child's difficulties talking and interacting with other children were other major concerns.

Many parents admitted they worried they did not spend enough time communicating with their child, with three in ten saying they felt that "life got in the way" on a daily basis.

Wendy Lee, speech and language therapist and author of the Chatterbox Challenge activity pack, said: "The answer is about making the most of the time we have with our children and focusing on what makes up the basic building blocks of communication, from developing vocabulary and building sentences to interacting and making friends." Chatterbox Challenge Month aims to provide parents, schools and pre-school groups in the region with a fun and creative way of developing children's communication and confidence, while at the same time raising funds for children who struggle to communicate.