Listening to children and young people with speech, language and communication needs

In 1989 the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child was published. Two articles in this convention challenged adults to listen to the views of children and young people. Article 12: Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child (UNICEF, 1989, p. 4).Article 13: The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child's choice. (UNICEF, 1989, p. 4)Since 1989, the importance of listening to children and young people has received considerable attention in the literature, but little has been written about the particular challenges of listening to those with speech, language and communication needs. This book profiles the voice of the children and young people with speech, language and communication needs. Throughout the book, many examples of children's opinions and thoughts are included, delivered via a range of frontiers, including art, photographs, and quotes.Fifty people have contributed chapters to this book providing insights from speech and language therapists, social workers, psychologists, teachers, researchers, advocates, parents, and young people with speech, language and communication needs. Part I provides views about the importance of listening to children written by advocates for children with speech, language and communication needs.Part II unpacks the complexities and issues, providing theoretical perspectives about the listening process.Part III contains real life examples of listening to children and young people through structured reports of research and clinical projects. One of the aims of this part is to document a range of creative techniques and solutions for listening to children and young people. Additionally, Part III includes key messages from children and young people with speech, language and communication needs about their lives, and their insights into how services can be improved to better accommodate their needs.It is our hope that book will provide direction for health, education, and social care services to enhance the lives of children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.