Melanie Cross is a consultant speech and language therapist. For the past fifteen years she has worked with young people in public care at The Integrated Services Programme (ISP). She is a clinical tutor on the speech and language therapy course at City University, London, and a Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) Advisor in Mental Health (Paediatric). She has also worked as a professional advisor for the children's communication charity I CAN.

Dedication. Introduction. 1. Are Language and Emotional Development Linked? What Are Language and Communication Skills? Language Development. Emotional Development. Language, Thinking and Emotional Development Intertwined. Conclusion. 2. The Links Between Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties and Communication Problems. Are There Links Between Communication Problems and Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD)? Why Do Communication and Emotional Problems Occur Together? Conclusion. 3. Undetected Communication Problems and their Impact. How Many Children Have Communication Problems? Undetected Communication Problems in Children with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. Why Are Communication Problems Often Undetected? The Significance of Communication Problems. Conclusion and Implications. 4. Language and Social Disadvantage: Communication Difficulties in Vulnerable Children and Young People. Language and Social Disadvantage. Why is There a Link Between Language and Social Disadvantage. Vulnerable Groups with an Increased Risk of Communication Problems. Conclusion and Implications. 5. The Identification and Assessment of Communication Difficulties in Children with SEBD. What are Communication Problems and how are they Identified? Which Language Skills Should be Assessed in Children with SEBD? A Holistic Approach. Assessing the Communication Skills of Children and Young People with SEBD. Screening/Clinical Markers. Standardised Assessment. Informal Assessment. Conclusion. 6. What Can be Done to Help Young People with Communication and Social, Emotional and Behavioural Problems. What Everyone Can Do to Support Children and Young People with SEBCD. Specific Interventions. Research and Evaluation. Conclusion. Appendix I: Indicators List for Identifying Communication Difficulties. Appendix II: Strategies for Supporting Communication Problems. References. Index.