Children with language difficulties: identification and adapted language provision in Early Childhood Education and Care, and subsequent assessment by the Educational Psychological Service

Abstract

We investigated how children with language difficulties are identified, and which adapted provision is given in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) before referrals are made to The Educational Psychological Service (EPS), and the EPS assessment of such difficulties. A qualitative content analysis of 20 documents pertaining to four children with language difficulties were conducted, based on national regulations, national guidelines and theories on language development and language difficulties. The ECEC used observations of social settings to identify language difficulties, which mainly reported pronunciation difficulties. The EPS identified a broader spectrum of language difficulties, which was not always in accordance with ECECs observations. The adapted provision given in ECEC before the referral and in the gap between the referral and the decision on special needs assistance was lacking. This implies a need to target the gap between when a referral is made and when special needs assistance is received.