The website at www.talkingpoint.org.ukis a joint initiative of the charities I CAN and Afasic, which represent children who have speech and language difficulties, and the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. It was launched at a ceremony atop the BT Tower in London last week by HRH the Countess of Wessex in her new role as patron of the Royal College.
The interactive website is aimed at the more than one million children in the UK who have speech, language and communication difficulties (SLCDs), providing parents and professionals with information on their difficulties and advice on how to seek help. It enables them to share knowledge and best practice on SLCDs, gives answers to frequently asked questions and provides up-to-date news on developments. There is a comprehensive database of relevant organisations and professionals, and users can contribute ideas for the website's content.
At the launch the Countess of Wessex met a group of children with SLCDs, including three-year-old Aimee Stopford from Surbiton in Surrey, who presented her with a posy of flowers. Aimee attends I CAN's early years centre at Buckland Infants School in Kingston.
Up to now public awareness and understanding of SLCDs has been low. A survey by the charities found that 90 per cent of parents whose children had SLCDs believed there to be a 'desperate' or 'great' need for more accessible information on the condition. Brian Ridge, whose five-year-old son Robert has SLCDs, said, 'I would definitely have used this website if it was around when we first realised Robert had a communication difficulty.
It would have helped point us in the right direction early on - and this is the key - because getting help early is critical.'
Gill Edelman, spokeswoman for www.talkingpoint.co.uk,said she was delighted that the Countess had attended the event because 'she has shown such a tremendous interest in issues affecting children's development, particularly communication difficulties'.
Establishing the website has been supported by BT and the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales.