The ability to communicate is a fundamental life skill for all children and young people. Without these skills, children will struggle to learn, achieve, make friends and interact with the world around them.

In classrooms across the UK, there are over a million bright children who are anxious, frustrated, isolated and misunderstood. They have an underlying problem communicating which is largely invisible. The potential of these children is masked by their communication barrier. The right help can unlock it.

In an average class there are 2 or 3 children with communication difficulties that will often persist throughout their lives. These difficulties cannot be prevented. And children with them need lots of help to join in and learn. There is no magic cure, but with the right help, their outcomes can dramatically improve.

In socially deprived areas there can be more than 17 children in each class with language skills below average for their age. In extreme cases, some start school with the language skills of a 2-year-old. These difficulties can, for the most part, be prevented. And, if identified early, they can be fixed.

For over 40 years I CAN has provided effective, practical solutions to change the lives of children with communication difficulties.
 

We do this through:

–  Giving expert advice to parents and families about what to look out for and what to do

–  Providing assessments for children so that their families know what support will meet their needs

–  Giving teachers and people working with children the skills to help children who struggle

–  Increasing public awareness of the problems children face and campaigning to ensure children and families
    get a better deal

–  At the very heart of I CAN are our special schools which give expert care and  education to children with
    problems so severe their needs cannot be met elsewhere

“Since the assessment and the support he has received as a result, Matty’s life – and our life as a family – has changed irrevocably. Matty is a little boy who was lost and has now been found. I CAN are the light at the end of the tunnel for these children, the superglue that mends families who are at breaking point.
Thank you I CAN for giving Matty back his smile.”

Find out more about I CAN

To find out more about the work I CAN does, and how your word adoption helps to make a difference
please visit the main I CAN website www.ican.org.uk