Her final report is available from the ‘Hello’ campaign web site at: http://www.hello.org.uk/latest-news/latest-news.aspx
The Telegraph writes about this final report, and in particular on the recommendations contained within. You can read The Telegraph’s article in full here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9016393/Send-mums-and-dads-good-parenting-texts-says-advisor.html
One of Gross’ more radical ideas is the introduction of an opt-in txt service to remind parents of the importance of spending one-to-one time with their child. Gross says that, "Every parent that I've met wants the best for their child, but not every parent knows what to do. Parents are not doing a bad job, but often they need the information to do better."
Gross talks about television in particular: "If you are a child under two and the television is on all day long in the background, research does show that will have a negative effect on their language development," she said. "They can't pay attention to their mum or dad talking as well."
In the article she says, "Imagine that parents could sign up when they are pregnant to a service called 'Your amazing baby', and get regular texts sent to their smartphones.
"For example, one text might say 'Did you know that even in the first few months after birth, your baby can imitate you?’ In this example, they would then be prompted to open a link to a page on YouTube, or some other website, showing a very young baby imitating a father sticking his tongue out." This would hopefully encourage more interaction between parents and their infants.
Gross also argues that it is currently unclear whether the NHS or local authorities are responsible for speech and language therapy in children. This creates a gap of sorts, which children with SLCN are liable to be lost in.
If you think that your child may benefit from speech and language therapy, I.T.S could be of help. Contact us here: http://www.integratedtreatments.co.uk/contact-us/enquiry
