A Welsh Government consultation has proposed extending the Talk With Me speech, language and communication programme from children under five to those aged five to eleven.
The draft 2026–2030 plan aims to help schools and families identify communication difficulties earlier and coordinate support beyond the early years. Ministers have cited evidence that a substantial minority of children experience speech, language or communication difficulties, some with long-term consequences for learning. Responses are invited through April; the expansion is still a proposal at the time.
Why it matters: The test is whether primary schools and speech and language services receive sufficient staff and resources to make earlier identification meaningful.
