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SymbolGo: straightforward communication support
What is SymbolGo?
SymbolGo is a comprehensive package designed to help teachers support students with communication difficulties. It includes:
- Software for easy communication symbol integration: quickly add symbols to PowerPoint documents
- Training and coaching: equip teachers with the principles and best practices for using symbols effectively
SymbolGo for education
SymbolGo for education reduces the negative impacts on children and young people experiencing communication difficulties, and their teachers.
What are these impacts?
Impacts on children and young people
Research by Speech and Language UK shows that the average UK classroom has six students who struggle with talking and/or understanding language.
These students often find lessons confusing and a struggle. This can harm their self-esteem and confidence over time.
Impacts on schools and colleges
Providing additional support for students with communication difficulties is becoming increasingly expensive1. Schools and teachers are under pressure to make their classrooms even more inclusive. SymbolGo helps ease the pressure by making it easier for teachers to support these students without adding to their workload.
Demystifying communication
Students with comprehension difficulties can lose track of lessons quickly. They might still be processing the last point while the teacher presents new information. The amount of language they need to process quickly builds up as they don’t process it quickly enough to keep up.
Feeling overwhelmed, these students may try to selectively process information, or they may disengage from the lesson entirely. They may search for other cues to help them to decipher the language or to work out what they are supposed to be doing.
To support students in this situation, we can provide cues to help them prioritize what to process. By emphasizing a small number of key words and phrases during lessons, we can guide them on what to focus on. We can make it clear to students what to prioritise by using pictures representing the key concepts (communication symbols).
How SymbolGo supports teachers
SymbolGo provides resources that help teachers support students without burdening their lesson preparation or taking time away from other students. Here’s how:
Extensive symbol library
Access tens of thousands of symbols directly within PowerPoint (Commtap Symboliser for PowerPoint). Select words, click a button, and insert symbols effortlessly.
Coaching and training for staff
The SymbolGo package includes training materials for all staff, and coaching for “SymbolGo” champions in your school.
Effective symbol usage: best practices
Selectivity in symbol usage
Avoid overwhelming students by being selective with the symbols you use. SymbolGo training helps teachers strike the right balance.
Active symbol integration
Refer to symbols during teaching to reinforce their meaning, rather than treating them as just decoration.
Next step
Choose the right SymbolGo package for your school/college
Notes
- The National Audit Office reports that the cost of special needs support in schools more than doubled from 2017 to 2024. A significant proportion of this cost goes on supporting those with speech, language, and communication needs.
National Audit Office (2024). Support for children and young people with special educational needs. Available at: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/support-for-children-and-young-people-with-special-educational-needs.pdf ↩︎