Susan McCool is a speech and language therapist whose career has combined clinical practice, university education, advising and consulting, research, and writing. She has extensive clinical experience with children who have complex profiles, in a wide range of settings. Susan has contributed to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists as an adviser in autism, and as a reviewer of its webpages on social, emotional, and mental health. She was involved in developing the curriculum guidelines for speech and language therapy courses in UK universities and is currently a Principal Teaching Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

“Addressing mental health needs in children and young people is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. McCool makes a compelling case for placing social communication at the centre of managing these needs. This book is essential reading for all speech-language pathologists involved in the care of these clients.”Louise Cummings, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China“This is an important book for anyone who wants to support young people’s mental health, offering both theoretical and practical insights. Communication support needs are often overlooked in young people with mental health issues although they can have devastating implications, not least on the efficacy of any intervention offered.”Melanie Cross, Speech and language therapist, author, and video interaction guidance supervisor“The format of this book is beautifully balanced: it is authoritative, yet concisely and clearly written; it is highly practical yet packed with useful information. It will go a long way towards closing the gap between speech and language therapy and the rest of the child mental health world.”Helen Minnis, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, Scotland"This book is an excellent resource for SLTs working, in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and anywhere else where a child or young person has mental health needs. It is the book I have been waiting for since I started working in an inpatient CAMHS service. The book is full of useful resources which can be used straight away, and it is written in a very accessible format. There are very clear examples of why it is so important to look at both communication and mental health and it describes how these are so intertwined. I feel it is also a useful resource for other mental health professionals to help them understand why SLTs are so important in mental health settings." - Hayley Rosenthall, Advanced Specialist SLT, RCSLT Bulletin, Winter 23/24

• AcknowledgementsList of TablesIntroductionChapter 1: The central role of language and communicationChapter 2: Ways of thinking about mental health and communicationChapter 3: Practitioner competenciesChapter 4: Learning from experienceChapter 5: Considering social communication in children and young peopleChapter 6: Responding to social communication needsChapter 7: Changing contexts and culturesIndex

Susan McCool is a speech and language therapist whose career has combined clinical practice, university education, advising and consulting, research, and writing. She has extensive clinical experience with children who have complex profiles, in a wide range of settings. Susan has contributed to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists as an adviser in autism, and as a reviewer of its webpages on social, emotional, and mental health. She was involved in developing the curriculum guidelines for speech and language therapy courses in UK universities and is currently a Principal Teaching Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

“Addressing mental health needs in children and young people is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. McCool makes a compelling case for placing social communication at the centre of managing these needs. This book is essential reading for all speech-language pathologists involved in the care of these clients.”Louise Cummings, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China“This is an important book for anyone who wants to support young people’s mental health, offering both theoretical and practical insights. Communication support needs are often overlooked in young people with mental health issues although they can have devastating implications, not least on the efficacy of any intervention offered.”Melanie Cross, Speech and language therapist, author, and video interaction guidance supervisor“The format of this book is beautifully balanced: it is authoritative, yet concisely and clearly written; it is highly practical yet packed with useful information. It will go a long way towards closing the gap between speech and language therapy and the rest of the child mental health world.”Helen Minnis, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, Scotland"This book is an excellent resource for SLTs working, in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and anywhere else where a child or young person has mental health needs. It is the book I have been waiting for since I started working in an inpatient CAMHS service. The book is full of useful resources which can be used straight away, and it is written in a very accessible format. There are very clear examples of why it is so important to look at both communication and mental health and it describes how these are so intertwined. I feel it is also a useful resource for other mental health professionals to help them understand why SLTs are so important in mental health settings." - Hayley Rosenthall, Advanced Specialist SLT, RCSLT Bulletin, Winter 23/24

• AcknowledgementsList of TablesIntroductionChapter 1: The central role of language and communicationChapter 2: Ways of thinking about mental health and communicationChapter 3: Practitioner competenciesChapter 4: Learning from experienceChapter 5: Considering social communication in children and young peopleChapter 6: Responding to social communication needsChapter 7: Changing contexts and culturesIndex

Susan McCool is a speech and language therapist whose career has combined clinical practice, university education, advising and consulting, research, and writing. She has extensive clinical experience with children who have complex profiles, in a wide range of settings. Susan has contributed to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists as an adviser in autism, and as a reviewer of its webpages on social, emotional, and mental health. She was involved in developing the curriculum guidelines for speech and language therapy courses in UK universities and is currently a Principal Teaching Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

“Addressing mental health needs in children and young people is one of the most urgent challenges of our time. McCool makes a compelling case for placing social communication at the centre of managing these needs. This book is essential reading for all speech-language pathologists involved in the care of these clients.”Louise Cummings, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China“This is an important book for anyone who wants to support young people’s mental health, offering both theoretical and practical insights. Communication support needs are often overlooked in young people with mental health issues although they can have devastating implications, not least on the efficacy of any intervention offered.”Melanie Cross, Speech and language therapist, author, and video interaction guidance supervisor“The format of this book is beautifully balanced: it is authoritative, yet concisely and clearly written; it is highly practical yet packed with useful information. It will go a long way towards closing the gap between speech and language therapy and the rest of the child mental health world.”Helen Minnis, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Glasgow, Scotland"This book is an excellent resource for SLTs working, in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and anywhere else where a child or young person has mental health needs. It is the book I have been waiting for since I started working in an inpatient CAMHS service. The book is full of useful resources which can be used straight away, and it is written in a very accessible format. There are very clear examples of why it is so important to look at both communication and mental health and it describes how these are so intertwined. I feel it is also a useful resource for other mental health professionals to help them understand why SLTs are so important in mental health settings." - Hayley Rosenthall, Advanced Specialist SLT, RCSLT Bulletin, Winter 23/24

• AcknowledgementsList of TablesIntroductionChapter 1: The central role of language and communicationChapter 2: Ways of thinking about mental health and communicationChapter 3: Practitioner competenciesChapter 4: Learning from experienceChapter 5: Considering social communication in children and young peopleChapter 6: Responding to social communication needsChapter 7: Changing contexts and culturesIndex