I CAN, the children's communication charity, last week announced the introduction of its Early Talk programme across Pembrokeshire at an event in Clunderwen attended by a range of practitioners, including SENCO's, SLT's, educational psychologists and advisory teachers from across the region. Early Talk is I CAN's flagship programme developed to support the communication needs of all pre- school children. The programme helps to identify and support children who have a communication difficulty and gives families the information they need to support children at home. It builds on existing specialist pre-school provision developed in partnership with I CAN and will be delivered through a partnership of children's services, including Speech and Language Therapy, Pre- School Special Needs Service and City Early Years Childcare and Play. Early Talk is supported by the HBOS Foundation and The Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Early Talk has been specially adapted for Pembrokeshire to meet the needs of a very rural population. The programme is unique in that it will operate from three sites: Gelli Aur, Orange Way (Pembroke); Fenton School (Haverfordwest) and Ysgol Glannau Gwaun (Fishguard) to reach as many children in the region as possible. Alex Hall, director of services at I CAN, said: "I CAN has been working in Pembrokeshire since 2001 and we are delighted to build on the existing specialist pres-chool provision and ensure that more children are given a helping hand to develop their communication skills. Communication is the foundation for all children's learning and social development. "We know that one in 10 children has a communication disability. On top of that, in some parts of the UK, up to 50 per cent of children are starting school without the speech and language skills, then need to learn and make friends. The need for a programme like Early Talk, which meets the communication needs of pre-school children, has never been more pressing." Christine Brunton, Pembrokeshire County Council's school development advisor, inclusion, said: "The teachers who attended the launch were really enthusiastic. A number of schools in Pembrokeshire want to undergo the training and gain accreditation. We are also looking forward to extending the expertise from the three specialist sites right across the county."