Taken in sum, the theoretical and research positions outlined can be interpreted to
mean that young children learning language are on a continuum of development,
with the variations in their progress along that continuum being influenced by the
interaction between their child characteristics and the quality of adult input. Here
we have the theoretical and empirical basis for presenting communication and
language development, within a curriculum, as progression along a continuum
of learning, a trajectory of development that all young children acquiring
communication and language will follow, albeit with varying rates of progress
and levels of achievement. A continuum provides for a significant step forward
in teaching and learning in that it gives us an inclusive way of thinking about
communication and language development and a framework for inclusive practice.