Letter published in The Guardian, 13 April 2017.
Jean Gross Former government communication champion for children
Helen Stringer Lecturer and speech and language therapist, Newcastle University
Tony Hawkhead Chief executive, Action for Children
Stuart Whyte President, British Association of Teachers of the Deaf
Marie Gascoigne Director, Better Communication CIC
Octavia Holland Director, Communication Trust
Anne Worsfold Executive director, Cued Speech Association UK
Liz Elks Director, Elklan Training
Bob Reitemeier Chief executive, I CAN
Adam Annand Associate director, creative learning, London Bubble Theatre Company
Elena Lieven University of Manchester
Padraic Monaghan University of Lancaster
Julian Pine University of Liverpool
Caroline Rowland Max Planck Insitute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen
Anna Theakston University of Manchester
Stephen Parsons Chair, National Association of Professionals concerned with Language Impairment in Children
Kamini Gadhok Chief executive, Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
Vicky Roe Deputy chair and honorary secretary, Selective Mutism Information and Research Association
Helen Clarke Head of educational development, Springboard for Children