Go Talking Ways

Go Talking Ways Speech & Language Therapist specialising in Neurodiversity & Gestalt Language Processing.

06/06/2026

We spend so much time asking children to be ready for learning.

But what if play is what gets them ready?

Play supports regulation, connection, engagement, problem-solving and communication. It isn’t a reward after the work is done. It is the work.

And honestly? I wish more people knew that. 💛

Steph | Go Talking Ways

05/06/2026

A gentle reminder that communication becomes much harder to access when a child is overwhelmed, dysregulated, or in fight-or-flight. That’s not opinion. That’s neuroscience.

The goal isn’t “use your words”. In that moment the goal is helping a child feel safe enough for language to come back online. 💛

Steph | Go Talking Ways

04/06/2026

Sometimes the most important work in speech and language therapy isn’t communication first, it’s regulation, connection, and helping a child feel safe enough to engage.

Because communication doesn’t grow from pressure. It grows from relationships, play, co-regulation, and a nervous system that feels ready for communication. 💛

Steph | Go Talking Ways

03/06/2026

One of the biggest worries parents have before booking speech therapy is this...
‘What if my child won’t engage?’
‘What if they won’t come into the room?’
‘What if they get overwhelmed?’
‘What if they have a meltdown?’

And honestly? It’s one of my favourite questions to answer. Because my first priority is never assessment. It’s never targets. It’s never data.
It’s never getting your child to ‘perform’.

It’s helping them feel safe.

Here’s something really important to understand... When a child walks into a completely new environment, their sensory system is already working hard.
New people.
New sounds.
New objects.
New smells.
New expectations.
New routines.

For many children, especially those who are neurodivergent, have sensory processing differences, are gestalt language processors, or experience anxiety, that’s a lot for the nervous system to process all at once.

So of course they might need time.
And that’s okay.

My therapy room was intentionally designed not to feel clinical. It’s a play space.
A movement space.
A connection space.
There are bubbles, soft play, a mini trampoline, therapy balls, marble runs, building toys, pretend play, sensory activities and plenty of opportunities to explore at their own pace.

Before we think about communication, we think about regulation. Before we think about assessment, we think about connection. Before we think about language, we think about trust.

Because when a child feels safe, connected and understood, that’s when we start to see the very best of their communication.

And parents?
You’re part of that process too.
My sessions are family-centred. You’re not dropping your child off and waiting outside.
We’re working together. Because communication doesn’t develop in isolation.
It develops through relationships.

So if you’ve been putting off booking an assessment because you’re worried your child won’t cope, let this be your reminder:
They don’t need to arrive regulated.
That’s what i support ❤️

Follow for more like this!
Steph | Go Talking Ways

02/06/2026

So you’ve heard the term Gestalt Language Processing and you haven’t got a Scooby-Doo what it means?

Then this reel is for you. 💛

One of the questions I get asked most often is:

“How do I know if my child is a gestalt language processor?”

The short answer? Some children learn language word-by-word, while others learn language in whole chunks or phrases first.

You might notice your child repeating lines from TV programmes, singing songs, using phrases that seem out of context, or communicating in ways that don’t quite match what you see on traditional developmental checklists.

And that’s exactly why understanding Gestalt Language Processing can be such a game changer.

It helps us move away from asking, “Why are they saying that?” and towards asking, “What are they trying to communicate?”

Most importantly, it helps us understand that communication development isn’t one-size-fits-all.

If you’ve been wondering whether this might be your child, I’d love to know what resonated with you most from this reel.

Follow for more speech and language therapy insights on Gestalt Language Processing, neurodiversity-affirming practice, sensory regulation, communication development, and play-based therapy.

Steph | Go Talking Ways

May dump ☀️It’s fair to say I spent most of May sweating, because apparently the UK decided to become hotter than the eq...
01/06/2026

May dump ☀️
It’s fair to say I spent most of May sweating, because apparently the UK decided to become hotter than the equator overnight.

This month’s highlights included:
☀️ Gorgeous days
✂️ Haircut days
🌙 Moon days
🎤 Michael days
📞 Fully booked month days
🌅 Sunrise days
🌇 Sunset days
✈️ Hollybob days
🥵 Scorchio days
🚶‍♀️ Active days
🌊 Fluid days
📝 Planning-the-next-six-months days

And honestly?
I didn’t realise quite how much I needed May. Or that holiday. Or sunshine. Or rest.
Or space to think.

Some of these photos might just look like sunsets, swimming pools, walks, aeroplanes and random moments. But they’re so much more than that. They represent breathing space. Perspective. Healing. Growth.

A reminder that sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop. Because when we never rest, we forget what it feels like to be energised. When we never pause, we forget what it feels like to be creative. And when we never step away, we forget just how much we’re carrying.

I came home with a full heart, a rested nervous system, and more ideas than I know what to do with. The last few years have taught me that life can change in an instant.
But they’ve also taught me that there is so much joy waiting in the ordinary moments too.
A sunrise.
A sunset.
A walk.
A laugh.
A fresh start.

So if May taught me anything, it’s this: Never underestimate what a little bit of sunshine and a nervous system reset can do 💚

Steph | Go Talking Ways

“How can people work with you if they don’t know what you do?”Ouch.Because if I’m honest, I spend so much time talking a...
31/05/2026

“How can people work with you if they don’t know what you do?”

Ouch.

Because if I’m honest, I spend so much time talking about communication, autism, gestalt language processing, sensory regulation, play, connection and neurodiversity-affirming therapy that I rarely stop and explain what I actually do.

So here’s a little glimpse.

This doodle version of my clinic room might look like toys, swings, books and play equipment.

But what I really offer is support.

✨ Initial speech and language therapy assessments✨ Therapy packages✨ Online parent coaching and consultations✨ Support with AAC and alternative communication✨ Sensory-informed approaches and regulation support✨ EHCP advice, reports and recommendations✨ Tailored resources for your child and family✨ Neurodiversity-affirming, play-based therapy

I work predominantly with children who are autistic, non-speaking, minimally speaking, gestalt language processors, or who are experiencing communication differences.

And behind all of that?

I’m Stephanie.

A speech and language therapist with nearly 20 years’ experience.

A parent.

A business owner.

A lover of movement, music, dancing, nature, aeroplanes and space.

Someone who has personal and professional experience of neurodiversity and understands that communication is never just about words.

It’s about connection.

If you’ve been following along for a while and wondering whether I can help your family, this is your sign to send the message.

My inbox is always open. 💚

Steph | Go Talking Ways

30/05/2026

What if the behaviour isn’t the problem?

What if it’s the clue?

One of the biggest shifts in my practice has been moving away from asking, “How do we stop this behaviour?” and instead asking, “What is this child trying to tell us?”

Because modern neuroscience, polyvagal theory and co-regulation research all point us towards the same thing: when children feel overwhelmed, their nervous system responds before logic, language and self-regulation can.

Behaviour isn’t always a choice.

Sometimes it’s communication.Sometimes it’s stress.Sometimes it’s a nervous system asking for safety.

When we stop focusing solely on controlling behaviour and start understanding the message underneath it, everything changes.

Connection first.Curiosity first.Understanding first.

That’s where meaningful communication begins.

Stephanie x
Go Talking Ways

If you’re lying awake at night wondering whether your child will ever talk, I need you to hear this.I know how heavy tha...
29/05/2026

If you’re lying awake at night wondering whether your child will ever talk, I need you to hear this.

I know how heavy that question feels.

Not because I’ve got a crystal ball. Not because I can make promises.

But because I’ve sat with hundreds of families carrying that same fear.

The fear that their child won’t be understood.
The fear that they’re running out of time.
The fear that they’re somehow not doing enough.

Here’s what I’ve learned after nearly 20 years as a speech and language therapist:

Communication development is not a race.

The children who make the most meaningful progress are rarely the children who are pushed the hardest. They’re the children whose communication is understood, respected and supported.

Children who are given connection before correction.
Regulation before expectation.
Play before pressure.

Sometimes that journey includes spoken language.
Sometimes it includes AAC.
Sometimes it includes signs, gestures, scripts, echolalia or whole-body communication.

But every form of communication matters.

And every child deserves adults who believe in their potential long before the outcomes are visible.

If you’re currently on your journey with autism, gestalt language processing, delayed language development, a non-speaking child, AAC, sensory differences or communication challenges, please know this:

You do not need all the answers today.

You just need the right support, the right people around you, and someone willing to meet your child exactly where they are.

That’s where progress begins. 💚

Stephanie x

Go Talking Ways

Address

Queslett Road East
Sutton Coldfield
B742EZ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm

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