Talk Together Speech & Language Therapy Services

02/07/2026

Summer holidays are nearly upon us! I have a handful of dates across the summer for one off assessments or quick speech sound / early language boosts. Please get in touch if you'd like to book something 😊

10/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1dDXaHrKL5/
Free training in your lunch break on Friday! I've signed up, this is something I really want to understand more about.

EDIT: This event is now fully booked. You can still register to receive the recording here: https://www.autismcentral.nhs.uk/login-or-register
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Monotropism is often misunderstood as something that needs to be fixed. But many autistic people describe it as a source of engagement, learning, wellbeing and enjoyment.

Today's your last chance to join Alexis Quinn for our next webinar to explore how understanding monotropic thinking can help support autistic children's wellbeing, autonomy and transitions.

Book your place today before it closes! https://orlo.uk/896hz

All Autism Central events are delivered by Anna Freud and commissioned by NHS England.

NHS England Workforce, Training and Education

24/04/2026

Saw this on Instagram and thought it was a great post to share. Sometimes our best intentions can make things worse without us realising.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DXcP9yZiOBt/?img_index=3&igsh=MWs1cXVzc24xbWxiMQ==

09/04/2026

I am still in the very early stages of learning about PDA, but I think this post highlights that real training is essential for anyone supporting children with PDA in schools. (Great advice too, regarding depersonalising praise).

Yesterday I inadvertently caused what turned into a mini riot and I’ve been reflecting on it ever since.

I was reassessing a 14-year-old boy with a PDA profile, focusing on his narrative skills. He had made fantastic progress, and I was genuinely delighted for him. As many of you will know, though, young people with PDA often find direct praise overwhelming or threatening. So I kept my feedback carefully depersonalised — “those answers were really good,” “that score is great” — keeping the focus on the work, not on him.

However, when I fed back to staff, some of whom haven’t yet had training in PDA, they quite understandably wanted to celebrate his success. They went straight to him with enthusiastic, very direct praise in front of others.

It was well meant — but it completely backfired.

He experienced it as too much, too intense, too exposing. His anxiety spiked, and this quickly led to equalising behaviour. The staff, who didn’t yet understand what they were seeing, understandably tried to manage and contain the behaviour. What followed was a significant physical incident, with injuries and restraint.

I went back in and sat with him for a couple of hours until he was able to regulate again. But he was so upset. And today, I still feel upset thinking about it. He will still be carrying that emotional aftermath, and the staff will be carrying the physical marks of it.

No one got this “wrong” in a simple sense. Everyone acted with good intentions. But it highlights something really important:
• Understanding PDA is not optional — it is essential.
• The nuances matter. The how matters just as much as the what.
• Well-meaning responses can escalate quickly without the right knowledge.

This is why staff training is so crucial. Not just a basic awareness, but a deep understanding of how anxiety, autonomy, and perceived control shape behaviour in PDA.

Because when we truly understand, we can prevent situations like this for the young person, and for the adults supporting them.

Still reflecting today.

(photo isn't really him obviously!)

10/02/2026

I've been chatting to a few parents this week about support they can access for their child. These conversations raised a few interesting points so I thought it would be helpful to clarify a few things.
Speech & Language Therapist or Speech Therapy Assistant — What’s the Difference?
If your child is receiving support with their communication, you’ve probably come across a few different job titles — and it can be confusing to know who does what. So here’s a simple guide to help you make informed choices about your child’s care.
👩‍⚕️ Speech & Language Therapists (SLTs)
• Speech & Language Therapist is a protected title in the UK.
• Only professionals who are fully qualified and registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) can use this title.
• SLTs assess, diagnose, and create therapy plans for communication and swallowing needs.
• We are trained to make clinical decisions, adapt therapy approaches, and ensure interventions are safe, evidence-based, and tailored to each child.
👩‍🏫 Speech Therapy Assistants / LSAs / Support Staff
• Assistants play a valuable role, but they must work under the direct supervision of a qualified Speech & Language Therapist.
• They can help deliver programmes that an SLT has designed, but they cannot assess, diagnose, or independently create therapy plans.
• Many schools have Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) who carry out speech activities — but this does not make them speech therapists.
💡 Why does this matter for parents?
Because you deserve to know who is supporting your child, what their role is, and what qualifications they hold. Understanding the difference helps you make informed decisions about the level of expertise your child needs — especially if you’re seeking assessment, diagnosis, or specialist intervention.
If you ever have questions about roles, qualifications, or what support might be right for your child, I’m always happy to help.

23/01/2026

Please don't open any emails from me! My email account has been hacked 🙄😕

22/01/2026

We've experienced a bit of this in our household and I can think of 1 or 2 children that I work with who respond like this too. Understanding what's going on under the surface can be really helpful.

Many autistic young people, especially autistic girls (although boys might too), can feel deeply distressed when their class or table is told off… 😳😥

Even when they were behaving impeccably.

This can look like ‘overreacting’ or ‘being too sensitive.’
But here’s what’s often really going on…

Many autistic young people:

✅ Have a strong sense of rules and fairness
✅ Work very hard to do the right thing
✅ Are often extremely hard on themselves
✅ And may have a nervous system that’s very sensitive to criticism or disapproval (Rejection Sensitivity)

So when a teacher says:👨‍🏫👩‍🏫 🗯️

“This table is being disruptive”
or
“This class is too noisy”

Their nervous system doesn’t hear:
“Some people need to stop.”

It hears:👂
“I’m in trouble.” 😥
“I’ve done something wrong.”😰
“I’ve disappointed you.”😱

Even when they haven’t.

Add in black-and-white thinking and masking, and a public, collective telling-off can feel shaming and overwhelming 😳🤯

You might then see tears, shutdown, or anxiety 😥😨😳

This isn’t being dramatic ❌
It’s a threat response from a sensitive nervous system.

💜💙 How teachers can help?🙏🏼

💡Be specific:
“I need these two to stop talking. Thank you to everyone else who’s working well.”

Because for some young people, being wrongly included in ‘the telling off’ feels unbearable.

And they were trying so hard to get it right!🙏🏼

Patsy x💜💙

26/11/2025

We all want to make our children's worries go away, love this resource for reframing how we talk about this ❤️

When a child shares a worry, it can be tempting to jump in and reassure or fix it right away — but the words we choose really matter.

What they need most is to feel heard, not dismissed.

Here are some simple swaps that turn “Don’t worry” into “I’m listening.”

IN THE RESOURCE STORE - instant electronic download with secure global checkout.

When Worries Take Over: Supporting Children With Everyday Worries
The Toolkit for Parents & Educators contains parent information sheets which capture the content of our posts over the series as well as tools, resources and activities to support them young person.

Electronic download available at link in comments or via our Linktree Shop in Bio.

06/11/2025

When I look back at some of the children I've worked with over the years, this makes so much sense.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQp0SlMEkuz/?igsh=ZG9pZTV0eXlqY3Y4

21/10/2025

Website gremlins are finally fixed!! If you need to get in touch, use the email link on the website and I'll get back to you as soon as I can

Talk Together. Working Together. A qualified Speech & Language Therapist since 2007, I work directly with children, families, schools, and early years settings across Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset & Somerset Read More Free Consultation I offer a free, no obligation 15 minute telephone consultati...