Free to Be Me Speech Therapy

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Free to Be Me Speech Therapy

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https://linktr.ee/FreetoBeMe.speech

Free to Be Me Speech Therapy, founded by speech pathologist Christina Schmidt, is a neurodiversity-affirming and holistic practice championing every voice, advocating autonomy and agency for all!

26/03/2026

AAC can sometimes feel like something just out of reach like we’re almost doing it right.

But AAC isn’t a mirage.

It’s already present in the moments we’re part of - in connection, in shared attention, in how we respond.

In my session at Desert Days, I’ll be sharing a way to move beyond “model, model, model” and into something more relational, attuned and sustainable.

We’ll explore:
• why AAC systems are often abandoned
• how to expand beyond requesting
• what actually supports use across environments
• and how to use the a practical framework in real moments

No overwhelm
No perfect scripts

Just practical, meaningful shifts

If you’ve been wanting to deepen your AAC practice in a way that actually fits real life, I’d love to see you there.

Use CHRISTINA for $200 off your registration and comment DESERT below - I’ll send you the link.

Supporting communication always ✨

02/03/2026

I am free to be me
❤️
I spotlight marginalisation so my ancestors can rest
💛
I have the right to be seen, heard and believed
💚
I speak my truth so that I can continue to thrive

23/01/2026

Lately I’ve been reflecting on what I bring into sessions, and what I intentionally leave behind.

I don’t arrive with a bag full of games or activities anymore. What I always bring is regulation support, a whiteboard and curiosity.

Letting clients know they can use regulation tools when they need to, how they need to and for as long as they need to has shifted everything. Regulation happens throughout the session, not just when things escalate, and it becomes an ongoing support rather than a last resort.

This is the kind of regulation-led, responsive practice I support clinicians to build in Aligned Group Supervision for Speech Pathologists.

The first cohort is closing Wednesday 28 January, with only a couple of spots left.

Link to join is in my Linktree via my bio.

16/01/2026

Relational communication has been sitting with me lately.

A recent research article put words to something I’ve long felt in practice, that communication has a natural rhythm, and that presence, safety and regulation matter just as much as any tool or strategy.

Carrying this into a recent initial session felt affirming. We named and honoured relational communication first, then welcomed high-tech AAC without pressure or expectation. Just another way to communicate. No hierarchy.

This way of thinking sits at the heart of The Free to Be Me BRIDGE Model: Connecting Pathways, and it’s something I’m keen to explore more deeply in Aligned Group Supervision for Speech Pathologists.

There are a couple of spots left in the first cohort starting Wednesday 4 February. Link to join is in my Linktree via my bio.

Article referenced: Gombar, M. & Pejié Bach, M. (2025). Affective resistance in augmentative and alternative communication: A reflexive case study in autism. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities.

07/01/2026

A small question. A big shift.

One of the simplest changes I’ve made to how I start sessions is this:

“Where do you feel most comfortable for us to work together today?”

Instead of deciding the space for my client, I invite them to lead based on what their nervous system needs in that moment.

Sometimes that means staying put.
Sometimes it means a quieter room.
Sometimes it means stepping outside for fresh air and movement.

It’s a small shift - but it honours regulation from the very beginning and communicates trust, autonomy and care.

This kind of reflective, neurodiversity-affirming decision-making is something we explore deeply in my Aligned Group Supervision for Speech Pathologists.

If you’re wanting support to build this into your everyday practice, there are a few spots left in the first cohort starting Wednesday 4 February.

🌿 6 weekly sessions
🌿 Wednesdays 12–1pm AEDT
🌿 Live on Zoom
🌿 Includes reflection workbook
🌿 $330 (incl. GST)

🔗 Sign up via link in my bio (Linktree)

22/11/2025

If you’ve been searching supervision that actually feels aligned with who you are and how you want to practise, I’d love to invite you into my group supervision.

We start on 4 February, 2026 meeting weekly for six weeks 12-1pm AEDT. It’s a small, intentional space for SPs who want to slow down, reflect deeply and explore the parts of practice that don’t often get room in traditional supervision.

Across our time together, we’ll be unpacking themes that come up so often in my 1:1 supervision, including:
🌿 Neurodiversity-affirming goal setting and outcome measures
🌿 Supporting neurodivergent play and engagement differences
🌿 Delivering therapy across diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
🌿 Complex communication and AAC support
🌿 Building and sustaining ND-affirming strategies and approaches
🌿 Collaborating with multidisciplinary care teams
🌿 Coaching and supporting parents and carers
🌿 Navigating burnout, boundaries and values-aligned practice

You’ll also receive a weekly reflection workbook + session summary emails with links and resources to keep the learning going outside our sessions.

If this sounds like the supervision space you’ve been searching for, the waitlist is open until 19 December 2025, and everyone on the list receives a free resource that you can start to use immediately in your practice.

✨ Join via the link in the Linktree or comment GROUP to receive the link via DM.

21/09/2025

The countdown is on ⏳ - the AFTI Autistic Lived Experience Online Summit 2025 is almost here!

Register now (for FREE!) and unlock access to this year’s incredible line-up: 20+ expert speakers from around the world 🌍, each sharing lived experience and insights across topics designed to inform, empower and support you.

I’m honoured to be part of this line-up, where I’ll be speaking on:
✨ Say It Your Way: The Power of Communicating Differently ✨
- and there’s so much more waiting for you!

🗓️ It all kicks off today, 22nd September
🎟️ Get your free ticket here: https://autismexplained.krtra.com/t/Oj2XEhVoLQa4
(Or grab the clickable link through my Linktree in my bio 🔗)

I hope to see you there! 💜

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

http://www.freetobemespeech.com.au/

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