The Speech Den

18/03/2026

This Friday I’ll be attending ASLTIP Therapy Talks 2026: The Future is Now

The event has a fantastic programme bringing together clinical excellence and independent practice, with sessions covering executive function, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), evidence-based practice, and how we can create a more inclusive SLT profession.

I’m particularly looking forward to the conversations around motivation, clinical decision-making, and how we continue to deliver meaningful, ethical support in an ever-evolving field.

And a slightly different role for me on the day too…I’ll be being interviewed about why ASLTIP is so important for independent therapists! I’m really looking forward to it as ASLTIP plays such an important role in supporting, connecting and advocating for those of us working independently, and I’m always proud to be part of that community.

Hope to see you there! 💕

17/03/2026

Such a great resource
Really recommend ⭐️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

16/03/2026

Part 4 - This Sunday I sadly missed my chat with Jaime but, as always, Jamie continued the conversation.

Sometimes the archive already holds the truth. We just have to read it differently.

Listen to Jaime’s thoughts and ideas. Yet again another great insight to reflect on ❤️

16/03/2026

Part 3 - This Sunday I sadly missed my chat with Jaime but, as always, Jamie continued the conversation.

Sometimes the archive already holds the truth. We just have to read it differently.

Listen to Jaime’s thoughts and ideas. Yet again another great insight to reflect on ❤️

16/03/2026

Part 2 - This Sunday I sadly missed my chat with Jaime but, as always, Jamie continued the conversation.

Sometimes the archive already holds the truth. We just have to read it differently.

Listen to Jaime’s thoughts and ideas. Yet again another great insight to reflect on ❤️

16/03/2026

Part 1 - This Sunday I sadly missed my chat with Jaime but, as always, Jamie continued the conversation.

Sometimes the archive already holds the truth. We just have to read it differently.

Listen to Jaime’s thoughts and ideas. Yet again another great insight to reflect on ❤️

15/03/2026

🎉🎉🎉

Celebrating the official publication of Sensory-processing informed autism practice for child-centered therapists! in Research in Neurodiversity!

All of the supplemental material links are fully functional and open access! You can find it here!
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S305057982600001X?via%3Dihub

Honored to be amongst this group of collaborator and contributors. Stuart Daniel was a true visionary spearheading this group and creating cohesion out of our aligned (but varied perspectives). The team also included. Mahler, Dee C. Ray, Kade Sharp, Kim Clairy, Sean M. Inderbitzen, and Jonathan T. Delafield-Butt (and us).

Abstract
A majority of autistic children experience sensory processing difficulties. In this paper we give concise summaries of the impact of sensory processing difficulties and baseline chronic dysregulation for autistic children. We acknowledge the need for flexible, informed and individualized child-centred therapy practices that are sensitive to, embrace and include autistic sensory experiences. In consideration, we discuss the subtle implicit assumptions and communication biases non-autistic therapists may hold due to their neurotype. We consider the concept of interactive mismatch: exploring how difficulties in autistic/non-autistic interactions are bidirectional in nature and not inherent to either neurotype. We identify five areas of sensory-processing informed adaptation in clinical technique, encouraging practitioners to (1) create sensory-stable spaces for their clients, (2) adapt their basic use of voice and body, (3) consider cross-neurotype differences of emotional experience and employ behavioural observations at the heart of empathic processes, (4) facilitate interoceptive awareness and support personalised connections between sensations and regulatory actions, and (5) support the development of individually tailored vocabularies of feelings. The strategies we present in this paper offer a practical roadmap to address each autistic child’s sensory needs, reducing dysregulation and fostering meaningful connection without compromising the child’s agency.

13/03/2026

This weekend I delivered the Johansen Individualised Auditory Stimulation (JIAS) Provider Training in sunny Dublin ☀️ hosted at Castaheany Educate Together National School in Ongar .

Johansen IAS is a comprehensive programme, designed to deepen understanding of auditory processing and how it underpins speech, language, literacy, attention and learning.

As UK National Supervisor for Johansen IAS, it’s always a privilege to guide new providers through the theory, research and practical implementation of a programme that is entirely individualised.

The music used in Johansen IAS is customised to each person’s unique hearing curve, gently stimulating and organising auditory processing pathways, particularly those linked to language.

It was a fantastic weekend with a wonderful group of professionals... and of course, no trip to Dublin would be complete without the obligatory Guinness 😁

Training complete ✔️ I’m always encouraged by the growing number of professionals wanting to understand auditory processing at a deeper level ❤️

12/03/2026

I love this review 'I’ve read several books on Developmental Language Disorder, and The DLD Handbook by Libby Hill is by far the best. It’s clearly structured and broken down into manageable sections, making it an easy and accessible read. The book includes reliable sources of information and, importantly, offers practical guidance on how to explain DLD to different people, including families, schools, and professionals.
What really sets this book apart is how practical and supportive it is—full of useful tips that can be applied in real-life situations. I would personally recommend The DLD Handbook to anyone wanting to better understand DLD. It’s a worthwhile and empowering read.' Kindle edition is less than the price of a coffee https://amzn.eu/d/0eQOfK7Y

09/03/2026

Part 4 - This Sunday’s conversation was all about the “script garden” and the idea of language developing underground before it’s spoken.

As an SLT, it reinforces for me that this “underground work” is already happening in Stage 1.

Children don’t need us to prepare them for language through compliance or pre-teaching skills…language is already growing…

09/03/2026

Part 3 - This Sunday’s conversation was all about the “script garden” and the idea of language developing underground before it’s spoken.

As an SLT, it reinforces for me that this “underground work” is already happening in Stage 1.

Children don’t need us to prepare them for language through compliance or pre-teaching skills…language is already growing…