The Speech Den

03/05/2026

The problem with communication is that sometimes people don’t always realise what they’re communicating.
When they don’t see the harm in their words then they don’t understand when we react to that harm.. we might call this a triple empathy problem where the person doesn’t hear or understand their own internal thoughts, feelings and perspectives

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01/05/2026

I’ve just recorded my very first Gimme 5 podcast…and I couldn’t have asked for a better guest than Dr Jaime Hoerricks ✨

We combined it with our usual Sunday Mornings with Jaime & Cathy conversation and created something really special…�Gimme 5: 5 Things to Know About GLPs

I’ll be uploading the full podcast to YouTube and Spotify soon, but for now here’s a quick summary of what we discussed:

1. You feel it before you can explain it
2. You understand the whole before the parts
3. Being misunderstood is often the first sign
4. The feel of something can matter more than the words
5. Non-linear thinking and memory are still valid

If you’d like to read more, head to the link in my bio to see the full summary written by Jaime ❤️

01/05/2026

29/04/2026

At The Speech Den, we’re proud to be supporting the Speak Up for Autism campaign led by Laura at Spinning World of Autism 🌈⭐️

This is something that feels really important to us. We work closely with autistic children and their families every day, and we see both the incredible impact of the right support and the frustration when communication needs aren’t fully understood or met.

We know that Speech and Language Therapists care deeply and are doing their best with the training and resources available. At the same time, lived experiences from autistic individuals and families show us there’s still more we can learn, and more we can do to get it right consistently.

This campaign is about building on what we already know and strengthening practice. It’s calling for more autism-specific training for Speech and Language Therapists, so they feel confident supporting a wide range of communication styles and needs. This includes areas like AAC, understanding differences in language processing, and speech differences such as apraxia…always centred around understanding the autistic individual in front of us.

Because communication is not one-size-fits-all. And when we truly tailor support, we open up opportunities for connection, wellbeing, learning, and participation.

At The Speech Den, we believe in presuming potential, listening to lived experience, and continuing to grow as a profession. When we know better, we do better.

📣 The petition is now live, please consider signing and sharing
📣 Find the link at Spinning World of Autism
📣 Don’t forget to verify your email so your signature counts
📣 If you can, share your lived experiences to help shape change

Together, we can help create more inclusive, responsive communication support for autistic individuals 💛

29/04/2026

I’m supporting Speak Up for Autism.

It’s something so close to my heart, supporting so many children (and their families) who are non-speaking, experiencing so much challenge to get equitable access to communication supports that truly meet their needs and enhance their opportunities by presuming potential.

Autistic individuals are being let down repeatedly & are left with no support to communicate. Statistics show that “8 out of 10 children who receive Speech & Language Therapy show improved outcomes”, but autistic individuals are being dismissed & this important therapy is never actually taking place.

Sign the petition in the bio at

27/04/2026

27/04/2026

Part 3 of 3 - For many autistic, GLPs the whole arrives first.

Understanding doesn’t begin with neat explanations or tidy words it begins with feeling. With resonance. With something in the body quietly saying, this is familiar, long before we have language for why.

In today’s conversation, we kept circling this: ‘recognition often comes before vocabulary’.

✨ A parent learns about their child and suddenly recognises themselves
✨ A moment, a room, a person is felt in full before it can be explained
✨ Language arrives later…but when it does, it lands true

This isn’t a delay in meaning. It’s a different order of meaning.

Whole → then parts
Resonance → then words
Contact → then clarity

And for many of us, that pattern doesn’t disappear in childhood.
It’s a lifelong way of knowing, remembering, learning, and becoming.

The adults matter. The recognition matters. The feeling counts even before it’s speakable.

27/04/2026

Part 2 of 3 - For many autistic, GLPs the whole arrives first.

Understanding doesn’t begin with neat explanations or tidy words it begins with feeling. With resonance. With something in the body quietly saying, this is familiar, long before we have language for why.

In today’s conversation, we kept circling this: ‘recognition often comes before vocabulary’.

✨ A parent learns about their child and suddenly recognises themselves
✨ A moment, a room, a person is felt in full before it can be explained
✨ Language arrives later…but when it does, it lands true

This isn’t a delay in meaning. It’s a different order of meaning.

Whole → then parts
Resonance → then words
Contact → then clarity

And for many of us, that pattern doesn’t disappear in childhood.
It’s a lifelong way of knowing, remembering, learning, and becoming.

The adults matter. The recognition matters. The feeling counts even before it’s speakable.

27/04/2026

Part 1 of 3 - For many autistic, GLPs the whole arrives first.

Understanding doesn’t begin with neat explanations or tidy words it begins with feeling. With resonance. With something in the body quietly saying, this is familiar, long before we have language for why.

In today’s conversation, we kept circling this: ‘recognition often comes before vocabulary’.

✨ A parent learns about their child and suddenly recognises themselves
✨ A moment, a room, a person is felt in full before it can be explained
✨ Language arrives later…but when it does, it lands true

This isn’t a delay in meaning. It’s a different order of meaning.

Whole → then parts
Resonance → then words
Contact → then clarity

And for many of us, that pattern doesn’t disappear in childhood.
It’s a lifelong way of knowing, remembering, learning, and becoming.

The adults matter. The recognition matters. The feeling counts even before it’s speakable.

26/04/2026

Thank you so much for this, Louise ❤️
�I am so grateful and truly blown away by your words. This is such a beautiful reflection of the journey you and your child have been on, and it means so much to us all at The Speech Den💡

We wanted to share this clip as it is a truly wonderful testimonial for Laura, one of our Speech Den SLTs. The support Laura has given not just to your child, but to your whole family, is something we value so highly…it really matters to us ❤️

Louise is not only an incredible parent, but also someone who has supported the wider work around Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition for many years. She has a deep understanding of her child, and of children more broadly, and shares that knowledge so generously.

Louise joined us at our in-person conference with Alexandria Zachos in 2023 and was also a keynote speaker alongside Laura at our online conference in 2025.

The full testimonial will be available to watch on our website soon ✨

There is something really special about learning alongside each other 🥰

❤️

24/04/2026

Supporting Gestalt Language Processors is about understanding how they process language and meeting them there 🤍

Small shifts in how we listen, model and respond can make a really meaningful difference over time.

Curiosity, connection and everyday moments matter more than we think ✨

If you’d like support with your child’s communication, please do get in touch ❤️