SmallTalk Speech & Language Therapy

15/04/2026

Tonight Im doing a webinar for a parent group on verbal reasoning using Blank levels and Blooms Taxonomy.

Why “Why?” Can Be So Hard for Some Children

Have you ever asked your child:

👉 “Why did you do that?”
👉 “What might happen next?”

…and been met with:

* “I don’t know”
* silence
* or a completely unexpected answer?

You’re not alone—and it doesn’t mean your child isn’t clever.

It might be verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the ability to think using language—not just talk.

It helps children to:
✔ explain their ideas
✔ understand cause and effect
✔ predict what might happen
✔ solve problems using words

But here’s the key thing

Language develops in stages.

Children often start with:

* naming things (“car”, “dog”)
* simple descriptions (“he’s running”)

Before they’re ready for:

* “Why did that happen?”
* “How are these the same?”
* “What would you do if…?”

These are much more abstract and harder to process.

For some children, this jump is really difficult

Especially for:

* autistic children
* children with Developmental Language Disorder

Because these questions require:
🧩 understanding lots of language at once
🧩 making connections
🧩 thinking flexibly
🧩 working things out in their head

That’s a big ask!

What this means for you as a parent?

If your child:

* can talk but struggles to explain
* avoids “why” questions
* finds problem-solving tricky

It’s often about language, not intelligence or behaviour.

What helps?

* Start simple (“What is happening?” before “Why?”)
* Give choices (“Was it because he was tired or hungry?”)
* Model answers (“I think it happened because…”)
* Use pictures or real-life examples

A gentle reminder

> Abstract language is hard.
> Your child isn’t being difficult—they’re finding it difficult.

15/04/2026

Sad but true

More than half of parents (54%) in the UK wish they had had more essential items to care for their baby when it was born, according to a new survey for the children’s charity Barnardo’s.

14/04/2026

There’s a really important point that often causes confusion for families and professionals alike:

You cannot receive a diagnosis of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) if you meet the criteria for autism.

This doesn’t mean the language difficulties disappear. Far from it.

Autistic children and young people can (and often do) have significant speech, language and communication needs eg word fonding, narrative etc as you may get with DLD. The difference is how those needs are conceptualised and labelled within diagnostic frameworks.

DLD is diagnosed when language difficulties are the primary need and cannot be explained by another condition.

If autism is present, the communication differences are understood as part of the autistic profile.

Why does this matter?

Because labels influence:

* access to services
* how needs are described in reports and EHCPs
* the types of interventions offered

But here’s the key message:

The support needs should drive provision — not the diagnostic label.

Whether a child is described as having DLD or disordered language associated with autism, they may need:
✔ explicit teaching of vocabulary
✔ support with understanding language
✔ help with narrative and conversation skills
✔ adjustments in the classroom

Let’s keep the focus where it belongs — on understanding and supporting each child’s communication profile, rather than getting stuck on labels.

10/04/2026

10/04/2026

10/04/2026

Great advice

Support doesn’t always look like doing more.

Sometimes it looks like stepping back.
Reducing pressure.
Changing expectations.
And even just listening to the things we are saying.

Because when a parent is already overwhelmed, adding more… doesn’t help.

It just pushes everything closer to the edge.

What actually helps?

Flexibility.
Understanding.
Working with families — not against them.

I’ve put this into a free guide for parents and professionals.

Comment NEWS and I’ll send it 💬

09/04/2026

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!)

09/04/2026

08/04/2026

We like SCERTs and Autism Level Up

Thank you to Kaufer and Lighter Side of the Spectrum Podcast for hosting Amy recently on your podcast.

Amy is a fast talker... a really fast talker, but this is a fun and far reaching conversation about so many things that she is truly passionate about!

Even includes a huge shout out to OTs during this OT month.

And, if you've ever really wanted to know what the The SCERTS Model truly is in a nutshell, this one is for you!

We'll post some links below, but your can find it wherever you find your podcast - including spotify and YouTube.

Image description - a pink background with text that reads, Transforming Autism Support : SCERTS, Regulation, and Autism Level UP! There is the podcast logo and also a pic of Amy

07/04/2026

I've just hit the send on my book to JoWildsmith publishing! Its taken a year to get this far . It feels really nerve-wracking now!!