Beyond The Therapy Box

Beyond The Therapy Box Unschooling Speech & Language Therapist.

How to nurture communication & learning through low pressure, child-led PLAY, so ALL children can grow in their own time, their own way🤸🏿‍♀️
Find simple ideas you can start today 👉🏻linktr.ee/LoisPena Independent Speech and Language Therapist offering a service to children of all ages, adults with Learning Disabilities and people living with dementia.

29/11/2025

“Great ideas for both teachers *and* parents. I wish I’d had this to recommend when I was teaching in Early Years… and now I’m using it as a grandparent!”

I have to admit I melted a little when I read this. 🥹✨
Because this is exactly why I created the Early Literacy Christmas Bundle in the first place:

✔️ simple, play-based ideas busy parents can actually use
✔️ meaningful activities professionals feel confident recommending
✔️ completely flexible for different ages, abilities + communication styles
✔️ zero pressure, zero phonics, zero “sit still and do this worksheet”

When a former Early Years teacher tells me she’d *wish she’d had it* for her families : that’s such a heartwarming compliment.
And when she’s now using it as a grandparent? Even better.
That’s the power of child-led, relationship-first literacy: it fits every generation.

If you’re looking for:
• gentle ways to support early literacy
• festive activities without overwhelm
• something you can dip in and out of
• ideas that work for home ed, SEND or mixed-age families
• or just a calmer approach to December…

…this bundle was made for you. 🎄💛

Comment **BUNDLE** and I’ll send you the link to the full set ~ including the Advent Calendar full of play invitations.

27/11/2025

So many parents worry they’re “not doing enough” because their child isn’t interested in letters or isn’t grasping phonics yet…

But the secret no one really talks about is this:
Before children can understand phonics, they need a whole foundation of skills that come from PLAY 👉🏻 not sitting down to look at flashcards, or worksheets.
Things like:
• listening to everyday sounds
• building vocabulary through conversations
• sequencing daily routines (“first, then…”)
• noticing patterns and rhythms in the world
• exploring imagination and storytelling in play
• understanding meaning through real-life experiences
• developing attention in a gentle, child-led way
These are the skills that make reading click later.
And none of them require letters or flashcards at all.
The best part?
You can build all of this in the simplest, most natural ways 🙌🏻
👉🏻 baking together, going on a winter listening walk, pretend play , chatting about what you notice, listening for sounds, telling little stories about what you’re doing. Singing & clapping … dancing and moving your body..
This is all early literacy ! 
And it counts.
Massively..
Without these foundations literacy will be harder. Especially if a child has communication challenges or “delays”.

If you want ideas that make this even easier, my Early Literacy Christmas Bundle is full of simple, festive, play-based activities designed to strengthen all these foundation skills ~ without pressure, worksheets or sitting still.
Perfect for home ed, SEND, or families who just want learning to feel gentle. Created by me a Specialist Speech & Language Therapist - passionate about learning through play 🤸🏿‍♀️ No AI involved !

If you’d like the link you’ll find it under my name … or comment LITERACY and I’ll send it your way. 🎄💫

25/11/2025

Before a child can read, they need a STRONG foundation in listening and language skills.
Not letters.
Not phonics drills.
Not flash cards or tracing sheets.

Many children with communication difficulties don’t have those strong foundations … So it’s even more important that we give them time to develop these skills before we jump straight into phonics !

And the BEST way to build these skills?

✨ PLAY.
✨ Conversation.
✨ Real-life experiences.

Inside my Christmas Early Literacy Skills Bundle, every activity is designed to develop listening, attention, vocabulary, rhyming, rhythm and narrative skills ~ the REAL foundations of reading ~all while having lots of festive fun 🤸🏿‍♀️ 🎄

Perfect for ages 3–7, including SEND and home-educating families.

Send me a DM that says CHRISTMAS and I’ll send you the details 😀

Apologies to anyone who’s been waiting to hear from me. I’ve been stuck in bed with a horrid winter bug 🤧 It’s meant I’v...
24/11/2025

Apologies to anyone who’s been waiting to hear from me.
I’ve been stuck in bed with a horrid winter bug 🤧 It’s meant I’ve had to put an annoying pause on my plans. But I’ll get back to everyone as soon as I can - thanks so much for understanding 🙏

23/11/2025

One of my favourite Makaton channels to signpost families too ❤️

(Now I have the Mr Tumble song stuck in my head 🙈)

13/11/2025

I see it all the time ~ a parent holding up a toy or book saying,
✨ “What’s this?”
✨ “Say car!”
It always comes from love I know ❤️
From wanting to help our kids find their voice.
From wanting to connect.
But don’t forget ~ our kids are already communicating. 💛 and when we focus on words and push our own ideas onto them, we miss what they CAN do
and unintentionally put pressure on them.

Remember: Every look, sound, flap, gesture, reach ~ it means something.
They’re inviting us in, just not always with words.
So instead of asking them to “say …”,
try joining what they’re already showing you.
👉 Narrate what they notice.
👉 Wonder out loud.
👉 Celebrate their way of sharing.🙌🏻

If they’re watching bubbles float:by
💬 “Bubbles ! Look, They’re flying !”
If they hand you a toy:
💬 “You want to play?”
If they flap or smile:
💬 “You’re happy ! Or You’re excited!”

We’re not prompting ~ we’re modeling, what you think they might be trying to say.
It says: “I see you. I get it. You matter.”
From that place of mattering, communication grows 👌🏼
not toward our goals, but in the directions THEY choose.
We don’t need to “teach” communication.
We live it, we share it, together. 🌿

If you’d like more child led neuroaffirming advice straight into your inbox comment Connect below 👇🏻

Starting home education with a non-speaking child can feel overwhelming - especially when everyone around you is saying ...
10/11/2025

Starting home education with a non-speaking child can feel overwhelming - especially when everyone around you is saying things like “start with letters” or “work on colours”.
But it doesn’t need to be hard, you don’t need to try to get your child to fit into a box that isn’t made for them … or meaningful to them .

There isn’t a one size fits all approach to help children learn & thrive .
Not for their nervous systems.
Not for their communication profile.
Not for their unique learning needs

Real learning starts with:
✨ what your child CAN do
✨ what regulates them
✨ what they’re naturally drawn to
✨ your connection together
✨ a communication environment built around their strengths
You don’t need flashcards.
You don’t need worksheets.
You don’t need to replicate school at home.

You need a relationship-led, sensory-safe, child-led play focused approach. With communication support that is just right for them. 
That doesn’t mean if will be easy, but it will fit your child. And rooted in the science of how children actually learn.

If you want weekly ideas for child-led education + building meaningful communication…
💌 Comment IDEAS to join my free “Beyond the Therapy Box” weekly emails.
I send simple, connection-first inspiration straight to your inbox -created for ND children who struggle in traditional learning environments , and the parents who love them. 🤍

10/11/2025

Love this 🎥 credit - give them a follow over on instagram

What a great idea !

Video script:
“At this cafe in London, you don’t order coffee by speaking, you do it using sign language!

And that’s because it’s run by Deaf and hard-of-hearing baristas.

At the checkout there’s a screen that teaches you how to use British Sign Language to place your order.

It’s called the Dialogue Express Cafe in Stratford, and the concept was started by Hakan 12 years ago, after he noticed how his disabled relatives were excluded from society.

So Hakan created a platform to help break down barriers between hearing and deaf people, and give the deaf community a bigger sense of belonging.

The cafe is run in partnership with Dialogue Hub, a social enterprise who offer training and employment opportunities to the deaf community, and encourage visitors to learn and use sign language too.

There’s screens to teach you, posters to help, and they even run BSL courses there too!

They’ve only just started and are looking for more visitors, so if you’re visiting East London, save this video as a reminder to go and order the most memorable coffee of your life.”

06/11/2025

Total Communication matters outdoors too - including tech based AAC

I know some people worry about taking tech outdoors … but you can keep it safe …& handy too !
I chose this cover because it came with a strap … (plus a stand as well as a hand / wrist strap ) …

Oh and maybe because the colours reminded me of a magical unicorn 💕 🦄 👌🏼💫

Learning to use any “new” language can feel hard - it’s the same with “speaking” using symbols , sighs or voice output devices.

Try not to worry and just have a go. Choose one symbol or sign to practice to start with.

Words to try are those that we use a lot over and over again - that are useful to your child too !
E.g.
Go
Stop (self advocacy)
More
!Help
Eat
No

Do you take AAC out and about with you ? Have you spotted anyone else using it ?

04/11/2025

We love going outside in a rainy day 💚
It’s a great way of hearing new sounds
and learning new words to “say” !

We’ve even been known to take (safe) paint outside and watch the puddles change colour !

Hands up if you still LOVE to jump in puddles ?!?
🙋🏻‍♀️ 🤸🏿‍♀️

03/11/2025

What looks like a wheelbarrow full of water, apples, and leaves…
is actually a rich language environment. 🍏 🍁
When children explore freely outdoors, they naturally have the chance to practice:
• noticing the world around them
• sharing moments with others
* joint attention and connection
* describing what they notice (“It’s floating!”) or just pointing & showing delight !
* problem-solving (“i wonder why… they may not say it but you’ll see it in their actions)
* comparing objects (heavy/light, big/small, smooth/bumpy, rotten/ripe)
* sensory regulation from moving in nature
*exploring with all their senses
* hearing sounds around them & learning what they mean or how they work

and as always SO much more !

There’s no pressure.
No adult-designed outcome. No coercion.
Just a child, nature, and time to explore at their own pace. with adults they trust because they understand what they need. 
This is the heart of outdoor therapy & child-led learning ~ where communication & learning grow because children feel safe, can follow their curiosity, and be in control of their experience.

You don’t need an orchard kr a huge garden space to do this. Just getting outdoors even in the city gives you plenty of opportunities to learn & grow through child led moments.
What’s one thing your child has been curious about recently when out and about ? Did you notice how it helped their language grow ?

31/10/2025

It can be hard to trust your child to lead their own learning (let alone with power tools!) 👉🏻 but that intrinsic motivation is where the MAGIC happens ✨ Especially in moments of joy 🤸🏿‍♀️

Some children may need a little extra support to reach their goals. That’s where I come in, with a sprinkle of extra magic🪄

People think speech & language therapy has to be at a table with worksheets or flashcards…
BUT Communication grows best in real-life moments.
I love to follow a child’s lead and do practical fun activities, side by side.
These offer low pressure moments for offering communication support .

Here, they’re designing a face for their pumpkin - an activity full of natural and meaningful opportunities for communication : choosing their tools, problem-solving, asking questions, listening to others, exploring patterns , learning new vocabulary, advocating for their choices , regulating through movement and sound…
and more !

THIS is child-led speech & language development .
This is neurodiversity-affirming support.

PS: Notice how he’s sitting? They couldn’t do this in school. It was really important that he could do things his way, feel comfortable, and work things out on his own. With just a bit of guidance for safety, we’re trusting:

* the process
* that they know their body best
* that their brain is ready to learn
* that communication, literacy and learning can all develop in different ways
* that exploration and curiosity are more important than any adult imposed “outcome”

💌 Do you want ideas for joy-filled, child-led communication , language & literacy support ?
Hop onto my email list for inspiration and tips. Comment PUMPKIN 🎃 below and I’ll pop info over …

🎃👻🕷️

Address

Hereford

Telephone

+447788147805

Website

https://linktr.ee/LoisPena

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