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The Speech Den

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The Speech Den

Independent Speech and Language Therapy

03/03/2026

Part 1 of a 3-part series on evidence-based practice and its role in supporting non-speakers and gestalt language processors.

02/03/2026

There are strategies I used to model all the time in therapy.

Word closure. Sentence completion. Carefully timed pauses to prompt a response.
Questions both open ended and choice questions

As my understanding of Gestalt Language Processing deepened, I realised something important:
If a child processes language in chunks, prompting for a missing word may not support meaning, it may interrupt it.

So I changed what I model.

Less extraction. More connection.
Less pressure for output. More rich, emotionally relevant language in real moments.

This isn’t about rejecting old strategies.
 It’s about aligning practice with processing.

I’m curious…what’s something you’ve stopped doing as your understanding has evolved?

27/02/2026

Massive news for the GLP community.

Dr Jaime Hoerricks has published an extraordinary article:
 “The Script is Not the Silence: Autotheory of a GLP Mind in a Pathologized World.”

This isn’t just a paper about Gestalt Language Processing.

It’s a reclamation.

A reframing of scripting not as delay, not as dysfunction, but as authorship. As survival. As method.

Jaime weaves lived experience, theory, poetry and critical disability scholarship to challenge the idea that language must be linear, analytic, and neatly measurable to be valid.

One line that has stayed with me:

“We do not arrive in parts of speech. We arrive whole.”

This piece asks us to reconsider what counts as communication.
 Who gets to be understood.
 And what we may have mistaken for silence.

GLP is not a problem to be solved. It is a tempo. A landscape. A kinship.

If you work in education, therapy, research this is essential reading.

And if you are a GLP, or love one this is recognition.

Find the link to the article in my bio.

Congratulations, Jaime. This is incredible ❤️

26/02/2026

On Sunday, I recorded a podcast with Dr Jaime Horriecks about the questions we should be asking in research…the episode is now live on Jaime’s Substack.

Research that comes from within lived experience is not just valuable, it’s essential.

This work isn’t about proving someone exists or justifying their needs. It’s about shifting the lens. Moving away from “fixing” individuals and toward improving the environments we all share.

Real progress begins with curiosity and the courage to ask why.
 It grows through leadership that focuses on helping things go right.

When we design spaces, systems and conversations that truly consider lived experience, we don’t just support individuals we create environments where everyone has the chance to thrive.

Gestalt Language Processing reflects that not all communication develops word-by-word. Some language grows in meaningful chunks first…scripts, phrases, patterns…and gradually becomes more flexible over time.

That’s not broken language.

It’s a different developmental pathway.

Research that comes from inside lived experience matters deeply here.

It’s not about proving that GLP exists. It’s not about debating whether someone’s communication is “real.” It’s about widening the frame.

Instead of asking, “How do we fix this child’s language?” We might ask, “What environment helps this child’s language flourish?”

Instead of dismissing scripts, we can get curious about meaning. Instead of correcting, we can model. Instead of narrowing, we can expand.

When we listen to autistic voices, observe patterns carefully, and design supportive environments rather than compliance-driven ones, we create conditions where communication can evolve naturally.
❤️

24/02/2026

“This is what changed my SLT life.”

Discovering Meaningful Speech completely shifted how I understand and support gestalt language processors. It challenged what I thought I knew. It helped me unlearn and it gave me a framework that finally made sense.

The penny dropped.

This week turns 5!

Five years of changing conversations. Five years of growing a community. Five years of helping us support GLPs in ways that truly align with how they process language.

To celebrate, they’re offering 25% off everything on their website with the code FIVEYEARS.

There are also some brilliant updates: 🌟 The GLP Handbook is now in English & Spanish 🌟 Separate Parent & Professional versions 🌟 Intake forms now included in the Professional Handbook 🌟 Updated AAC for GLPs course with new TD Snap and LAMP bonus modules.

If you’ve been curious…unsure…or waiting for the right time to deepen your understanding of gestalt language processing then this could be it.

It genuinely changed my practice and continues to shape how I learn and evolve as an SLT ❤️

19/02/2026

We are so grateful to Speech Apraxia UK 🇬🇧
for yet another CPD Opportunity…Rapid Syllable Transition (ReST) Treatment ✨🗣️

If you support children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), this is a brilliant opportunity to deepen your knowledge in an evidence-based intervention.

Its happening on 23rd March | 9:30am–12:30pm GMT and is led by Donna Thomas, Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment Team, Sydney, Australia

ReST (Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment) is an intensive, research-backed speech therapy approach designed to improve motor planning and speech clarity for children with apraxia.

Developed and pioneered by the research team at the University of Sydney, ReST has a strong evidence base and is widely recognised as an effective treatment for CAS.

Many children with complex speech profiles, including some GLPs, may also experience apraxia, so understanding motor-based intervention approaches is essential.

If you’re looking to strengthen your knowledge in CAS and evidence-informed practice, this is one to book onto.

Book your place through Eventbrite ❤️

17/02/2026

📣 Calling all Speech & Language Therapists!!! 👋

🌈 The Speech Den are RECRUITING - we’re looking for passionate Band 5 SLTs to join our small but dynamic team here in Gloucestershire! 💜

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children and young people?
 Do you want to work somewhere that truly values neurodiversity-affirming practice, collaboration, and creativity?

💬 Here’s what we offer:
 ✨ A supportive, forward-thinking team ✨ Varied and rewarding caseload across early years, primary & secondary settings ✨ Regular supervision & CPD opportunities ✨ Exceptionally flexible working hours - term time only, part-time or full-time ✨ Excellent rates of pay ✨ Opportunities to shape and develop affirming practice

We’re looking for SLTs who love what they do - who want to grow, share ideas, and help create inclusive communication environments where every child can thrive.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!
 Please email me (Cathy) at cathy@thespeechden.com or apply via uk.indeed.com ❤️

Address

Cheltenham
GL51

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 3pm

Telephone

+447876537213

Website

http://www.thespeechden.com/, https://registration.glpconference.co.uk/glp25

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