NHS Tayside Speech Therapy - Adult Learning Disability & Mental Health

09/09/2025

💜Scottish Learning Disability Week 2025 💜

Today marks the beginning of Scottish Learning Disability Week from Monday, 8th September to Sunday, 14th September 2025. Dedicated to raising awareness, challenging stigma, and creating the voices, talents, and contributions of people living with a learning disability.

The theme this year is "I Am Here", a powerful and remarkable reminder that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, valued, listened to, and included for who they are.

To start off the week, I have published an article on Scottish Learning Disability Week, sharing my own experiences and reflections. I hope it sparks the conversations you may have and encourages other people to think about what true inclusion really means for you.

I will be sharing a lot more throughout the week, and I would love for you to join in the conversations, share your thoughts, and more to raise awareness about learning disabilities. Together, we can make sure that every voice is heard loud and clear.

You can read my article here:

https://www.notlostanymore.co.uk/my-blogs/scottish-learning-disability-week-2025-i-am-here-with-talent-time-and-ideas-

09/09/2025

09/09/2025

It's Scottish Learning Disability Week this week and the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities are sharing some amazing stories and resources!!

📢 WE’RE LIVE!

It’s officially the start of 💜

This week we’ll be sharing stories from people with learning disabilities across Scotland — celebrating inclusion, achievement and ambition.

Stay tuned for blogs, events and inspiring journeys all week long!

Tell us what you have planned – tag us

19/03/2025

Today is Swallowing Awareness Day!

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists has made up some resources that show signs and symptoms of dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) that you can look out for.

For more information visit the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists facebook, website, or follow the link below.

https://www.rcslt.org/events/swallowing-awareness-day-2025/

14/01/2025

Happy New Year everyone! 🥳

Why not start off the new year with some Makaton signing- starting with January!

Happy signing 😀

17/12/2024

Round the Christmas Tree! 🎄

A fun and festive game to make communication fun and accessible for everyone! Print off the instructions and sheets below and you'll be all set to start playing.

And if you watched our video from last week, you'll already know some of the signs! If not, go check it out for some signing support and even more Christmas fun!

Happy signing😁

10/12/2024

What better way to get in the festive spirit than by practicing some Christmas signs! 🎄

These signs are to support you all in using the Makaton advent calendar we shared last week, so if you missed that, be sure to go check it out for some Christmas signing fun! 🎅

Comment below to let us know what your favourite Christmas sign is😀

Get ready for Christmas and practice your signs alongside the video!😄

03/12/2024

Happy December everyone! 🎄

To get everyone in the holiday spirit, here are some signs you can start practicing and using!

Stay tuned next week for a video of the signs to help you on your merry way🎅

26/11/2024

This week we continue to think about people's communication needs. Have you ever seen a Big Mack button (pictured here). It is a piece of equipment that records a short message. It provides opportunity for people to join in socially when otherwise they may not have been able to do so. Have you used a Big Mack with someone before? If you have any cool ideas, let us know in the comments.

For some ideas for a Big Mack follow this link from Liberator Ltd - https://www.liberator.co.uk/blog/blog/2024/11/06/the-bigmack-and-its-many-uses/

Simple to program, with up to 2 minutes recording time and a large, bright activation area the BIGMack is an essential addition to your Low-Tech kit! The simplicity with which you can...

19/11/2024

Imagine you’re telling a funny story to some friends about the time your cat got stuck in the bath. You’re about to say the punch line, but your partner (who was also there) interrupts you mid-sentence, talks over you and tells it for you. How do you feel? Frustrated? Hurt? Like what you have to say isn’t important? All you needed was time to get your point across.

This is no different for someone who has a Communication Support Need (CSN). Communication takes longer for someone with a CSN, although this doesn’t mean they can’t get their point across. All they might need is a bit of extra time for this to happen.

Here’s a video of John and Ross discussing how they feel when this happens, with suggestions of how to improve communication when talking to someone with a CSN.

(Video made by © NHS Education for Scotland 2013 for the ‘Making Communication Even Better’ workbook.)

This is "Clip 7 vs3 sub" by NES on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

12/11/2024

Think of a time where you had to get creative to communicate. Imagine you’re trying to ask a friend if they want a drink across a crowded bar. You shout, but they can’t hear you. You mouth the words, but they can’t quite see. You then gesture taking a sip of a drink and they suddenly smile, then give you a thumbs up. You’ve got your message across – but in a different way than usual.

This is the same for someone with a communication support need (CSN). As someone with a CSN may find verbal communication difficult, they often become experts in all different kinds of communication, finding different communication strategies that work for them in order to get their point across.

This video shows what communication support systems work for Donald in helping him get his point across.

(Video made by © NHS Education for Scotland 2013 for the ‘Making Communication Even Better’ workbook.)