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.

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 …

🎃👻🕷️

30/10/2025

What if the scariest part of outdoor learning… is exclusion?

We often see AAC as available at home, or in a “classroom”, or while sat at a table.

But communication doesn’t stop when we step outside ~ and neither should access to alternative “voices” .

AAC can come into the woods (or park) just as easily as a water bottle or storybook.

An iPad fits in a small backpack. A robust case handles mud, drops, and weather.
A portable speaker lets a child “read aloud” with the group. And suddenly… story time becomes a place where every child can take part, speak a line, add sound effects, or choose the next twist in our spooky tale.

Tech isn’t a barrier to nature.
Tech is a bridge to belonging.

When we say “all children are welcome,” we have to mean all - including the ones who need AAC to be heard.

And it’s not just tech based AAC that we don’t always see out and about.
It’s signing, symbol boards, now/next visuals, chat about books , core boards < all the tiny tools that make communication possible.
All of these can be portable.
All of them can be weather-proofed.
All of them belong outdoors just as much as sticks, mud, and stories do.

Not sure how to offer alternative or augmentative communication during outdoor play?
Or have a question about making your sessions more inclusive?
Drop it below ⬇️

Or grab a spot on my weekly email drop - ideas, examples, and FAQs straight to your inbox. 🌿💬

29/10/2025

FREE Halloween language through play idea 💡 This was a favourite last year so I thought I’d share it again !

Powerful Potion Making in the Wild

This works brilliantly if your child is at a “storytelling” stage, but younger or quieter ones can join in by exploring and copying your ideas.

1. Start with a look at the book 👀 �Chat about the magical ingredients you spot.
2. Head outside�Invite your child to search for their own magical items.�Leaves, pebbles, flowers, twigs, seed pods… anything that sparks interest.�Give them a little bag or bucket to collect treasures.
3. Wonder together�As they pick things up, chat about what they might do.�“Ooh I wonder what this could do?”�“Look, I’ve found something that makes you super strong!”�Let their ideas lead and build on whatever they notice.
If they want a magic wand, suggest looking for a special stick.
4. Mix the potion�Find a “cauldron”. A bucket, bowl or even the inside of a hollow log works.�Drop each ingredient in with a magic word, a sound or a little action.�You can make up rhymes if you’re feeling playful.
Offer gentle prompts like�“Hmm what do you think those leaves might do?”�“Shall we look for something that turns X into Y?”
Use symbols or signs if they help your child join in.�If they love mark making, they could draw or “write” their own spell book too.

Why it’s fab ..
It’s naturally child led.�You can follow their ideas or invite them to come up with the magic.�There’s no right or wrong way to do it.
It boosts imagination and language because you’re chatting together about what you find and what each item could become.
And it gives them a sense of power and confidence as they lead the magic.
You can even do this inside with everyday objects if outdoors isn’t your thing.

Vocab ideas:
Names of the magical ingredients or the things they change�Describing words long, short, thick, thin, tiny, rough, smooth, spikey, soft, bumpy, smelly�Verbs stir, wave, mix, blow, stamp, jump, hop, find, look�Prepositions in, on, under, behind, next to, in front, on top, below
Love this ? Zoom on your broom over to my email list for weekly inspiration and behind the scenes tips I don’t post anywhere else !

That line of sticks, that pile of stones, that repeating pattern your child makes… it’s more than “just play.”Size & Com...
28/10/2025

That line of sticks, that pile of stones,
that repeating pattern your child makes… it’s more than “just play.”

Size & Comparison:
When children arrange objects, they’re noticing what’s big, small, heavy, light ~ quietly learning size and early maths.
✨ Tip: Scatter natural materials and let them explore freely.

Sequencing & Patterns:
Arranging in rows, spirals, or circles builds sequencing, memory, and problem-solving skills.

Sensory Regulation:
Repeating patterns, lining up, or creating piles can helpschildren regulate their nervous system

✨ Tip: Notice and maybe name what you see, but don’t interrupt.

Language & Concept Development:

Through pattern play, children are learning concepts like same/different, big/small, before/after ~ the building blocks of language and thinking.
✨ Tip: Narrate what you see with simple words: ‘This one is bigger’ / ‘You put the small stones first.’”

This pattern play teaches so many skills: maths, sensory processing, self-regulation, language & more !

Follow along for more ideas to support language & learning through life & play !

learningthroughplay

27/10/2025

We often hear how outdoor learning is child-led, but sometimes I think it’s really “adult-approved”

Forest school celebrates mud kitchens, sticks, and sensory play but says NO to screens.

Yet for some children, tech is a really important tool ~ for connection, communication, and self regulation.

Whether we think AAC devices, cameras, music, or even (🙈) gaming in the woods (hard I know) 👉🏻 they can all be part of outdoor play, part of belonging.

TRULY child-led learning means trusting their way, even when it doesn’t fit our picture of “nature play.” 🌿💻

AND making sure they have access to their VOICE in all settings.

Imagine being told you can’t speak while trying to join in a group activity. Maybe try it for a day and see how frustrating it can be .

How might outdoor learning look if we stopped saying “no tech” and started asking “what does this child need to thrive?”
Do you think tech has a space in outdoor play ?

The Importance of “No”What we all want for our children is to grow into independent, confident humans. People who can ma...
20/10/2025

The Importance of “No”

What we all want for our children is to grow into independent, confident humans.
People who can make their own choices and shape their own lives.

Communication is at the heart of that.
It’s how we express who we are, what we need, and where our boundaries lie.

That’s why it’s so vital that EVERY person, regardless of age or ability, has a way to show agency.

We often begin by helping children make simple choices.
But we sometimes forget to give them - or to honour - the chance to say “no”

And as they grow older, we can become uncomfortable with that no.

Often children are even punished for not complying.

But when we don’t listen to choices,
when we don’t listen to a “no”
when we don’t even offer a choice , an option to say no…

we teach them that:
their feelings aren’t valid,
their boundaries don’t matter,
and their voice can’t make a difference.

Let’s teach them instead that their voice ALWAYS matters.
That a “no” is not defiance - it’s communication, it’s selfhood, it’s human.

For some children, it starts with just having a WAY to say no.
Let’s make sure they do.
Let’s honour it when they use it…

and stay curious about what their no might be telling us . What do WE need to do to show them their no is valid.

👉🏻 How does your child show you their no?
If they’re non speaking do you include No in their symbols ?

Photo : shared with permission (staged for a No!)

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Website

https://linktr.ee/LoisPena

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