Thinking in Shades of Grey Ltd

07/11/2025

Join me for my 5 Day Co-regulation Masterclass. Live on Facebook. Starting Monday, 10th, through Friday, 15th November, at 8pm GMT each day. Please send me a message or an email for the link😊

01/11/2025

💞 The Missing Piece of Connection

For years, I tried everything to help my autistic daughter build friendships, social stories, skills groups, playdates… even running small holiday clubs from home.

But despite all the effort, her interactions stayed at the same surface level, predictable, scripted, and disconnected.

Then, when she was 12½, I discovered RDI and co-regulation, and everything changed.

That’s when I realised what had been missing all along: the foundation for true connection.

Co-regulation is the social dance of “me and you” — where we move, think, and respond together. It’s how motivation to connect naturally grows.

This discovery transformed how I understood my daughter’s world, and how I now support other parents to rebuild that foundation with their own children.

✨ I’m inviting you to join me for a free 5-Day Coregulation Masterclass (Live on Facebook from Monday 10th November).
Over five days, I’ll guide you through how co-regulation develops, why it matters, and how you can begin to nurture it with your autistic child — in everyday moments.

If you’d love to understand how to help your child move from scripted to authentic connection, send me a quick message and I’ll share the sign-up details with you. 💬

Let’s rediscover the joy of connection — together. 💞

28/10/2025

💙The Missing Piece: Co-Regulation

Many parents tell me their autistic child struggles with self-regulation, emotions, or finding it hard to make friends.

What often gets missed is that self-regulation doesn’t start with the child. It grows from co-regulation, those moments when we, as adults, share calm, connection, and safety with them.

When a child can feel our steady presence and rhythm, their body begins to learn what calm feels like. That’s what helps emotions settle and social connection to grow.

So, before we focus on “managing behaviour” or “teaching emotional control,” we start with connection, with co-regulation.
Because connection is what makes everything else possible. 💙

25/10/2025

PACT strengthens a child’s sense of agency. 💫

Children learn to initiate interactions, communicate needs, and engage in meaningful exchanges. Every subtle signal matters, and adults are trained to notice, reflect, and celebrate these moments.

Over time, this builds confidence, stronger relationships, and reduced distress-related behaviors—key foundations for lifelong learning and wellbeing.

Explore PACT’s proven benefits for children https://www.pacttraining.co.uk/information-for-parents/

14/10/2025

🌿 When connection leads the way… change can last. 🌿

I often speak with parents who tell me, “I just want to feel more connected with my child.”
That longing to understand them more deeply, to share more moments together, is something I hear time and time again.

That’s why I love Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT).

✨ In research led by the University of Manchester, families who took part in the original PACT trial saw real, lasting improvements in their child’s communication and interaction. And here’s the part that really matters:
👉 those changes were still there six years later.

🧠 Just to be clear, this doesn’t mean a child stops being autistic.
It means:
💬 They’re able to express themselves more clearly.
🌱 Interaction and flexibility become a little easier.
🤝 And shared moments of connection happen more often.

PACT doesn’t try to change who a child is. It helps parents tune in and validate their child’s interests and exploration… so communication can grow in a way that feels safe, natural, and respectful.

If this speaks to you… if you’ve been longing for more connection and want something evidence-based yet deeply nurturing… I’d love to invite you to a gentle, parent-friendly workshop where I’ll share more about PACT and how it can help your family. 💚

📅 Friday 17 October at 10am GMT
📍 on Zoom
🔗 message or email me for the Zoom link

“You already hold the key to connection. PACT helps you unlock it in new ways.”

11/10/2025

🌿When every day feels like walking on eggshells… connection can feel out of reach. But small shifts can change everything. 💛

When M’s parents first got in touch with me, they were running on empty.

They adored their 14-year-old son, but home had become a place of tiptoeing and tension. M spoke in scripts and familiar phrases, repeating the same lines over and over. Any small change in routine felt huge for him, and their days revolved around keeping everything steady to avoid him becoming upset and dysregulated.

He wasn’t physically aggressive, but when overwhelmed, his distress came out in scripted, threatening phrases, phrases he didn’t fully understand, but that others might. Mum’s fear was clear and raw: “What if someone doesn’t understand him? What if he gets labelled, or worse?”

When they began their PACT journey with me, our focus wasn’t on changing M.
It was about building trust.
🌿 Trust that his parents wouldn’t unknowingly place demands on him.
🌿 Trust in themselves to slow down, follow his lead, and meet him where he was.
🌿 Trust in connection as the foundation.

And slowly, something shifted.
His scripting softened. His body relaxed. Moments of connection, brief at first, began to grow. Play became shared. Eye contact lingered just that little bit longer. And that tightrope feeling the family had been living with began to ease.

His parents talk now about how much calmer their home feels. They trust themselves again. And M is opening up, in his own way, at his own pace.

If you see your own child in M’s story… if you’ve been holding your breath, waiting for the next moment to go wrong… please know, there is another way.

💛 Join my upcoming talk to discover how PACT can support your family to reconnect, build trust and bring more ease into daily life.
🗓 17th October
⏰ 10:00 am GMT
📍 Online via Zoom

This is where hope begins. 💛
👉 Message or email me for the Zoom link

06/10/2025

Empowering Families, Transforming Communication

Did you know that children thrive when the adults around them truly understand their unique ways of communicating? 🌟

PACT (Parent-mediated Autism Communication Therapy) works with the adults, not directly with the child. Using video feedback, parents, teachers, and caregivers learn to notice subtle signals, reflect on interactions, and adapt in ways that amplify the child’s strengths.

It’s not about teaching, testing, or directing—it’s about observation, reflection, and guided discovery. Adults gain confidence, and children gain agency, communication skills, and connection.

Learn more about how PACT supports families and professionals at www.info@pacttraining.co.uk" rel="ugc" target="_blank">www.info@pacttraining.co.uk

01/10/2025

This is why I love my work ❤️

Healing Story

One mom shares:

🌱 “Traditional therapy felt like it was breaking his spirit. With PACT, play became our connection. Now, my son is thriving—with friends, sports, and joy.”

This is the power of relational support.