Happy Talk Speech and Language Therapy Ltd

14/02/2026

The Neurodevelopnental Pathway has been paused.

For any families or practitioners who are unaware of this information relating to ASD and ADHD assessments in the Lancashire and South Cumbria area.

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) have announced that from 2 February they will be pausing all new referrals and those currently on the pathway will not be seen.
There is currently no timescale for service resumption.
If this news affects you, you can feed back to Lancashire Parent Carer Forum or via Neurokins, whose next meeting will be on Tuesday 3rd March 11-12.30 at Fylde Cricket Club, Poulton if you need a chat and to let off steam.

31/01/2026

The CBeebies Parenting website (which now incorporates Tiny Happy People https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people) provides a wealth of tips, advice and ideas for games to help parents support their child's speech, language and communication skills.

Everyday chores at home can be used to develop a range of important speech, language and communication skills. Here is how you can make sorting the laundry a fun activity with lots of opportunities for language learning!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/articles/zmj3rj6

Making laundry into an interactive and chatty activity with your toddler. Can you get them to match socks and sort clothes into the right piles?

15/12/2025

Congratulations 👏 👏 to staff from 2 Primary Schools who have recently completed their Online Talk Boost KS1 training - provided by Anne from Happy Talk.

One Classroom Assistant commented:
"I really enjoyed the course, it has given me tools I need to confidently deliver these sessions in the future"

What is Talk Boost KS1?
“Talk Boost KS1 is a targeted programme for 4-7 year old children that need help with talking and understanding words…The programme is delivered in primary schools by classroom teachers and teaching assistants and provides a structured programme that boosts children’s progress in language and communication by an average of 9 – 18 months after a ten week intervention” (Speech & Language UK).

For more information: https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/educators-and-professionals/programmes-for-nurseries-and-schools/talk-boost/talk-boost-ks1/

Is your School interested in participating in Online Training for their staff to enable them to run Talk Boost KS1 groups?
If so, please contact us to arrange this.
Email: help@happy-talk.co.uk
Tel: +441253966116

Learn more about our programme, Talk Boost KS1, to help support children aged 4-7 behind on their speech and language.

20/11/2025

20/11/2025

Happy Talk Ltd are recruiting band 6 and band 7 Speech and Language Therapists for children and young peoples services in the North West. Term time and part time available. Also open to “Associates”.
If you are a qualified Speech and Language Therapist registered with the HCPC and interested in joining our supportive experienced team please contact us 01253 966116
Take a look at some of our services
https://happy-talk.co.uk/

Take a peek at some of our speech and language therapy services for children and young people.

09/10/2025

The theme of this year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week is
“Raising the Volume”.
It aims to highlight the stories of young people who have Dyslexia.
You can read about their experiences here:
https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/stories

Access resources for Schools here:
https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/support-us/awareness-events/ sign-up-for-daw-updates-4

The National Literacy Trust
(https://literacytrust.org.uk/)
provides lots of advice and activities for Parents/Caregivers to develop their child’s speaking, listening, reading and writing skills at home - organised across a wide range of ages.

These resources can be accessed through “Words for Life” (https://wordsforlife.org.uk/).

Activities and support for parents, children and young people to improve language, literacy and communication skills from home.

07/10/2025

🧠✨ It’s !
Today’s sign is “MORE” 👋➕

Whether you’re asking for more snacks, more fun, or more cuddles — this is a super useful sign to learn!
Swipe to see how it’s done, and give it a try! 🫶

06/10/2025

This week is Dyslexia Awareness Week (Monday 6 October to Sunday 12 October 2025) https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/news/ dyslexia-awareness-week-2025
What is Dyslexia?
“Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills” (British Dyslexia Association).
Having good oral language skills is important for literacy development. Since learning to read builds on good speech and language skills, research shows that children with poor speech and language development are at a greater risk of developing reading difficulties.
This short video explains Dyslexia: https://youtu.be/11r7CFlK2sc
You can find a Factsheet on Dyslexia here:

https://cdn.bdadyslexia.org.uk/uploads/documents/Downloadable-Resources/British-Dyslexia-Association-Dyslexia-Factsheet.pdf?v=1741472691

Find out about other people's experiences living with dyslexia and co-occurring differences

23/09/2025

🧠✨ Top 10 Tips for Building Phonological Awareness ✨🧠
Phonological awareness is a vital foundation for reading and spelling success. Here are 10 easy ways to boost those skills every day:
1. Play with rhymes – “Cat, hat, bat!” 🐱🎩
2. Clap out syllables – “Di-no-saur” gets 3 claps! 🦕👏
3. Sing nursery rhymes – Rhythm helps tune into sounds 🎶
4. Spot the first sound – “What sound does ‘sun’ start with?” ☀️
5. Blend sounds together – “C-A-T… What’s the word?” 🐾
6. Play ‘I spy’ with sounds – “I spy something beginning with /b/!” 🔍
7. Segment words – “Let’s break ‘dog’ into D-O-G” 🐶
8. Make silly rhymes – “Pig, wig, big… zig-zag-zig!” 🤪
9. Use sound boxes – One sound per box helps isolate phonemes 📦
10. Keep it fun and playful – That’s how kids learn best! 🎉

💬 Phonological awareness can be practiced anywhere, anytime – no fancy tools needed, just your voice and a little creativity! 🌟

19/09/2025

We’d be lost without our little furry friends here at Happy Talk! 🐾💛
They brighten our days and help us navigate the busiest weeks with calm and comfort.
Pets aren’t just cute—they’re amazing for reducing stress and anxiety.

11/09/2025

🍁Autumn is a great time for “Sensory Walks” and developing language. “Splash in the muddy puddles!” “Crunch the orange leaves!” “Find the shiny conkers!” “Smell the smoky bonfire!” “Listen to the noisy wind!”