Go Talking Ways

Go Talking Ways Speech & Language Therapist specialising in Neurodiversity & Gestalt Language Processing.

27/01/2026

Let me say this like I would to a friend over coffee ☕️

Language grows and develops when a child feels safe, regulated, and connected.

When the nervous system isn’t in fight-or-flight.
When someone is following their lead, not testing them.
When language is modelled, not demanded.

This is why so many parents tell me:

“They know the words… but they won’t use them”.

Because knowing language and accessing language are two very different things.

In my work as a paediatric Speech & Language Therapist in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham and all over the West Midlands, I focus on:
• connection before expectation
• regulation before words
• modelling language in real, meaningful moments
• play, movement and shared attention, not performance

That’s how communication grows naturally, especially for children who are:
– late talkers
– Gestalt language processors
– non or minimally speaking
– neurodivergent

If flashcards, questions and asking your child to ‘say the word’ hasn’t worked… it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. It’s because language doesn’t develop when it’s demanded.

📍Speech & Language Therapist | Birmingham
Nearly 20 years supporting children who communicate differently.

💬 If this feels like the missing piece, drop me a DM. I’m always happy to talk it through.

⸻

Steph | Go Talking Ways

26/01/2026

Behind the scenes 🎥

When I say I use a connection-based approach, this is what I mean.

It’s not about testing.
It’s not about compliance.
And it’s definitely not about forcing words.

It’s about understanding how a child’s nervous system, sensory system and relationships shape communication, and creating the right conditions for language to grow.

This work is grounded in neuroscience, child development and play… but always led by connection first.

If this approach feels aligned with how you see your child… you’re not alone 🤍

📍Paediatric Speech & Language Therapist | Birmingham
Supporting children who communicate differently… and the parents walking the journey with them.

⸻

Steph | Go Talking Ways

25/01/2026

The moment you become a parent, the worrying starts, doesn’t it?

Are they eating enough?
Sleeping enough?
Playing enough?
Talking enough?
Watching too much screen time?
Not talking enough?

And if your child is on a communication journey, non-speaking, minimally speaking, neurodivergent, or language development just feels harder, that mental load can feel relentless.

Here’s the thing I wish more parents were told in speech & language therapy:

➡️ You don’t need to do more. You just need to see it differently.

Real communication growth doesn’t come from drilling flashcards, buying more toys, or turning every moment into a “learning opportunity”.

It comes from:
• connection over correction
• regulation before expectation
• following your child’s lead (that’s information, not permissiveness)
This is nurture! The foundation of all new skills learnt.

When your nervous system softens, your child’s often can too.
When the pressure drops, communication has space to emerge. That’s just science!

Some gentle wins you can take today:
✨ turn questions into comments
✨ follow your child’s instead of directing them
✨ notice what lights them up, that’s where language lives. Model language alongside play that is joy!

You are not failing.
You are not missing something.
And you are already your child’s biggest resource, just by being you.

💬 If this resonates and you’re carrying a lot right now, you don’t have to do it alone.
Drop me a DM, I’d love to support your child’s communication and you.

⸻

Steph | Go Talking Ways

19/01/2026

They call today Blue Monday…
but honestly? Blue Monday doesn’t exist.

If you’re navigating real challenges … school battles, communication worries, sensory overwhelm … sadness doesn’t follow a calendar. It can feel like a week. A month. A year. Years.

So here’s me dancing in my clinic instead.
Not to fix anything.
Just to remind you that even in the hard stuff, there are glimmers. Movement. Music. Connection.

And fun fact… movement + music = regulation.
For children. For parents. For therapists too.

If today feels heavy, take this as permission to find one small moment that feels light … even if it’s just putting Blue Monday on and dancing it out. (The irony is this song does actually make you feel better).

You’re not failing.
You’re human.
And connection always counts.

💛

Steph | Go Talking Ways

17/01/2026

There are times when this question pops up.

I used to really feel conflicted by it… but now I see it as a great opportunity to educate. As a speech and language therapists practicing for nearly 20years, I know we’ve all be asked this question.

So if a parent observes a therapy session and asks:
“So… is this it? Is this just play?”

Here’s the truth every parent of a neurodivergent, minimally-speaking or Gestalt Language Processing child deserves to know:

🌟 Play isn’t the break from therapy.
Play is the therapy.

And while it may look unstructured, here’s what’s actually happening every second:

✨ I’m reading your child’s sensory profile
✨ Tracking their regulation + nervous system state
✨ Listening for gestalts, intonation patterns + emerging language
✨ Noticing motor planning + speech-motor coordination
✨ Watching how they invite me in or set boundaries
✨ Observing their whole-body communication
✨ Taking a live language sample
✨ Adjusting the environment for safety + co-regulation

At the same time, I’m also:
✔️ Modelling natural language models (GLP-friendly)
✔️ Using declarative language
✔️ Responding to communicative intent, not compliance
✔️ Using AAC, visuals + gesture as standard
✔️ Supporting motor planning for speech
✔️ Creating the conditions for connection → regulation → language

This isn’t random.
This isn’t passive.
This isn’t “letting them do whatever they want”.

This is neurodiversity-affirming speech and language therapy that actually works for children who struggle with:

• high demands
• sensory overwhelm
• masking
• fight/flight responses
• unreliable speech
• apraxia / motor planning challenges
• Gestalt Language Processing

If their nervous system doesn’t feel safe, language cannot land.
So yes, therapy may look quiet, playful, flexible and child-led…

But that’s because your child’s natural style, not my plan, decides the session.

Connection first. Sensory safety first. Regulation first.
THEN language. Always.

If you want to understand what child-led, sensory-informed, GLP-aligned therapy could look like for your child, you can book a free 20-minute call, link in bio or message me.

Steph | Go Talking Ways

16/01/2026

£200 million for SEND sounds big… until you do the maths. Let’s talk about what this actually means for our kids.

16/01/2026

What does connection actually have to do with speech therapy I hear you cry?

As a Speech & Language Therapist based in Birmingham, with nearly 20 years’ experience, this is why my work always starts with connection and regulation first ⬇️

Before a child can access communication, their brain needs the right conditions.

Learning any skill, including language and communication, relies on the integration of the sensory systems:
Communication is a brain–body skill.
Before a child can access language, their sensory systems need to feel organised enough to engage… movement, sound, touch, body awareness, internal cues all working together.

🧠 Neuroscience shows us that regulated brains learn better.
🤍 Connection is attunement - being seen, followed, understood.
🌱 Regulation creates the space where language can wire in, not be forced out.

This isn’t about “doing nothing” or waiting for words.
It’s about creating the conditions where communication can emerge, through play, movement, shared engagement, safety and joy.

I work with children who learn and communicate with differences, and with parents who want:
• a holistic, neuroaffirming approach
• to understand why their child communicates the way they do
• to be actively involved in their child’s communication journey

If you believe communication is more than ticking boxes or chasing words,
you’re in the right place.

📩 If this resonates, send me a DM.
Connection is where progress begins.

⸻

Steph | Go Talking Ways

Address

Queslett Road East
Sutton Coldfield
B742EZ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 1pm

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