Go Talking Ways

07/11/2025

You might have a child in your class who is a Gestalt Language Processor, and not even realise it.

GLP’s learn language in “chunks” or phrases before breaking it down into single words.
It’s natural. It’s beautiful.
And it means that “copying” or echolalia isn’t random… it’s a form of communication.

In the classroom, Gestalt Language Processors can thrive when we:
🌱 Use declarative language instead of constant questioning.
🎵 Include movement and sensory experiences in the day.
🧠 Allow time and silence for processing.
💬 Recognise that scripts, chapters from books, emotive phrases and song lyrics are meaningful.
🤝 Collaborate with speech and language therapists and parents to decode and affirm communication.

These strategies don’t require more planning or paperwork, just curiosity and connection.

If you’re in education and want to learn more about Gestalt Language Processing in schools, I offer school-based speech and language therapy, SEND support, and staff training in Birmingham and online.

💛 DM me “GESTALT” to find out how we can create truly communication-affirming classrooms.

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Steph | Go Talking Ways

07/11/2025

When parents come into clinic, I can almost see it on their faces , that look of:
“Are we really just going to sit on the floor?” 😅

And yes, sometimes we do.
Because what might look unstructured from the outside is actually a very intentional process.

Every movement, sound, pause, and choice in those early sessions is data.
I’m tuning into a child’s sensory profile, their emotional regulation, and how they naturally communicate.

For Gestalt Language Processors, those “random” phrases or songs often carry deep meaning, they’re language in its earliest form.
For autistic children, movement and sensory exploration aren’t distractions; they’re communication.
And for all children, connection and safety are the foundation of learning.

In my nearly 20 years as a Speech and Language Therapist in Birmingham, I’ve learned that therapy isn’t about control or compliance, it’s about curiosity, co-regulation, and communication.

Child-led therapy isn’t unstructured.
It’s responsive.
It’s neuroscience, play, and empathy rolled into one.

If you’d like to experience neurodiversity-affirming speech and language therapy that truly honours your child’s individuality, whether in-person in my movement &play space or online, DM me “CHILD-LED” and let’s talk.

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Steph | Go Talking Ways

05/11/2025

This is a really hot topic!! 💬🎤✨

I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

04/11/2025

I’ve been working with a young person recently whose communication profile has really made me stop and think. At first glance, their language seemed fluent, social, even self-generated, but as I listened more closely, I started to notice familiar patterns. Phrases and scripts that reappeared across sessions. Gestalts.

And that’s when it clicked.
This learner wasn’t avoiding communication; they were using Gestalt language to stay safe.

If you know about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), or as some prefer, Pervasive Drive for Autonomy, you’ll know that these children often experience a huge need for control and autonomy, especially when their nervous system is under stress. And when you layer Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) on top of that, language becomes so much more than words.

I started noticing that their Gestalts (those borrowed or mitigated phrases) were doing a job, sometimes several jobs at once:
💬 For safety: predictable scripts helped lower uncertainty and regulate their sensory system.
💬 For control: rehearsed phrases helped them manage demands and hold autonomy.
💬 For connection: they used familiar lines as easy wins when spontaneous language felt too risky.
💬 For masking: those “social” phrases were easier, safer, more fluent than trying to create something new.

It reminded me that every phrase, even the ones that sound abrupt or “off-script”, has a function. And when we stop taking language at face value and instead ask, “What is this phrase doing for them?” we can finally meet the child where they are.

For me as a speech and language therapist, that’s the real work, to understand, not to correct. To look through a sensory and neurodiversity-affirming lens, not a compliance one.

Because when we honour scripts, when we give empathy and safety before expectation, we build trust.
And that’s when communication truly grows! 🧡

Steph | Go Talking Ways

04/11/2025

If your child echoes phrases, repeats TV lines, or talks in long chunks of language that don’t always seem to “fit” the situation, that could be a sign of Gestalt Language Processing (GLP).

✨ GLP is a natural way of developing language, often seen in autistic and neurodivergent children, but it can happen for anyone. Instead of learning single words first, GLPs learn whole chunks or scripts, then slowly break those chunks apart and rebuild them into their own original sentences.

What looks like “copying” is actually communication, rich with emotion, rhythm, and connection. And what’s often labelled as ‘disordered’ is a very natural way of developing language, with its own stages, timelines and evidence base.

As a Speech and Language Therapist in Birmingham with near 20 years of experience, I specialise in supporting Gestalt Language Processors through connection-led, play-based, and sensory-informed therapy, helping families understand and respond to their child’s natural language journey.

💬 If you think your child might be a Gestalt Language Processor, you’re not alone.
DM me the word GESTALT to find out more and book your free 20minute enquiry call to get a clear plan and next steps to support your child’s wonderful language journey.

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Steph | Go Talking Ways

03/11/2025

Sunday nights can be tough… believe me I know, especially for neurodivergent children who are already stretched thin by a world that doesn’t always understand them.

If your child gets anxious before school, can’t sleep, or melts down before Monday, it’s not defiance, it’s dysregulation. Their nervous system is communicating that school feels unsafe or unpredictable.

As a Speech and Language Therapist in Birmingham, I’ve seen what a difference it makes when we bring a sensory lens and connection-first approach to the classroom and to home routines.

💛 Regulation before learning.
💛 Connection before compliance.
💛 Understanding before intervention.

If you’d like to get clear on how to support your child’s communication and emotional regulation, at home or in school, message me! I’ve been waiting for you! My Parent Power Hour is a great place to start. A 60min chat just for you. We’ll look at what your child’s responses are really telling you and build a plan that supports both of you.

DM me SUPPORT or tap the link in my bio to visit my website and WhatsApp me.

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Steph | Go Talking Ways

30/10/2025

In the UK, Speech and Language Therapists are HCPC-registered healthcare professionals with degree-level training… and we’re governed by strict professional standards.

🧠 We don’t just “help with talking”.
We assess and support communication, speech sounds, language, fluency, voice, swallowing, sensory needs, AAC, Makaton, and more.

In order to assess and provide evidence-based speech, language and communication advice, recommendations and therapy, a clinician needs to be HCPC-registered or RCSLT-accredited, along with being a qualified Speech and Language Therapist. It’s not about gatekeeping… it’s about safety and quality.

I’m proud to be a highly experienced, Speech and Language Therapist in Birmingham, specialising in:
✨ Gestalt Language Processing
🌿 Sensory integration
💬 AAC & Makaton
💛 Trauma-informed, connection-led, play based therapy

If you’re looking for qualified speech and language therapy in Birmingham or online parent coaching DM me ‘Hi’… let’s start you and your child’s communication journey confidently.



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Steph | Go Talking Ways

30/10/2025

It’s 2am. You’re scrolling, worrying, wondering if you’re missing something.
“Should my child be talking more?”
“Is it speech delay? Autism? Gestalt Language Processing? Something else?”

Stop. Breathe. You’ve found the right place. 💛

My Parent Power Hour is a life line, a one-to-one online session designed to cut through the noise and bring you the clarity you’ve been searching for.
No generic advice. No “wait and see”.
Just real, informed, tailored support for your child.

✨ With nearly 20 years’ experience as a Speech and Language Therapist, I specialise in:
🧩 Gestalt Language Processing: understanding your child’s natural style of language development
🌿 Sensory Integration & Regulation: because a calm nervous system is the foundation for communication
💛 Play based, Connection-led therapy: no compliance, no pressure, just trust and relationship
💬 Makaton & AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication): supporting all communication modalities
🌈 Parent coaching that works: practical, evidence-informed strategies you can actually use at home

I’m also a parent to a neurodivergent child, so I understand the overwhelm, the questions, and the joys. You are not alone in this.

In one Power Hour, you’ll leave with:
✅ A clear understanding of what’s happening for your child
✅ Bespoke strategies that honour how they learn and process
✅ A roadmap that actually feels doable and aligned with your family life

This isn’t “just an online chat”.
It’s a transformational, expert-led session that helps you stop spiralling, and start supporting.

If you’re ready for clarity and calm instead of confusion and comparison,
➡️ DM me the word POWER to book your Parent Power Hour.
You’ll leave saying, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

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Steph | Go Talking Ways

30/10/2025

After nearly two decades as a Speech and Language Therapist, I’ve learned this:
✨ The biggest shifts in a child’s communication don’t come from fancy toys or worksheets.
They come from connection.

The families who see the fastest progress do these three things:
1️⃣ Follow their child’s lead
2️⃣ Model language naturally (not test it)
3️⃣ Focus on connection, not correction

That’s it. Simple… but not easy when you’re juggling a hundred other things.
That’s why my Parent Power Hour exists: one focused online session to help you understand what’s really happening for your child, and how to support their communication in a way that feels doable and real-life friendly.

💛 I’ll help you figure out what your child’s communication is telling you
💬 You’ll leave with a clear, tailored plan (no jargon, no overwhelm)
🎯 And you’ll feel confident you’re focusing on the things that actually matter

If you’re ready to swap confusion for clarity…
➡️ DM me the word POWER to book your Parent Power Hour. Or head to my bio for more info about me, initial assessments and online support.

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Steph | Go Talking Ways

10/11/2024