Ruth Jones Speech and Language Therapy

03/03/2026

AAC promoting methods can be thought about in several ways and frameworks, least to most, most to least, aided language input, natural language input, hand over hand, backward chaining…

But what we have to really support ourselves, colleagues in settings and families to bring their awareness to are the unintentional messages that hand over hand prompting to teach AAC can bring for autistic children.

These methods can create stuck, prompt dependent communication, they can suck the joy from meaningful interactions.

True communication is initiated, spontaneous and meaningful. Grounded in connection, safety and trust.

Hand over hand teaching of AAC tools breaks many of thousands foundation principles.

It’s yet another thing I find myself reflecting on, unlearning, relearning and creating space to support others to reflect on too.

26/02/2026

https://open.spotify.com/show/5Qd95RTOlszgO6HxJjajclThe next episode is out today! We answer the question 'where can I get an AAC device?

📱 Thinking about getting an AAC device for your child?
It’s not just about the device—it’s about ensuring it fits your needs!

In our recent podcast episode, we break down tips on choosing the right AAC device and the importance of protective accessories.

Listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrSqjGmKhtv52CP-Hh79HqimnSkkpMPdp

https://open.spotify.com/show/5Qd95RTOlszgO6HxJjajcl

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aac-access-all-areas/id1854455010

What features do you think are essential in an AAC device? Let’s discuss in the comments!

24/02/2026

14/02/2026

13/02/2026

We have space for young people to join us for 121 mentoring.

At GROVE, mentoring is built on deep autism knowledge and intentionally neuro-affirming approaches.

Our Mentors are highly qualified autism specialists - within our team we hold PGCerts, BAs, MAs and even PhDs in autism. In fact, we train others on autism and supporting Autistic children and teens.

And alongside that specialist knowledge - we are all Autistic ourselves.

Both of those things matter.

We believe that supporting Autistic young people well requires more than being friendly, relatable or sharing an interest. Although of course those things are helpful too!

It requires:
• A deep understanding of Autistic experience
• Neuro-affirming foundations (not behaviourist ones)
• The ability to adapt thoughtfully, safely and ethically

Our Mentors are intentionally neuro-affirming, reflective and grounded in both lived experience and rigorous study. This makes our mentoring unique.

We also don’t mentor through one set method. We adapt what we do and how we do it to suit your young person.

Recently, mentoring has included:

• Playfully mapping sensory profiles
• Exploring likes, dislikes, similarities and differences
• Building language and frameworks to understand lived experience

And that has happened through:
🎮 Gaming
🎨 Arts and crafts
🎵 Music
🐾 Talking about pets
📸 Sharing photos and stories
🔎 Deep-diving into interests

Our Mentors have availabilty.

We are registered with various Local Authorities for Section 19 provision and EOTAS/EOTIS and will expand that this year.

Have a look at our website to learn more!

13/02/2026

I love this feature of Grid Supercore. It feels like a really useful week, this children’s mental health week, to think about how we could create prompts and different social stories and support conversations around mental health with AAC users.

Communication and talking about mental health isn’t easy, and often for lots of children and young people using AAC tools will be helpful.

I have spent many times sat in corridors writing on whiteboards and drawing pictures to try and support a child to talk through something that’s bothering them, when spoken words feel too much.

We can also use it to promote mental health and well-being and maintaining mental health and well-being, by accessing and programming vocabulary around regulation and self advocacy.

Using spelling to create saved notes can create some key coaching and support tools for children young people.

Did you know Grid could do this?

12/02/2026

Next Episode Out Today!

Ali and I chat about the various AAC applications that are out there.

This was a really good chat, we both get lots of questions about which app do I choose, how do I know? So hopefully this episode will give people a bit more information, reassurance and understanding.

Have you listened? We would love a review on your preferred platform!

11/02/2026

We as therapists cannot work effectively in a silo, it’s a team approach.

Communication isn’t for 60 minutes once a week, term time only. It’s all day, everyday, from the waking moment to the last before sleep.

The environment and support within it matters so much, and therapy often becomes ineffective if the other parts of the jigsaw don’t help the whole picture fall into place.

I want to explain something that often gets completely misunderstood.

Speech and Language Therapy does not work without the right staff in place.
Especially not for children with complex autism and high support needs.

For minimally speaking autistic children, communication is not something that happens for an hour a week in a “session”.
It happens or fails to happen, across the entire waking day.

As an SLT, I can assess, plan, model and guide.
But I cannot make progress unless there are trained, consistent adults implementing that support moment by moment.

For children like this:

* communication is often non-typical (movement, behaviour, music, sensory actions, regulation)
* frustration escalates quickly if communication is misunderstood
* learning depends on trust, safety and predictability
* skills must be **generalised across people, places and routines**

This means staff must understand:

* how to recognise all forms of communication as valid
* how to model AAC and alternative communication consistently
* how sensory regulation and communication are inseparable
* how to work within low-arousal, relational approaches
* how to support personal care, eating, risk and regulation safely

Untrained or generic staff cannot do this.
Good intentions are not enough.

Without specialist staff:

* therapy plans sit in files
* AAC devices go unused
* communication attempts are missed or misinterpreted
* frustration increases
* progress stalls or reverses

This is why waking-day provision matters.
This is why 24-hour consistency matters.
This is why you cannot simply “send in an agency”.

When Local Authorities approve therapy but fail to approve or provide suitable staffing, they are setting the child and the therapy up to fail.

And then families are blamed for lack of “progress”.

That is not how communication development works.
And it is not how evidence-based practice works.

If we want real outcomes, we have to stop pretending therapy can exist without the people who make it real.

Children deserve better than that.