Communication Exchange - Independent Speech & Language Therapy

19/02/2025

11/11/2024

A helpful visual for explaining how aspects of can present in the classroom and at home

Our 'DLD Bubble' resource is an eye catching way to explain the features of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). Please share it widely. It would make a great addition to a presentation or a notice board.

Please note that this is a general guide, designed to raise awareness, and that DLD presents very differently in different people. If you are concerned that you or someone you know may have DLD then please consult professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists/ Speech-Language Pathologists.

To download the resource go to:
https://radld.org/dld-awareness-day/resources-media-ideas/teacher-kit/

04/11/2024

New Online Training for Parents/Carers: Understanding and Supporting your Child

We have some spaces available on our new Parent/Carers sessions starting this week. Understanding and Supporting Your Child, is a two session input for parents currently waiting for assessment from CAMHS and for those who may have questions about some areas of their child's development. As parents/carers, if we have a good understanding of our child's challenges, we can put in strategies now to support our child's development. Anxiety can be high, but with a good understanding, we can significantly reduce this in a proactive and preventive way by adapting environments to better suit a child's needs.

Booking via Eventbrite:

Wednesday 6th & 13th November 6.00 - 7.30pm
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1059904375519?aff=oddtdtcreator

Wednesday 20th &27th November 12.30 - 2.00pm
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1059525773109?aff=oddtdtcreator

03/09/2024

This is a great tool...How would you fill in this wheel?
https://livedexperienceeducator.com/blog/thespectrumofexecutivefunction

27/08/2024

All about the protective factors or conditions that make the difference to a young person who is tries more than you realise

12/08/2024

Brilliant check-in before an ‘ask’ 👍

This is good! Interoception at work here! This plays a major role in EF skills. https://www.theottoolbox.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-interoception/

12/08/2024

Did you know that proprioception can significantly enhance attention, focus, and other executive functioning skills? Proprioceptive activities, like the options in the image, provide deep pressure input that helps regulate the nervous system. https://www.theottoolbox.com/proprioception-sensory-activities/

Heavy work input through the proprioceptive system can be calming and organizing, making it easier for individuals to concentrate and stay on task. Engaging in these exercises can improve body awareness, which is crucial for planning and executing movements effectively. https://www.theottoolbox.com/proprioception-activities-improves-body-awareness/

By integrating proprioceptive activities into daily routines, individuals can experience better self-regulation, reduced stress, and enhanced cognitive functions, leading to improved performance in academic and everyday tasks.

💚Image lists proprioception ideas: Wall push ups, hand squeezes, jumping jacks, animal walks, chair push ups, obstacle courses, deep breathing, weighted blankets, resistance tunnel, weighted ball use, therapy band exercises, burrito roll in in a blanket, stomping, planks, joint compression, therapy ball activities, massage, crab walks, bear walks, wheelbarrow walking with hands on tape lines to keep it slow and controlled, body sock, yoga, push ups, chair dips, squish between couch cushions...

08/08/2024

Please see the picture below for information on our Sensory Training for Education Staff✏️! This is for anyone who works in education across Tayside and would like to learn more about sensory processing and how to support young people within education settings. The link below leads you to the form to book a space, or you can scan the QR code in the photo. Please feel free to pass this onto anyone you think would like to attend! Happy Training! 🙋‍♀️🏆🙋‍♂️
https://forms.office.com/e/zjpn5jGdRq

02/08/2024

We're delighted to announce that we are now hosting the fantastic, free-to-use Doorway Online Literacy & Numeracy activities! Take a look at the refreshed resources:

https://www.callscotland.org.uk/blog/the-brilliant-doorway-online-in-now-hosted-by-call-scotland/

29/07/2024

So important for educators, carers, and young people themselves to remember that sometimes the higher brain i.e. cannot be accessed because functioning is only happening in the mid or lower brain.

What a great resource in neurodevelopmental trauma from Stephanie Grant, PhD 💜🧡💚

23/07/2024

When you feel threatened—whether you’re facing real danger or perceived danger—your body responds by kicking into a threat response. Let’s explore the four states:

🥊 FIGHT: Your body is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol as it prepares to keep you safe by fighting. In this response, you’ll experience anger, irritability, rage, and snappiness. This is your sympathetic nervous system in action.

🏃‍♀️ FLIGHT: Similar to the fight response, your body is flooded with hormones to mobilize you. You want to escape. In this state, you might find yourself leaving situations, moving away from arguments or people, or avoiding situations entirely. This is also your sympathetic nervous system at work.

❄️ FREEZE: If under too much stress or fear, your body moves through sympathetic nervous system activation and into your dorsal vagal response. The body copes by shutting down and freezing. In nature, this is when animals play dead. You might notice you feel numb, dissociated, depressed, unmotivated, unable to think clearly, quiet, and still, turning inward.

🙇‍♀️ FAWN: This threat response often begins in childhood when you had to appease your parents and set aside your own needs to be safe and survive. As an adult, it may look like people-pleasing: abandoning your own needs, wants, and boundaries to please and appease others.

Understanding these responses can help us recognize and manage our reactions to stress and perceived threats. Here is some information: https://www.theottoolbox.com/the-limbic-system-and-function/

19/07/2024

A Late Talker is a toddler between 18-30 months old who has limited spoken vocabulary for their age, while having a good understanding of language, as well as typically developing play, motor, thinking and social skills. Let's take a look at what the research tells us about Late Talkers, and what yo...

16/07/2024

24/06/2024

We are delighted to introduce our new Sexual Health and Relationships Advanced Seminar & Resource. Now available to book for trained practitioners working with children & young people - hurry as spaces are limited! Find out more here:

https://www.talkingmats.com/new-talking-mats-sexual-health-and-relationship-resource/

19/06/2024

How to highlight the relevance and benefit of turn-taking goals in one fell swoop 👍👏

See the full article here

www.reframingautism.org.au/social-skills-turn-taking-and-board-games/

07/05/2024

acquisition is not a new phenomenon within neurodivergent profiles.

and the ability to learn language in chunks can be used to build on greater functional communication

Free accessEditorialFirst published online May 2, 2024Embracing gestalt language development as a fundamental neurodiversity-affirmative practiceAmanda Haydock, Louisa Harrison, […], Katy Baldwin, and Kathy Leadbitter https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0744-2800+1-1View all authors and affiliationsVolume...