Talk to the Trees

19/06/2026

Occupational therapy and speech and language therapy double act today for one of our little friends! The outdoors gives all of the opportunities for child led sensory regulation, meaningful participation, problem solving, developing fine motor and self help skills through authentic experiences. Communication and interaction sits very happily alongside that and what a lot of fun we had!

17/06/2026

ND acceptance sessions in a primary school! Some labels are unhelpful. So many different plants…none are wrong or need fixing but they all need different things to grow. If we know what kind of brain and what we need to feel safe we have we can look after it properly!

05/06/2026

A new gestalt is born! Gestalts often come out of emotional moments and today that was my wet socks.

Maybe you feel we need more robust research based evidence about language development and how delayed echolalia and gestalt processing fits into this.

Evidence based practice has three pillars! We can honour our clients values and lived experiences and our own clinical expertise while remaining reflective and watching and adding to the evolving evidence base.

We can’t pretend it isn’t happening while we wait for research to catch up. There is no question that a huge number of my clients communicate in intonation, media chunks and gestalts. We need to be curious, responsive, and accepting of whatever communication they bring. Even if you are not on board the GLP bandwagon it is just another part of child led and ND affirming practice and sits inside total communication!

16/05/2026

15/05/2026

Might those repetitive songs or video clips be communication?
When we slow down, respond, notice patterns and presume a child might be communicating with us we see this a lot! The more we tune in and respond without pressure the more they feel heard and the more they communicate. Sometimes repetition of clips is just for them…something fun, joyful or regulating. But other times it might be communication. It might be obvious or literal or it might really need tuning in and looking for a pattern and exploring what they could be saying. Maybe that episode was playing the last time they went to the playground..or felt upset..or played a tickle game with you or maybe for the child it is connected in some other way. Have you seen this communication style? Tell us about it!

12/05/2026

07/05/2026

Yes absolutely this!

I was talking about this very thing this week. Compliance should never be the goal, trying to intervene to inhibit or change a behaviour for our comfort and convenience isn’t offering social or emotional support to meet that persons needs. So next time you’re thinking of using a strategy like say a social story, ask yourselves is this going to help develop connection? or social understanding? or are we using it to foster compliance?

23/04/2026

Please share!

22/04/2026

We’re looking for a self‑employed SLT to join our small, ND‑affirming, nature‑based practice in and around Brecon.
If you’re curious about outdoor work, value child‑led partnership, and want space to shape your practice alongside a supportive team, this might be a good fit.

Flexible, sessional work that can sit alongside other roles.
Opportunities to develop outdoor therapy, collaborate with specialist SLTs and OTs, and work within our Forest School settings.

If it speaks to you, reach out in whatever way works best — we’re always happy to chat.
[email protected]
DMs welcome.
If this particular role isn’t quite the right fit but the way we work fits your vibe, you’re still welcome to get in touch. We’re always happy to connect with people who share our values.

www.talktothetrees.org

27/03/2026

Yes!

Presume competence—always
AAC users have thoughts, ideas, and voices that deserve to be respected, not questioned. When we believe in their abilities, we create space for real communication, growth, and connection