My Story

In 1994 I was awarded a MMedSci Clinical Communication Studies from the University of Sheffield. Post qualification I was sponsored to work at Solihull Hospital and Community Services for 2 years working with children and adults across the service with a range of speech, language and communication needs.

Following this as a family we moved to Cheshire and I worked for East Cheshire NHS Trust 1997 – March 2021 working with a multi-disciplinary team in the Child Development Centre and delivering assessment and therapy in children’s homes and educational setting. I worked extensively with children with Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Global Developmental Delay, Chromosome Disorders, Complex Needs.

I have a passion for supporting families and education staff to use interaction and communication strategies throughout a child’s daily experiences. I use a total communication approach including signing and visuals to support communication development.

I trained to become a Hanen Centre It Takes Two to Talk Instructor for Speech and Language Therapists internationally in 2008 and SPARK  instructor  for Early Years Practitioners internationally 2014 and continue to deliver this training for professionals on a free lance basis, periodically throughout the year. Click to learn more about The Hanen Centre.

Whilst working at East Cheshire I had the opportunity to cover a maternity leave for Stockport NHS Trust Sept 2017- March 2018 part time where I worked within their child development centre. Whilst there, I worked jointly Paediatrician’s, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapist to provide assessment and therapeutic interventions for children, including ADOS-2 assessment for Autism. I undertook further training in Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy.

I had the privilege of setting up the Pre-School Autism Diagnostic Pathway 2019 with my colleagues at East Cheshire.

Bridgewater Community NHS Trust – 2021 to present providing maternity cover and bank days. Assessment and Intervention for children in clinic, children’s homes and in their educational setting.

The OWL Centre – 2018 – present . I work with The OWL Centre on a free lance basis providing multi-disciplinary Autism Diagnostic Assessments for children and adults both in person and online.

In March 2021 I set up my independent practice Steps for Talking. I had a desire to provide regular evidence based speech, language and communication therapy tailored to a child and families needs. It has been a pleasure to see children and families accessing speech and language therapy where and when they need it . It gives me great satisfaction to see both the children develop their speech, language and communication skills and to see parents/carers and education staff empowered to support the child at home and in their educational setting. It is the partnership of working together and working with each other that makes the difference.

SLT qualification:

MMed Sci Clinical Communication Studies 1994

RCSLT Registered

HCPC registered

ASLTIP Registered

Additional Qualifications:

BA(Hons) Business Studies 2i 1992

Specialist Short courses:

Talkability Workshop October 2023

Core Vocabulary Therapy for Inconsistent Phonological DisorderJune 2021

Hodson’s Cycles Therapy May 2021

PODD June 2019

PACT therapy March 2018

ADOS Training Sept 2017

PECS Nov 2017

Hanen SPARK Instructor training 2014

Hanen More Than Words Workshop May 2016

Hanen It Takes Two to Talk Instructor training 2008

Hanen IT Takes Two to Talk Workshop January 2003

Signalong 2001.   

Makaton Signing and Symbols 1995