Word Nerd

Now I’m Talking Mats accredited!

Talking Mats are a way to help people organise their thoughts and share their feelings using visual helpers. Talking mats are especially great for breaking down complex situations or ideas to make them easier to talk about.

I’m looking forward to using this in my work 😊

Happy to advise I am a fully registered speech language therapist 😊

Before you employ, refer or fund speech-language therapy, ask whether the SLT is NZSTA-registered. Speech-language therapy is not regulated under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act in Aotearoa New Zealand. Instead, the profession is self-regulated through the New Zealand Speech-language Therapists’ Association.

NZSTA registration provides an important layer of public protection. Registered speech-language therapists must meet qualification and professional standards, complete ongoing professional development, make annual declarations about their practice, and follow NZSTA’s Code of Ethics and Conduct.

Employing a registered speech-language therapist helps ensure the person you engage is qualified, current, accountable and committed to safe, ethical and culturally responsive practice.

🌧️ Rolling to you rain or shine! ☀️

Today I may have slightly misjudged the weather and found myself a bit damp…

🚲 🚲 🚲

Are your Tamariki at Kura Kaupapa? Are you a Kaiako? Here’s an opportunity for Wānanga in Kirikiriroa with an amazing Speech Language Therapist who lives te reo Māori 🤩

WAIKATO WHO'S KEEN FOR WĀNANGA??

I'll be heading up to Kirikiriroa during the holidays (July 9 - July 16th).

Kaiako Māori in akomanga reo Māori (tau 0-8).

SPREAD the word please whanau.
If I get 20-30 people keen, I'll start planning. There will be a fee.

Like, Share & Tag your whānau.

Nā māua ko Te Waioeka ✌️

It’s all about the little things. Little animal friends and gems to keep the sound practise going 😅

It’s so great to see articles like this- normalising sensory tools like headphones. So many people use headphones/ear buds/ear muffs now to regulate sounds. Such a useful tool for helping bodies and brains feel good.

Do you or your children find headphones helpful?

Rather than promoting anti-social cues, headphones can open up the world for autistic people.

This is why I do what I do 🥲

Speech language therapy is about so much more than saying words correctly. I want children to feel good about their talking too!

Aftermath of a fun session!

We made gloop/oobleck with cornflour, water, and coloured dye.

This looks great for parents and professionals!

🌟 Free Workshop: Kids Do Well If They Can 🌟

Is there an Autistic child in your life? 💛

Drawing from Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions approach, our Kids Do Well If They Can workshop explores how parents, whānau, and educators can support the growth and development of young Autistics.

📅 23 March 2026
⏰ 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
💻 Online via Zoom

🔗 Register here: https://www.altogetherautism.org.nz/events/kids-do-well-if-they-can-23-03-2026/

Lots of the kids I work with are movers. Their bodies need to wriggle and stretch so in my sessions I like to:

🕺 incorporate movement into what we do

🧘 use the floor rather than a table. Often their bodies like to be stretched out or feel firm support across more of their body

👐 use therapeutic gestures and actions that help their bodies and mouths know what to do

🚜 follow their interests. It's much easier to focus when what we're doing is motivating for them

Occupational Therapists are the experts on this and I like the tips shared by The Occuplaytional Therapist

Do you know any kids who are movers? What do you find helpful?