Building communication together: support for families & early years settings

There’s nothing more magical than seeing a child connect and share their world with you. Whether it's through their first words, a meaningful gesture, a pointed finger, or the use of a symbol, every attempt to communicate is a huge milestone.

Hello, I'm Josie, a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant with over 15 years of experience in the Early Years. My passion is to help every child express themselves. I believe that communication is much more than just speech; it's about connection, understanding, and being heard, no matter what method a child uses.

Sometimes, children need extra support to build these connections. This post outlines the tailored support I offer, whether you're a parent seeking help for your child or an Early Years provider looking to create a more inclusive communication environment.

For Parents: Nurturing Your Child’s Communication

As a parent, you are your child’s expert. I partner with you to offer fun, play-based support that is tailored to your child’s individual personality, strengths, and preferred way of communicating. My goal is to build their skills and confidence in a way that feels joyful and empowering.

Personalised 1:1 Intervention Sessions

These sessions are designed entirely around your child and their unique needs. We will work together on personalised goals, such as developing early interaction skills, introducing alternative communication methods like signs or symbols, improving understanding, or building sentences. The focus is always on your child's next successful step in their communication journey, whatever that may look like.

Good to know: Sessions can take place at home or, where possible, within your child's nursery setting for their comfort and convenience.

For Early Years providers: Enhancing Your Inclusive Practice

As an Early Years professional, you create incredible learning environments. I can work with you to enhance these further, providing practical, in-house support that empowers your setting to create a truly inclusive, communication-rich environment for every child.

In-House Support & Staff Coaching

I deliver practical, in-house coaching, working directly with your staff to build their confidence in supporting all communication. I’ll model effective strategies to help your team target children's listening and attention, deepen language understanding, and boost expressive skills. My fully inclusive approach equips your practitioners with specialised strategies, ensuring they can empower every single child.

Enriching Your Continuous Provision

I can help you maximise your learning environment’s potential for all forms of communication. Together, we can review your continuous provision to identify and create more opportunities for every child to express themselves, whether that's through a choice board at the snack table or incorporating symbols into the role-play area. It’s about making small, impactful tweaks to embed communication support into the natural flow of the day.

Good to know: I can also run my 1:1 sessions for specific children within your setting, allowing for a seamless, collaborative approach between myself, your team, and the family.