Let's Talk Small Talk

In this episode, Libby is joined by author and advocate Elly Chapple, founder of Flip the Narrative and writer of Diagnosis Human. Elly shares the deeply personal story behind her book and the lessons she learned from her deafblind daughter, Ella — lessons about identity, presence, and seeing the world differently.Together, they explore the realities many families face when navigating education systems and professional support for children with complex needs. The conversation touches on advocacy, the impact of budget cuts on services, and the challenges parents experience when trying to ensure their child is understood.Libby and Elly also discuss the importance of language, relational safety, and moving from reactive to responsive approaches in both families and professional settings. Above all, this episode highlights the importance of trust, allyship, and collaboration between parents and professionals to support children in ways that truly respect who they are. Read more about Elly at www.ellychaple.com and buy her brilliant book here https://amzn.eu/d/08VWyVTs available in paperback and kindle

Libby interviews Rishi Kaushal who has created "The Speech Heroes" to empower children with speech and language delays, inspired by his son Aryan's journey. Following a diagnosis, Rishi used music (song "Speech Bound") and authored the book The Speech Heroes vs. The Word Stoppers (released Feb 2026) to help children find their voice. They talk about what led to this and his personal journey. His book is proving very popular with both children and their parents https://amzn.eu/d/00VKcx53To find out more https://www.thespeechheroes.com/about

The podcast episode focuses on the intersection of autism and OCD, featuring the amazing speaker Dean Beadle sharing his personal experiences and insights. Dean explained how OCD manifests differently in autistic individuals, emphasising the distinction between autistic rituals and OCD compulsions. He describes his own struggles with OCD, including recent flare-ups triggered by life changes, and shares coping strategies such as acknowledging intrusive thoughts without giving them credence. Dean also highlights the importance of support and validation for individuals experiencing OCD, particularly young people who may feel isolated. https://www.facebook.com/dean.beadlespeaker/directory_contact_infohttps://www.youtube.com/@DeanBeadleukhttps://www.instagram.com/deanbeadlespeaker?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Hallie Sherman, M.S. CCC-SLP has worked with older students for many years. She has a practical, pragmatic approach to her work to make sure her therapy is effective. She prioritises using students' interests in order to keep them engaged and making progress. She has made lots of resources to help SLT/SLPs save time and energy. Her book came out in November, which is great 'The Secondary SLP Roadmap: Motivating Students to Crush their Speech and Language Goals.' Libby and Hallie discuss why it is so important to support older students in this month's episode.Contact details and link to buy the book:https://speechtimefun.com/https://amzn.eu/d/0eXsPhW

Libby Interviews Ruth Rowntree, Speech and Language Therapist and Founder of Speech Apraxia UK dedicated to information, advocacy and support for individuals with Speech Apraxia. https://speechapraxia.co.uk/Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is the new term which was previously known as verbal dyspraxia in the UK but Ruth is keen that all types of apraxia is supported.Speech Apraxia UK are a growing, internationally recognised leading non-commercial community organisation which reaches 85+ countries across their website and social media network to raise awareness worldwide. They support those with apraxia of speech, whether childhood, acquired, or primary progressive.Services they offer-Advice from a team of specialistsResource HubComprehensive information on therapies and diagnosesShowcase research and recruit participants/collaboratorsParent/Carer networkEvents/trainingNewsletterTherapy App reviewsExtensive resource gallery.You can become a member, free of cha.rge Use this link https://forms.office.com/r/6t0msV1w9z

"Did you know that some children talk freely at home but can’t get a single word out at school? It’s not stubbornness, and it’s not shyness — it’s something called selective mutism, an anxiety condition that literally freezes a child’s ability to speak.In this episode of Let’s Talk Small Talk, we dive into the most common questions parents and teachers ask. What causes selective mutism? How can you tell the difference between being quiet and having SM? And most importantly — what actually helps, and what makes it worse?If you’ve ever wondered how to support a child with selective mutism — or you just want to understand it better — this episode is for you.Libby's book is on Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/dRlx2Fp

Libby talks to Cathy Wassell who is the CEO and founder of the Autistic Girls Network Charity and founder of The Haven online provision. She is also author of 'Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A parents handbook to supporting newly diagnosed teens and pre-teens.'This is the website where you can also learn more about the charity itself and also The Haven https://autisticgirlsnetwork.org/This is the link for the book https://amzn.eu/d/eBx7XYf

Libby talks to Joel Roskin, who was diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) as an adult. He is an amazing advocate for DLD and has a story that both inspires and informs. He is happy to be contacted and would make an ideal speaker for your CEN or support group. I certainly want to pick his brains for several projects that I have in mind and look forward to working with him again soon [email protected]

Libby interviews Cathy about Gestalt Language Processing and the natural language acquisition process. Listen to her explanation and rationale for working in a different way to previously, how the approach embraces a nuero-diveregent affirming style and has completely altered the look and sound of the clinic rooms at The Speech Den. They also touch upon the fact that not everyone agrees with them. Cathy's website https://thespeechden.com/ Cathy is organising another conference this October, which is her third year in a row. This years' conference brings fresh insights, the latest evidence base, practical ideas and solutions, and retrospective reflections. Professionals, parents and adult Gestalt Language Processors will explore how Gestalt Language Processors are supported across diverse settings and celebrate the real-world successes families and professionals are experiencing. To book a place on the on-line conference which starts 9th October https://registration.glpconference.co.uk/glp25

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dawn and Libby as they discuss her new book Born Naughty? Decoding PDA – A Decade of Discovery in Practice. Drawing on over ten years of clinical experience, Libby shares powerful insights into Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), exploring why it's so often misunderstood and how we can better support children and families. Whether you're a parent, professional, or simply curious about neurodivergent experiences, this is a must-listen episode packed with practical wisdom, real-life stories, and compassionate expertise. https://amzn.eu/d/cHVRPRU

Libby interviews Sally Cat about this lesser-known type of PDA. Many of us are confident we know what PDA looks like but what if we are missing a huge group of people who don't show overt signs of PDA? Read more here http://www.sallycatpda.co.uk/2024/10/a-quick-guide-to-internalised-pda.html Sally Cat's blog is full of information that you might not have come across before including her Big Traits study http://www.sallycatpda.co.uk/2019/06/a-demonstration-of-differences-between.html

Libby talks to the lovely Anna Biavati. Anna Is a multilingual speech and language therapist specialising in selective mutism and multilingualism. With years of experience, she has developed a unique and holistic approach that focuses, not just on speech, but on building resilience, self esteem, and fostering independence in all aspects of a child's life. Anna is the creator of the brave muscle method which takes into account the brain function approach, and her method is designed to empower children by starting from what they can already do and gradually building their ability to communicate in a pressure-free way. Her Steps to Brave Talking program provides a structured step by step process to help children with selective mutism find their voice in a supportive and encouraging environment. Believing that family plays a crucial role in a child's Progress, Anna developed the Family Dynamic Approach, ensuring that parents and caregivers are actively involved in their child's journey. She provides practical tools, training and guidance to help families create a nurturing and supportive environment for communication growth. In addition to her work in speech and language therapy, Anna is trained in primitive reflex integration, which she incorporates into her approach to address underlying motor and sensory challenges that may impact a child's ability to communicate confidently. By integrating these reflexes, she helps children develop greater emotional regulation, body awareness and communicational readiness. https://stepstobravetalking.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@annabiavatislt https://www.edinburgh-speech-therapy-wordsteps.co.uk/

Liz is an award winning Occupational Therapist (OT) with 25 years of expertise. As someone who is dyslexic and part of a neurodiverse family, Liz brings a unique perspective to her work. She is passionate about collaborating with children, young people, parents and caregivers, supporting them to discover understanding, connection, neuro-affirming and trauma and sensory responsive tailored solutions and support that fits each family's individual needs. She helps parents and carers to regain clarity and confidence in their parenting experience, creating more meaningful moments with their kids, whilst remembering their own well being matters too. She supports parents and carers in additional needs families with parental burnout, mental health and well being so they can be the parents they want to be. web site: https://the-untypical-ot.co.uk/ Podcast: https://the-untypical-ot.co.uk/#section-fojBZLwt8

Dawn interviews Libby about her new book 'Doing what it takes' which is about Libby's work with children and young people with selective mutism. Available from Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/6niLwWK

Libby interviews the wonderful Ali Battye, Speech and Language Therapist on Ali's three passions. She has written books about all of them. We love all her books but her latest book is definitely her best work yet. https://amzn.eu/d/gkW4FqJ

Libby, Donna and Bernadette were on the advisory panel for the NHS England commissioned Autism and parental blame study. In this episode they they discuss their reasons for wanting to be involved, the implications of parental blame and some of the other aspects covered by the report. You can access the report in full https://www.wm-adass.org.uk/improvement/autism-and-parental-blame-research. They all feel very strongly that the messages which are delivered within the report MUST be shared as widely as possible so that we can move forward. Families must get the help they need, not the blame they might receive instead through a damaged system.Donna has organised a conference in Stafford for 28th January. If you are interested contact [email protected]

Libby interviews Jodie about autistic burn-out. This is a topic everyone needs to know about as it is certainly on the increase and is very damaging to the child or young person. Jodie is an independent specialist working with autistic children, their families and their schools, who has written two books on the topic. One for children and young people: 'Young, autistic and burnt out' https://amzn.eu/d/a0XMWRvand one coming out later this month for parents and professionals: 'Stop the World I Want to Get Off: A guide to understanding and supporting the recovery of autistic burnout in children and young people https://amzn.eu/d/bqjX5aUShe is also the author of The Secret Life of Rose https://amzn.eu/d/e4lFBIz which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to know more about autism, including children themselves.

Dawn interviews Rachel Winder about what it really means to be neurodivergent-affirming. Rachel was diagnosed as autistic with dyslexia and ADHD in her forties, has become an 'accidental' neurodivergence influencer. We have known Rachel a number of years now while we have been on our journey to get it right. We realise that it is a work in progress but we are passionate to make it the best it can be. Listen to Rachel's views here.

DLD is the biggest learning difficulty you've never heard of. 2 out of every class have it. At Small Talk most of the SLTs have extra training in order to be confident about diagnosing it and working with children with DLD. We are passionate about making a difference for children who have it. Listen to Libby and Dawn discuss their views.