Meet the team

I am Leanne. I have well over decade’s worth of experience. I am extremely passionate about the services More Than Talk provide to schools, early years settings and families. I understand how frustrating it can feel not getting the right support at the right time, whether you are a school or a parent, I am here to help and to listen. Speech, language and communication are essential life skills. Our vision is for all children to become the best communicators they can be with improved outcomes in the areas of academic attainment, emotional well-being, behaviour and quality of life.

As well as offering assessment and therapy, my specialism is providing settings with consultancy services to develop a universal approach to communication development within schools. I support senior leaders and SENDCOs at a strategic level and embed communication strategies as part of Quality First Teaching for SEND and whole school populations. We equip education settings with the tools to create communication friendly curriculum and environments. We deliver training, coaching, modelling, whole school screening and high-quality interventions.

I am Sandra. I am a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with over 8 years of experience working in the NHS. I have worked predominantly in schools, both mainstream and resource provisions, and I also have lots of clinic experience, supporting children and young people from pre-school up to high school age. My main areas of interest include Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), stammering, social communication difficulties and speech sound disorder.

I qualified as a Speech & Language Therapist in 2017 having taken the decision to re-train and pursue a completely new career as an allied health professional. Prior to that, I held a variety of roles over a 20-year period in the community and voluntary, public health and healthcare commissioning sectors. Moving away from largely desk-based roles has been one of the best decisions of my life. I have been grateful for the opportunity to develop new skills and to be part of a dedicated profession which works alongside parents/carers and professionals, supporting children and young people to overcome and manage their difficulties and to achieve their potential.

I am Ellie. I am a highly specialist speech and language therapist with over 9 years of experience. I am incredibly passionate about neurodiversity-affirming and trauma-informed practice. With lived experience of Autism and ADHD, my practice and communication style reflect this lived experience.

My specialist areas include Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), autism, ADHD, psychoeducation, and early communication skills. I have experience working in a number of settings, including mainstream schools, specialist education settings, clients’ own homes and care homes. I am enthusiastic about empowering people through communication and assistive technology, including AAC.

I endeavour to provide high-quality, evidence-based, and creative interventions to support individuals in developing their communication styles and autonomy.

I am very proud to have created the My ADHD Brain: Workbook with Harriet Richardson to help children explore their ADHD neurotype and strategies that may support them.

Resources – hat.talks

I am Rachel. I am a specialist speech and language therapist with over 7years of experience. I have experience working with children from ages 2 to 18 years old in their homes, nurseries, schools and clinics. I have specialist experience in working with a range of disorders and conditions such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), autism, learning difficulties, Social Emotional and Mental Health, speech sound difficulties and attention and listening difficulties. I believe in working with the child rather than the disorder.

Prior to training as a therapist, I held a number of different jobs around the world and worked with many different cultures. I feel this was an excellent starting point for my career as a Speech and Language Therapist. I love working with people. As a therapist, I have a passion for working with children, but just as importantly is working with their families. Woking well together ensures the best possible outcomes for the child.