12 weeks · 8 sessions · Online / in-person
Early Communication Coaching
Your child has few or no words, and you are the person they communicate with most. Across eight 45-minute sessions in 12 weeks, a speech and language therapist coaches you and your child together through play at home, with reviews and planning online.
- 8 sessions of 1:1 time (6 hours)
- Booked at your own pace
- Save £160 on booking the sessions separately
- Switch specialist anytime
Not sure this is the right programme?
This programme includes
Initial communication assessment
- Share how your child communicates during play
- You leave with a clearer picture of their communication
Interaction analysis: play clip review
- Watch your short play clips with the speech and language therapist
- Spot how your interaction style shapes communication
Child-led interaction: coached play
- Practise following your child's lead during play
- Take away an interaction style to practise between sessions
Creating communication opportunities
- Create communication opportunities during play with specialist coaching
- Leave with practical ways to invite communication at home
Responsive interaction: every attempt
- Practise responding to every communication attempt during play
- Take away ways to notice and respond to each attempt
AAC and visual communication supports
- Explore signs, pictures and visuals when speech is not yet coming
- Choose supports to try with your child at home
Communication in daily routines
- Work communication practice into your child's daily routines
- Leave with ways to practise during everyday family life
Review and forward plan
- Review your clips and practice with the specialist
- Agree what to keep practising after the programme
The research behind it
Parent-mediated communication therapy has some of the strongest research findings in autism support. This programme is informed by the research behind PACT (Green et al., Lancet 2010, with durable gains at the Pickles et al. 2016 six-year follow-up), Hanen More Than Words, and the Roberts and Kaiser meta-analysis of parent-implemented language intervention. The key finding was that gains came from parents changing how they interact, which is why a speech and language therapist coaches you 1:1.
How we'll know it worked
In session 1, you set a baseline with a filmed play clip, a word and sign list, and goal scores, then fortnightly clips track what changes. The final review puts before and after side by side and gives you a written outcome summary for nursery, school meetings or EHCP paperwork.
- A five-minute play recording every fortnight, scored for how often your child starts a communication, using the method from the PACT trial.
- A running list of your child's words and signs, kept by you and counted again at the end.
- Two or three goals in your own words, scored from 0 to 10 before and after.
Is this for me?
Your child has few or no words yet, or mostly communicates without words.
You want practical ways to help but are not sure what to do during everyday play.
Your child uses fewer words than other children their age, even if they seem to understand much more.
You may still be waiting for an assessment or NHS speech and language therapy.
You are with your child every day and want to know how your own responses can support communication.
You want useful techniques for real routines, not something that only happens in a clinic.
Would you rather start with one parent-only online conversation for £80? Speech & language support fits better.
No waiting lists, specialists on-demand
HCPC verified4.9Dr Helen Marsh
Educational Psychologist
Helps families understand assessments and build a clear plan, without the jargon.
RCSLT verified5.0Mei Chen
Speech & Language Therapist
Gentle, play-based sessions that build confidence and communication at home.
HCPC verified4.8Sophie Bennett
Occupational Therapist
Practical sensory and motor strategies that fit into real, busy family routines.
Ready when you are
A programme of 1:1 video sessions with a vetted UK specialist, with the same continuity throughout.
No subscription · switch specialist anytime
Not ready to book?
Vetted before they ever meet your child
Enhanced DBS, qualifications verified against the awarding body, identity confirmed in person.
This is specialist guidance for parents, not diagnosis or treatment. Session 1 always screens for anything that needs your GP, NHS or CAMHS first, and we tell you straight away if it does.
Common questions
What if it does not work?
We never guarantee outcomes or promise that your child will speak. At the final session, your therapist will say plainly if goals have not been met and help route you to a different programme or specialist, a discounted top-up block if more time is needed, or a written GP or NHS referral summary if the need is clinical.
Who attends, and which sessions are at home?
You and your child attend the coached-play sessions together at home in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10. Week 2's clip review and the final review in week 12 are parent-only online video calls with your HCPC-registered speech and language therapist, and home visits depend on therapist coverage in your area.
Does this replace NHS speech and language therapy?
No. This is specialist guidance for parents, not diagnosis or treatment, and it runs alongside NHS care, never instead of it. In session 1, your therapist checks hearing-test and NHS referral status and routes any red flags to your GP or the NHS.
Will signs or pictures stop my child talking?
Signs, pictures and visual supports give your child a way to communicate now and sit alongside the speech work. They are not a substitute for it, and speech stays part of the picture.
What if my child will not engage with a stranger?
Your therapist coaches you while you play, so your child plays with the person they know best. That is the point: you learn what to notice and how to respond in the moments you share every day.
Book your programme
A programme of 1:1 video sessions with a vetted UK specialist, and a written summary after each.
No subscription · switch specialist anytime
Not ready to book?