Specialist Speech and Language Therapy That Sees the Whole Person

Because meaningful progress starts with understanding

​Every individual has their own strengths, experiences and way of communicating. I take time to understand what is working well, what may be making communication difficult and what matters most to you and your child or young person. Together, we develop practical, personalised support that builds confidence, reduces barriers and helps communication and participation grow in everyday life.

A woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, wearing a black dress with white polka dots and a heart pendant necklace, smiling in a dimly lit social setting.

Hi, I’m Joanna

Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

​With over 20 years of experience working with children and families, I assess and support children and young people across a wide range of speech, language, and communication needs.

​My career began in Early Years, giving me a deep foundation in early child development and the power of enabling environments. Today, I combine that early childhood expertise with specialist clinical practice, holding both a BA (Hons) in Early Years and Education and a BSc (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy.

​What I Support

I provide assessment, intervention, and tailored support for children and young people across a wide range of speech, language, and communication needs, including:

  • ​Early Language & Communication Development (late talking, early interaction skills, and play development)

  • Speech Sound Delay & Disorder (clarity of speech, articulation, and phonology)

  • Stammering & Fluency

  • Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) & Language Delays (understanding, vocabulary, and sentence building)

  • Selective Mutism (Specialist Expertise: assessment, therapy, school support, and training)

  • Autism & ADHD (neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based communication support)

​

How and Where I Work

​Local Settings: I work across home, education, and community settings throughout Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.

​Uk Online: I offer online assessment, therapy, training, and supervision across the UK.

​Flexible Frameworks: I have extensive experience supporting children accessing EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School), collaborating closely with Local Authorities, families, and multidisciplinary teams.

​Practical, Joined-Up Care

​Having worked extensively within mainstream schools, specialist provisions, and SEMH settings, I understand the realities of busy educational environments. My recommendations are always practical, achievable, and designed to fit naturally into everyday life.

​Alongside clinical work, I also provide specialist supervision and evidence-informed training in Selective Mutism for Speech and Language Therapists, educators, and healthcare professionals.

Professional Memberships

HCPC registered logo with blue background and white text.
HCPC registered logo with blue background and white text.
Logo for the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists, indicating membership.
Logo of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP), featuring two speech bubbles.

My Experience

  • Logo for Riverbanks Nursery in Harpenden with three children playing near a tree and a stream.

    Riverbanks Nursery - Nursery Practitioner

  • White block letters spelling 'UH' on a blurred multicolor background.

    University of Hertfordshire - Early Years and Education

  • Logo of City of St George's, University of London with a red background, white crest, and text.

    City St George's, University of London - Speech and Language Therapy

  • Logo for Magic Words Speech and Language Therapy with yellow stars and blue circular border.

    Magic Words - Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

My Approach:

Communication Starts with Understanding

Looking beyond behaviour to support the whole person

Teacher and children engaging with educational toys in a classroom.

My practice is neurodiversity-affirming, evidence-based, and deeply individualised.

​I believe communication develops best when children and young people feel safe, accepted, and supported to be their authentic selves. My goal isn't to "fix" or change the individual, but to understand what is making communication difficult and provide tools that enable them to express themselves in ways that work for them.

​How I Work

​Rooted in Child Development: Drawing on my background in Early Years and Speech and Language Therapy, I provide engaging, meaningful interventions tailored to each person's unique strengths, interests, and profile.

​Behaviour is Communication: Rather than making assumptions, I approach every individual with curiosity—exploring the sensory, emotional, and environmental factors influencing their communication.

​Removing Barriers: By understanding these underlying factors, we can reduce anxiety, build on strengths, and create supportive environments where communication can naturally flourish.

​Collaborative & Practical: I work closely with families, schools, and multidisciplinary teams to embed practical strategies into everyday life. This ensures support extends far beyond the therapy session for meaningful, lasting progress.

Areas of Support

  • Speech sound difficulties can affect how clearly a person is understood by others. Some individuals follow a delayed pattern of speech development, while others present with a speech sound disorder that requires more targeted support. Difficulties may include producing certain speech sounds, using speech sound patterns that are no longer age-appropriate, or finding it difficult to coordinate the movements needed for clear speech.

    I provide comprehensive assessment and evidence-based intervention for people with a range of speech sound needs, including speech sound delay, phonological disorder and articulation difficulties. Therapy is tailored to each individual's strengths, needs and goals, with practical strategies and support provided to help maximise communication in everyday life.

  • Language develops at different rates, and every child follows their own unique developmental journey. Some children need a little extra support as their language develops, while others experience more persistent language difficulties, such as Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

    I assess and support children and young people who experience difficulties understanding and using language. These difficulties can affect learning, friendships, emotional wellbeing and participation in everyday life.

    Support is always tailored to the individual's strengths, needs and goals, helping to develop the skills and confidence needed for successful communication at home, in education and within the community.

    Support may include:

    • Early language development and language delay

    • Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

    • Understanding spoken language

    • Expressive language and sentence development

    • Vocabulary development

    • Narrative and storytelling skills

    • Following instructions and classroom language

    • Word finding and organising ideas

    • Inference, reasoning and higher-level language skills

    • Functional communication for everyday life

    I work closely with families, education settings and other professionals to provide practical, individualised strategies that support communication throughout everyday routines and learning opportunities.

  • Every autistic person and every person with ADHD is unique. I provide neurodiversity-affirming Speech and Language Therapy that recognises individual strengths while supporting communication, participation and wellbeing.

    Communication differences may include understanding and using language, social communication, emotional regulation, executive functioning, self-advocacy, perspective-taking and navigating relationships. These differences can affect participation across home, education and community settings.

    Therapy is tailored to each person's individual profile, interests and goals. I work collaboratively with families, education settings and other professionals to develop practical strategies that reduce barriers, build confidence and support meaningful participation in everyday life.

    Support may include:

    • Understanding and using spoken language

    • Developing vocabulary and expressive language

    • Social communication and interaction

    • Conversation skills and perspective-taking

    • Emotional literacy and emotional regulation

    • Executive functioning and organisation for communication

    • Self-advocacy and developing communication confidence

    • Supporting successful participation across home, education and community environments

  • Selective Mutism is an anxiety-based communication difference that affects a person's ability to speak in certain situations. People with Selective Mutism are able to speak comfortably in some environments but find it extremely difficult or impossible to speak in others. It is not a choice, a refusal to speak or a behavioural difficulty.

    I have specialist expertise in Selective Mutism and support children, teenagers and adults, alongside their families, schools and other professionals involved in their care.

    My approach is neurodiversity-affirming, evidence-based and individualised. Rather than focusing solely on speech, I work to understand the factors affecting communication, reduce pressure, build confidence and create environments where communication can develop naturally.

    Support is tailored to each individual and may include assessment, therapy, parent consultation, school consultation, staff training, coaching, multidisciplinary working and support for other professionals where appropriate.

  • Stammering is a difference in the flow of speech and may involve repetitions, prolongations or blocks. Stammering can vary over time and may be influenced by a range of factors, including communication demands, the environment and individual experiences.

    I provide assessment and therapy for children, teenagers and adults who stammer. My approach is individualised, evidence-based and collaborative, recognising that every person's experience of stammering is unique.

    Therapy focuses on developing confidence, reducing communication pressure and supporting positive communication experiences. Together, we explore strategies that help individuals communicate in ways that feel comfortable and authentic, while working with families, schools, workplaces and other professionals where appropriate to create supportive communication environments.

A woman and a young boy are sitting at a table during a speech therapy session. The woman is holding a sign that says "SHOU" and appears to be guiding the boy with a speech exercise. The room has educational posters and a white brick wall.

What Schools and Families say

  • Parent of a young person with autism and Selective Mutism

    "Joanna’s support has been invaluable throughout our daughter's journey with Selective Mutism. As our daughter's needs have changed, Joanna has always adapted her approach with patience, understanding and genuine care. She has built a wonderful relationship with our daughter and has been a fantastic source of guidance and reassurance for us as parents. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Joanna to any family looking for compassionate, knowledgeable support."

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  • Parent of a child with speech sound delay

    “Joanna is a wonderful speech and language therapist! She got to know my son very quickly and really understood how to help him. She has such a lovely way about her and is a real fountain of knowledge. It’s been amazing to see my son’s confidence grow over the past year with his speech, thanks to Joanna!”

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  • Parent of a child with speech sound disorder, autism and associated Language Disorder

    “We can't recommend Joanna highly enough. She has worked with both of our children, particularly our son, and the difference she has made has been incredible.
    Joanna's knowledge and expertise as a speech and language specialist are outstanding. She has always taken the time to understand our children's individual needs and has provided practical, effective strategies and support every step of the way.
    Her specialist advice and ongoing guidance have been invaluable, not only in helping our children develop their communication skills but also in giving us the confidence and understanding to support them at home and at school.
    Joanna has worked closely with our children’s schools, making weekly visits to our children and working closely with teachers to make sure everyone is working towards the same goal.
    We are so grateful for everything Joanna has done for our children and would highly recommend her.”

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  • Parent of a child with Selective Mutism

    “Joanna is incredibly patient, kind, and knowledgeable. She creates a calm, accepting environment where children feel safe and understood, and she never places them under pressure. Our daughter has always felt comfortable with Joanna, and the trusting relationship they’ve built has been so important.

    As parents, we’ve also valued the support Joanna has given us. She’s always taken the time to listen, offer thoughtful guidance, and help us better understand how to support our daughter. It’s clear that she genuinely cares about the children and families she works with, and that shines through in everything she does.

    We’re very grateful for Joanna’s ongoing support and would wholeheartedly recommend her to any family looking for someone with both expertise and genuine compassion.”

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  • Parent of a young person with autism & ADHD

    “Joanna has built up a wonderful bond with our daughter, always approaching therapy sessions with kindness and sensitivity, finding creative ways to engage with her interests, her needs and her sense of humour. Joanna has helped our daughter to overcome significant challenges, to self-regulate, to become more independent, and to develop her communication and self-advocacy skills. Joanna has become a truly trusted adult in our daughter’s life, someone who genuinely takes the time to understand her individual needs, identifying areas in which she may need further development, making therapy sessions gentle and fun, and something our daughter looks forward to. She always works collaboratively with us, giving us the space and time to share our observations and to figure out ways to work together as a family, school and therapy team. As such she has been a key part of the multidisciplinary team around our daughter, sharing and absorbing insights with the school, from home, and from other specialists involved in our daughter’s care, thereby ensuring a joined-up and cohesive approach. We know this thorough and proactive approach has been crucial in ensuring our daughter’s ongoing happy and successful experience with education, and we are truly grateful. It is always a pleasure talking to Joanna; we trust her wholeheartedly and know we could turn to her with anything. We cannot thank her enough for the commitment she has shown to our daughter and family.”

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  • SENCO of a mainstream primary school

    “Joanna has supported our school, providing assessments, therapy, staff training and practical recommendations for a range of speech, language and communication needs. She has always been approachable, knowledgeable and responsive, and has worked collaboratively with staff and families to support pupils across the school.”

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  • SENCO of a mainstream primary school

    “We have been delighted to have Joanna working at our school. Her impact on our children has been significant.
    She quickly builds a rapport with the children, accuratately identifying their specific needs and offering practical, actionable advice that our staff can easily implement in the classroom. Her strategies are consistently effective and tailored to the childrens individual needs and interests. She writes clear, detailed reports that feed into our school ADPR and EHCNA requests.
    Beyond her professional expertise, Joanna brings a wonderful energy to our school. She is calm and friendly and has a gentle manner that puts both children and staff at ease. She is a good listener who genuinely puts the emotional well-being of the children at the centre of her work.”

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Free 15-Minute Initial Telephone Consultation

I offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation to gain an understanding of the communication needs involved, and explore how Speech and Language Therapy may be able to help.