At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we value child safety above all else. A truly child-safe space is one where children feel emotionally secure, respected, and heard. Here is what our commitment means for your family:
1. Prioritising genuine engagement
We prioritise joyful engagement over making fast progress towards rigid, adult-defined goals. When children feel safe and truly comfortable in their environment, they naturally connect and learn. Enjoyment improves progress! We want your child to love their time with their therapist.
2. Thoughtful, child centred goals
We think deeply about the goals we select. Our focus is entirely on supporting your child’s authentic development and building meaningful communication skills, rather than simply choosing goals that make an adult’s life easier.
3. Learning from the past
It is vital that speech pathologists acknowledge historical harms done by our profession. In the past, unkind techniques were often used to work towards unhelpful goals. This profoundly affected many communities, including First Nations people, Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, and neurodivergent individuals.
As society accepts that everyone is inherently valuable and deserves kindness, these rigid compliance-based practices are falling away. However, some still remain.
Our stance on rigid therapy frameworks
Talking Fish does not support Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) or its associated therapies and techniques, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Research and community feedback indicate that these approaches can be harmful to a individual’s long-term mental health.
| What We Avoid | What We Practice Instead |
|---|---|
Rigidity, force, and compliance-driven protocols (e.g., standard ABA & PECS compliance routines). | Kindness, empathy, and connection. Communication should always feel like a safe, positive interaction. Our clinicians use the DIR Floortime approach to engaging with children and young people. |
Enforcing strict rules that disregard the child’s emotional comfort or distress. | Supportive visual tools. While some of our strategies use picture cards to aid language development or visual schedules to outline routines, they are adapted fluidly and with deep empathy. |
Let’s Talk About Your Child
Every child is unique, and we tailor our care to suit your specific family situation. We encourage you to speak directly with your therapist for individualised advice, guidance, or to explore more neurodiversity-affirming resources.
