Author: Danielle Watkins

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we believe in providing tailored, effective therapy that truly meets the unique needs of each child and family. While traditional speech therapy often focuses on specific skills, some approaches take a broader, more holistic view of development. One such approach, gaining significant recognition, is DIR Floortime Therapy.

What is DIR Floortime?

DIR Floortime, developed by Dr. Stanley Greenspan and Dr. Serena Wieder, is a comprehensive framework for understanding and supporting child development. “DIR” stands for:

• D – Developmental: It focuses on helping children progress through crucial stages of social-emotional, cognitive, and language development. These stages, called “Functional Emotional Developmental Capacities (FEDCs),” build upon each other, forming the foundation for complex thinking, communication, and relationships.
• I – Individual Differences: It recognises that every child is unique. It considers their individual biological differences in how they process sensory information (sights, sounds, touch, movement), plan movements, and regulate their emotions.
• R – Relationship-Based: This is the “Floortime” part. It emphasises the importance of warm, engaging, and reciprocal relationships as the primary vehicle for development. Parents and caregivers are key partners in the therapy process, learning to follow the child’s lead, join them in their play, and create emotionally meaningful interactions.

Essentially, DIR Floortime aims to build healthy foundations for communication, social skills, and thinking by working with a child’s natural interests and motivations, rather than just drilling specific skills.

How Does DIR Floortime Apply to Speech Pathology?

While DIR Floortime is a broader developmental framework, its principles are profoundly relevant to speech and language development. For speech pathologists, it’s not just about teaching words or sounds; it’s about understanding why a child isn’t communicating and building the underlying capacities that support meaningful language use.

Here’s how DIR Floortime informs our practice at Talking Fish:

1. Focus on Shared Attention and Engagement: Before a child can request a toy or tell a story, they need to be able to share attention with another person. DIR Floortime helps us facilitate this foundational skill, teaching parents to draw their child into shared interactions. Without this, formal language instruction is often less effective.
2. Encouraging Communication Intent: Rather than just getting a child to say a word, we focus on helping them understand why they would want to communicate. By joining them in their play and following their interests, we create natural opportunities for them to initiate communication (through gestures, sounds, or words) to achieve their goals.
3. Understanding Individual Sensory Profiles: A child who is over-responsive to sounds might struggle in a noisy therapy room. One who seeks out intense movement might find it hard to sit still. By understanding these individual differences, we can adapt our environment and interactions to help the child feel regulated and ready to learn, making communication easier.
4. Building Emotional Regulation: When a child is overwhelmed or dysregulated, learning is difficult. DIR Floortime helps children develop better emotional self-regulation, which in turn frees up cognitive resources for language processing and social interaction.
5. Promoting Back-and-Forth Communication (Reciprocity): Floortime interactions are all about opening and closing “circles of communication.” This means engaging in a back-and-forth exchange of gestures, sounds, and eventually words, which is the essence of conversation. We help parents learn to “tune in” to their child’s cues and respond in ways that keep these circles going.
6. Empowering Parents as Therapeutic Partners: A core tenet of DIR Floortime is that therapy doesn’t just happen in the clinic. We coach parents to use Floortime principles in their daily interactions, turning everyday moments into powerful developmental opportunities. This consistency at home is vital for generalisation of skills.

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we incorporate DIR Floortime principles, particularly for children with developmental differences such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, as it provides a robust framework for building true communication competence. It’s about helping children not just talk, but truly connect, interact, and thrive in the world.

As we step into 2026, many of us are thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s to exercise more, learn a new skill, or spend more time with loved ones, the start of a new year feels like a fresh slate for setting intentions. This universal impulse to set goals resonates deeply with our philosophy at Talking Fish Speech Pathology, especially when it comes to the highly effective practice of collaborative goal setting in speech therapy.

Beyond “Fixing” – Partnering for Progress

In the past, speech therapy might have been seen as a clinician “fixing” a problem. The therapist would assess, identify deficits, and then prescribe goals. While professional expertise is undoubtedly essential, we’ve learned that the most powerful and sustainable progress comes when clients and their families are active participants in the goal-setting process.

This is the essence of collaborative goal setting: it’s a partnership where the client (or their family, for children) and the speech pathologist work together to identify meaningful, functional, and achievable communication goals. It’s about shifting from a “doing to” approach to a “doing with” approach.

Why Collaboration Makes All the Difference

You might wonder why taking the time for this collaborative process is so vital. Here’s why it’s a cornerstone of effective therapy at Talking Fish Speech Pathology:

1. Increased Motivation and Buy-In: Just like a New Year’s resolution you choose yourself is more likely to stick than one imposed upon you, goals that clients and families help create are inherently more motivating. When individuals have ownership over their therapy goals, they are more invested in the process and more likely to practice skills outside of sessions.
2. Goals are Meaningful and Functional: We want communication goals to be relevant to real life. By involving clients and families, we gain invaluable insight into their daily routines, social interactions, challenges, and aspirations. This ensures that goals aren’t just about achieving a clinical benchmark, but about improving genuine quality of life – whether it’s ordering coffee independently, telling a grandparent a story, or participating confidently in a job interview.
3. Harnessing Family Expertise: Parents know their child best. Adults know their own communication challenges and priorities better than anyone. Collaborative goal setting taps into this rich source of knowledge and experience. Families can identify specific situations or words that are particularly challenging, or contexts where improved communication would make the biggest difference.
4. Promoting Carry-Over and Generalisation: Therapy isn’t just what happens in our clinic. The real magic happens when new communication skills are used in everyday environments. When families are involved in setting goals, they understand why certain strategies are being used and how they can be implemented at home, school, or work, significantly boosting carry-over.
5. Building Capacity and Empowerment: This process isn’t just about achieving a specific communication outcome; it’s also about empowering individuals and families. It teaches problem-solving skills, encourages self-advocacy, and builds confidence in their ability to navigate communication challenges.

Collaborative Goal Setting in Practice

At Talking Fish, this means:

• Active Listening: We take the time to truly listen to your concerns, priorities, and hopes for communication.
• Shared Understanding: We explain assessment results clearly and discuss how they relate to your daily life.
• Brainstorming Together: We’ll explore various goal options, discussing the pros and cons, and considering what feels most important and achievable.
• Mutual Agreement: We ensure that everyone involved is on the same page and fully committed to the chosen goals.
• Ongoing Review: Goals are not static. We regularly revisit them to celebrate progress and adjust as needs evolve.

Just as a successful New Year’s resolution requires personal commitment and a clear, meaningful objective, so too does effective speech pathology. By embracing collaborative goal setting, we ensure that every communication journey at Talking Fish Speech Pathology is purposeful, empowering, and truly geared towards helping you or your child thrive.

Ready to set meaningful communication goals for 2026? Check with your speech pathologist to make sure your goals are up to date!

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, our daily work centres on the fundamental human right to communicate effectively. We see firsthand the transformative power of a confident voice, clear understanding, and the ability to connect with others. What might seem like a local, individual focus, however, actually ties directly into a global framework for a better future: the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs are a collection of 17 interconnected goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015, serving as a blueprint to achieve peace and prosperity for people and the planet by 2030. While many goals focus on obvious areas like poverty, hunger, and climate action, the thread that weaves through all of them is effective communication.

Let’s explore how communication, and by extension, the work of speech pathologists, is critical to achieving these ambitious global targets:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

This goal aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Communication is foundational to health. From a child accessing early intervention for a speech delay that impacts their social and academic development, to an adult recovering from a stroke needing to communicate their needs and participate in rehabilitation, clear communication is paramount. Speech pathologists facilitate this, ensuring individuals can express symptoms, understand medical advice, and advocate for their health.

SDG 4: Quality Education

Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education for all is impossible without effective communication. Children with unaddressed speech, language, or literacy difficulties (like dyslexia) struggle to access the curriculum, participate in class, and form peer relationships. By supporting these foundational communication skills, speech pathologists help children unlock their learning potential, reducing dropout rates and fostering lifelong learning. This includes developing crucial literacy skills, which are themselves a form of communication.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

Empowering women and girls often involves giving them a voice and ensuring it is heard. Communication skills are critical for self-advocacy, participation in decision-making, and challenging social norms. While not immediately obvious, communication barriers can disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, including women and girls, limiting their ability to express their rights and needs.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Effective communication is a cornerstone of any workplace. From clear instructions and collaborative problem-solving to job interviews and client interactions, strong communication skills are essential for employment and career progression. Speech pathologists assist individuals in developing the communicative competence needed to participate meaningfully in the workforce.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

This goal aims to reduce inequality within and among countries. Communication disabilities are often hidden, leading to marginalisation and exclusion. By providing access to speech pathology services, we help to level the playing field, ensuring individuals with communication differences can participate fully in society, exercise their rights, and contribute to their communities. This includes advocating for accessible information and communication environments.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies requires open dialogue and mutual understanding. Effective communication is the bedrock of resolving conflicts, participating in democratic processes, and ensuring justice. Individuals who cannot communicate effectively may struggle to access legal aid, share their stories, or participate in community discussions.

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we are proud to contribute to these global goals through our local impact. By empowering individuals to communicate, we’re not just helping them find their voice; we’re helping them participate fully in their communities, access education and healthcare, secure employment, and advocate for themselves. Every therapy session, every assessment, and every piece of advice contributes to a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for everyone.

Want to learn more about how communication empowers individuals and communities? Are you keen to join the profession that supports communication for everyone? Contact Talking Fish Speech Pathology for information and support in becoming a speech pathologist.

In the rewarding yet demanding world of speech pathology, we are constantly engaged – assessing, planning, delivering therapy, documenting, and connecting with clients and their families. The energy we expend is immense, and the emotional labour can be significant. It’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of our daily tasks, often leaving little room to pause and check in with ourselves. This is precisely why mindfulness isn’t just a buzzword for clinicians; it’s a vital tool for professional longevity, enhanced client care, and personal well-being.

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we understand the unique pressures of our profession. We champion the idea that cultivating mindfulness isn’t a luxury, but a fundamental practice that empowers us to be more present, effective, and resilient speech pathologists.

What is Mindfulness in a Clinical Context?

At its core, mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment, without judgment. For clinicians, this translates into:

• Present Moment Awareness: Being fully engaged in the therapy session, noticing subtle cues from a client, and truly listening without mentally rehearsing the next question or task.
• Non-Judgmental Observation: Acknowledging our thoughts and feelings (e.g., frustration, impatience, excitement) as they arise, without getting entangled in them or critiquing ourselves.
• Self-Compassion: Recognising that we are human, we make mistakes, and we deserve kindness and understanding, especially when facing challenging cases or high-pressure situations.

Why is Mindfulness Crucial for Speech Pathologists?

1. Enhanced Client Connection and Empathy: When we are mindful, we are better listeners. We pick up on subtle non-verbal cues, truly hear the nuances in a client’s voice, and can respond more authentically. This deepens rapport, builds trust, and allows us to tailor our interventions more effectively to their immediate needs. A mindful clinician can better sit with discomfort, whether it’s a client’s frustration or their own feelings of inadequacy, without reacting impulsively.
2. Reduced Burnout and Stress: The emotional demands of our work can be significant. Working with vulnerable populations, managing challenging behaviours, and navigating complex family dynamics can lead to emotional exhaustion. Mindfulness practices, even brief ones, can act as a buffer against stress and burnout. They provide a mental ‘reset button,’ allowing us to step back, re-centre, and prevent the accumulation of tension.
3. Improved Clinical Decision-Making: When our minds are cluttered with distractions or overwhelmed by stress, our cognitive functions can be impaired. Mindfulness helps clear this mental fog, allowing for clearer thinking, better problem-solving, and more effective clinical reasoning. We can access our knowledge and experience more readily when our minds are calm.
4. Greater Self-Awareness and Resilience: Understanding our own triggers, emotional responses, and thought patterns is invaluable. Mindfulness cultivates this self-awareness, enabling us to respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. This personal insight builds resilience, helping us bounce back from setbacks and maintain our passion for the profession.

Simple Ways to Integrate Mindfulness into Your Day:

• Mindful Breathing: Take a few deep, conscious breaths between sessions, before documentation, or when feeling overwhelmed.
• Body Scan: Briefly check in with your body for tension, and consciously relax those areas.
• Mindful Walking: Pay attention to the sensations of walking, even if it’s just from one therapy room to another.
• One-Minute Pause: Before entering a new session, take 60 seconds to simply be present, letting go of the previous task.
• Compassion Break: When a challenging moment arises, acknowledge your feelings with kindness, as you would a dear friend.

At Talking Fish Speech Pathology, we encourage our team to embrace mindfulness not as another item on a never-ending to-do list, but as a foundational practice that enriches both our professional lives and the lives of those we serve. By cultivating calm within ourselves, we create a more compassionate and effective environment for everyone.