Not Just Talking

Sioban Boyce qualified as a Speech & Language Therapist in 1978 and worked in the National Health Service until 1996. Since then Sioban has worked as a Communication/Behaviour Specialist. She has more than thirty years experience of working with children's communication problems. The success of her method of assessing and treating communication problems in children has been demonstrated over fifteen years through work with more than three hundred children. She now shares her knowledge and expertise with others through books, lectures and training for professionals and parents. Sioban Boyce qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 1978 and worked in the NHS for 18 years. In 1996 she left the Speech and Language Therapy profession to work as an independent specialist in the development of non-verbal communication in children. Over the following years she has developed an assessment and intervention programme for treating behavioural problems associated with poor non-verbal skills and supporting emotional, social and educational development. Many children and their families have had their lives transformed as a result of working with Sioban in this way.

• This innovative approach to dealing with communication difficulties was devised by the author following encounters with increased numbers of children who had learned to talk, but still were unable to communicate effectively. This new theory of communication development devised in the late 1990s has been successfully used by the author and a wide range of educators and promotes the good use of non-verbal skills in children. This programme changes the lives of children (in the family and at school) who benefit from it.The book will look at: Non-verbal communication theory Normal and disordered development Problems arising behaviour; social skills; education; in the family Prevention Assessment InterventionGenerally those children with poor non-verbal skill development will have limited ability to communicate effectively in all situations and may even be shut down , i.e. not attempting to communicate unless they choose to. This flagship book provides a whole new perspective and presents a concrete alternative approach to tackling the fundamentals from which communication difficulties arise.

'What a super, practical therapy resource! It is an innovative approach devised by the experienced speech and language therapist author following her encounters with increased numbers of children who had learned to talk but who were still unable to communicate effectively. Devised in the late 1990s, this theory has been used with success not only by the author but a wide range of educators. It promotes the good use of non-verbal skills in children and tackles the fundamentals from which communication difficulties arise.' - Martine Horvarth, Early Years Educator "Boyce stresses that her approach to communication differs from the traditional speech and language approach in that she has successfully trained support workers, teachers and social workers to deliver her programme. The assessment process is clearly set out and assessments are available for a range of ages from pre-talking babies and toddlers to teenagers. 'Boyce makes some very interesting observations about the different ways in which girls and boys develop language skills and this is one of many engaging aspects of this useful and practical resource.' Mary Mountstephen SEN Magazine