Bryony Rust on How to Help Non-Speaking Children in the Early Years

Bryony Rust is a Speech and Language Therapist – ‘SALT by the Sea’ – who specialises in supporting young children and their families. Through online workshops, parent coaching and bespoke therapy, Bryony gives caregivers practical tools to develop early communication skills. As an active writer and vlogger, Bryony is glad to contribute to the wider discussion about developing communication skills and enabling children to find their voice.

Her latest book is called ‘How to Help Non-Speaking Children in the Early Years’ published by Routledge.

In this fascinating interview, Bryony shares invaluable insights into supporting non-speaking children with a particular focus on following a child’s lead and setting appropriate goals. She offers practical strategies that early years practitioners can implement immediately in their settings, helping them to create comfortable, communication-rich environments where children can flourish at their own pace.

In this episode you’ll:

• Discover why genuinely following a child’s lead can be deceptively difficult and learn practical strategies to become more attuned to non-speaking children
• Understand how “comfort zones” work for non-speaking children and why they might need more support to feel safe in early years environments
• Learn the surprising truth about language modeling and when copying a child might be more effective than expecting them to copy you
• Find out why mindfulness isn’t just for adults and how it can transform your interactions with non-speaking children
• Explore why traditional SMART goals might not work for non-speaking children and discover the benefits of “SCRUFFY” goals instead

Watch this episode to gain practical, heartfelt strategies that will help you create meaningful connections with non-speaking children in your setting.

Episode Links:

https://www.saltbythesea.com/about/

https://www.youtube.com/c/BryonyRust

https://www.facebook.com/saltbythesea

https://www.instagram.com/salt_bythesea

Get the book here:

https://amzn.to/41asj4z

or here:

https://www.routledge.com/How-to-Help-Non-Speaking-Children-in-the-Early-Years-Supporting-Communication-through-Joy-and-Connection/Rust/p/book/9781032295190