Sophie Parsons (CPSP, MSPA)
Social Speech is a private Speech Pathology practice based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. Social Speech is owned and managed by Sophie Parsons.
Sophie Parsons is a Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist (CPSP) with a demonstrated history of working alongside families, schools and other healthcare professionals to provide an evidence-based, highly professional and personable service.
Sophie has worked for non government organisations (e.g. Autism Spectrum Australia - Aspect), government organisations (e.g. As an Autism Advisor and Early Days Facilitator under The Helping Children with Autism Package) as well as private practice and non for profit settings. Sophie holds a Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Sydney. Sophie is a member of Speech Pathology Australia (MSPA) and holds current membership with The Hanen® Centre. She is currently part of a Special Interest Group (SIG) consisting of healthcare professionals who are passionate about delivering Neurodiversity Affirming Practice.
When Sophie is not working, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and two young children.
C E R T I F I C A T I O N S:
The Hanen Program: More Than Words®: A family-centred, social–pragmatic, evidenced based intervention program for parents of Autistic children or children with Social Communication Difficulties.
The Hanen Program: It Takes Two to Talk® for Parents of Children with Language Delays (0-5 years).
Sophie has completing training in using Key Word Sign and other low tech alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems as well as high tech AAC (e.g. Proloquo2Go and LAMP - Language Acquisition through Motor Planning)
Sophie has also attended Neurodiversity affirming practice workshops (e.g. Reframing Autism) and conferences (e.g. Yellow Ladybug Conferences).
Situational Mutism (we choose this term over ‘selective mutism’): Trained in delivering specific strategies to apply in pre-school and schools setting for children with Situational Mutism that will gradually enable the child to become a confident communicator with all teachers and peers.
Sounds Write: An evidence based phonics program teaching reading, spelling and writing through a systematic and multi-sensory approach.
Talk For Writing: The Talk for Writing approach enables children to read and write independently for a variety of audiences and purposes within different subjects.
Sophie has completed courses presented by Dr Elise Baker (an Australian Speech Language Pathologist whose area of speciality is Speech Sound Disorders in children) and Dr Karen Stagnitti (an Occupational Therapist specialising in the Development of Play).
Secret Agent Society (SAS): Trained to deliver SAS as a small group social skills program for 8-to-12-year-old children with social and emotional challenges. Note: Sophie has revised practice and only draws from carefully selected parts of this program that are in line with neurodiversity affirming practice (i.e the parts of the program that help individuals understand emotional regulation strategies that work for them…..not the program elements that encourage masking or conforming to Neurotypical communication styles).