Sparking Speech
Sparking Speech provides a Neuro-Affirmative, child-centred, strengths-based and holistic Speech & Language Therapy service. Our clinic is based in Dublin and we also offer an online Speech & Language Therapy service which allows us to see children who are unable to attend the clinic.
We believe that by adopting a collaborative approach with parents/carers, teachers and other professionals involved with your child, we can provide a co-ordinated approach to support your child’s speech, language and communication development.
We will also be very happy to train any other professional working with your child to implement therapy goals, as appropriate. SNAs, resource teachers and other school staff are more than welcome to attend therapy sessions in our clinic.
Sparking Speech has provided services and support nationally to Autism Charities, TUSLA and numerous primary and secondary schools.
Our Therapists
Aoife Tierney, Senior SLT, Sparking Speech
Sparking Speech is run by highly trained Senior Speech & Language Therapist, Aoife Tierney.
Aoife founded Sparking Speech in 2020 with the intention of creating a Speech & Language Therapy practice that provides high quality assessment and evidence-based intervention. Aoife believes in a child-centred, strengths-based and Neuro-Affirmative approach that allows each child to reach their potential.
Aoife loves learning and talking about all things Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) and Gestalt Language Processing.
Career
Since qualifying in 2012, Aoife has gained a wide range of experience working for the NHS in England and in a private capacity in Ireland. She has worked across a variety of settings including community health clinics, primary schools, private clinics, specialist school settings and early years settings. An expert in her field, Aoife has worked with children and teenagers with a diverse range of communication needs including:
- Autism
- Selective Mutism
- Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia
- Hearing Impairment
- Developmental Language Disorder
- Language Delay/Late Talkers
- Delayed & Disordered Speech Sound Development
- Down Syndrome & Other Chromosomal Differences
Qualifications & Professional Development
Aoife graduated from Queen Margaret University Edinburgh with a B.Sc. (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy in 2012.
Aoife is committed to ongoing professional development and regularly attends seminars and training courses. These have included:
Language Development:
- Natural Language Acquisition (NLA)Trained Therapist – Meaningful Speech
- Shape Coding
- Word Aware (Whole School Vocabulary Training)
- It Takes Two to Talk – Hanen Certified
Autism:
- Autism Level Up (2-Day Training Course)
- Goal Writing for Autistic Students – Learn Play Thrive
- Attention Autism – Gina Davies
- More Than Words – Hanen Certified
- Women and Girls on the Autism Spectrum – National Autistic Society
- Autism Conferences e.g. The Autism Show, Tony Attwood Talks Autism Seminar
Augmentative & Alternative Communication:
- Authentic AAC – Learn Play Thrive
- PODD (2-Day Training Course)
- LAMP (1-Day Training Course),
- Webinars & Independent Study – Proloquo, Proloquo2Go, Grid Supercore, Snap Core, Cough Drop
- Makaton
Speech Development:
- Developmental Verbal Dyspraxia Training e.g., Cari Ebert Courses, Principles of Motor Learning, ReST
- Speech Sounds Training – Phonological & Articulation Approaches
Selective Mutism:
- Selective Mutism Course (Modules 1-4) – Maggie Johnson
- Founded & Lead the Selective Mutism Working Group (Under the Mental Health Special Interest Group)
Sensory Speech
Sensory Speech was created by Aoife Tierney in 2022. Aoife wanted to create resources that supported both Neurodivergent and Neurotypical children, taking into account different speech, language, play and communication styles. Aoife believes strongly that everyone should have access to a robust and reliable communication system and that this can look different for each child.
All of Sensory Speech’s toys come with communication boards to ensure that all children playing with them have access to the vocabulary they need.
You can follow @SparkingSpeechTherapy and @SensorySpeech on Instagram for a detailed run through of our toys and resources.