Carol Taylor

Carol is a Speech and Language Therapist at Speechwise. Having started her working life in a different career altogether, Carol was inspired to retrain after witnessing the amazing work done by Speech and Language Therapists while she was a volunteer abroad. Carol joined SpeechWise in 2021 and has been the therapist for a large, busy primary school ever since. She loves the buzz and consistency of being attached to the same school year after year, allowing her to build strong collaborative relationships and really get to know the individual children. She’s passionate about supporting and empowering teaching staff to develop children’s communication skills.

Carol obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Communication Studies from City University, London in 1997. After graduating, Carol worked in the NHS across community clinics, mainstream and specialist schools, as well as in Adult Learning Disability services. During this time, she developed a particular interest in naturalistic social communication interventions for autistic children and, when not working clinically, has been lucky enough to be involved in a series of research studies at the University of Manchester. She was awarded a PhD in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester in 2015.

Carol’s top tip for supporting communication development? Give yourself permission to slow down and go with the young person’s pace and interests. In our busy, demanding world, it’s hard to find the time to interact in a relaxed way but this is the foundation stone of almost all communication interventions. And it’s more fun for everyone! 

When not working Carol will usually be found walking or climbing in the great outdoors, often with her dog in tow, or playing tennis.

Carol is registered with the HCPC, RCSLT and holds an Enhanced DBS check.