Amanda is the founder and creator of Words First Ltd, the Reading and Language Circuit Model™ and the Words First Approach™. She completed a BSc (hons) in 2001, MSc in speech and language therapy (with distinction) in 2005 and an MA in dyslexia (with distinction) in 2007. Amanda’s skills in speech and language therapy combined with leadership have resulted in the development of the company that has reached thousands of children in schools, and hundreds of students seen privately through the Kids First Centre division of Words First.
Hello, my name is Ebonee, and I am an Occupational Therapist (OT)
I studied BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy at St George’s, University of London and graduated in July 2023. My 4 clinical placements covered a range of specialisms, including mental health, orthopaedics, paediatric neurodevelopment, and neuroscience (cerebral palsy) as well as Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). I remained with the ME/CFS service as an OT Assistant before embarking on my first Occupational Therapist role in adult social services.
In addition, I have the following qualifications: MSc Special Educational Needs Inclusive Perspectives (2020), British School of Yoga Pre/Post Natal Yoga Teacher (2017) and Hatha Yoga teacher (2016), Award in Education and Training PTTLS level 3 (2015), British Sign language level 2 (2014), and BSc (Hons) Sociology with Psychology (2011). My interest in OT developed from my personal experiences and professional roles working with children and young people in mainstream, special schools, and a specialist unit for D/deaf children which highlighted the power of engagement and participation in meaningful activity (occupation). I have a particular interest in Autism (ASD), Social, Emotional, & Mental Health (SEMH), and the D/deaf community.
Yoga and meditative practice are crucial for maintaining my wellbeing. I have created and taught yoga programmes across the lifespan in various settings, including mother and baby yoga and hatha yoga classes. I plan to further research the benefits of yoga and meditation as a self-regulation tool and hope to share this knowledge through means of delivering professional and parental training, writing articles, and creating accessible resources.
The Words First value that resonates the most with me is “collaboration and support” because in my opinion it embeds all Words First company and professional values. Collaboration is essential for providing holistic person-centered care to meet and promote the needs and wants of young people. This requires respect, sharing of ideas and flexibility. Support is essential for empowerment, wellbeing and quality control of evidence-based practice. These are all key values of Words First.
On a personal note, I am from Caribbean Jamaican heritage, born here in the UK. I have an eclectic music taste from neo-soul to rock ‘n’ roll. One of my favourite quotes from the late Maya Angelou is, “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be”. This quote connects with me and my mindset of loving yourself unapologetically, flaws and all. I also love to travel, dance, eat (big foodie), and spend quality time with my awesome family and friends. I am blessed to have two beautiful children, who motivate and uplift me daily. If you had to call my best friends and ask them to describe me, I think they’d describe me as fun-loving, resilient, and empathetic.
Hello, my name is Ellen.
I studied Occupational Therapy at the National University of Ireland, Galway, completing my Bachelor’s degree in 2020. After completing my final year Erasmus placement, I was offered a position in the UK and I have worked as a school-based Occupational Therapist ever since. My special area of interest is in Sensory Integration and I am in the process of completing my CLASI certification.
I am passionate about helping children and young people to achieve their goals and facilitating the development of self-efficacy along the way, which is why the Words First value that resonates the most with me is a ‘child centred approach’. The best part of working as an Occupational Therapist is seeing young people have success experiences in areas they thought they couldn’t.
In my spare time, I enjoy running, yoga and spending time at home in Ireland with my family and pets. I love Saturday morning croissants and coffee while watching cooking shows!
If you had to call my best friends and ask them to describe me, I think they’d describe me as kind, caring and loyal.
Hello my name is Tayla, I studied at the University of Cape Town and completed my undergraduate Honours degree in Speech and Language Pathology in 2017. Additionally, I have completed my DIR: Floortime professionals course and am a qualified DIR: Floortime practitioner. I am also pursuing continued professional development in theory and practice of Sensory Integration.
After graduating, I spent 2 years working in South Africa’s public sector within a large tertiary hospital. This was an invaluable experience as I had the opportunity to work with children and adults with an array of difficulties. Thereafter, I spent a year working at our sister company the Kids First Clinic SA where I primarily worked with early years children.
I started working in the United Kingdom for Words First in 2021, with my particular areas of interest including, social communication, sensory integration and early years. I feel passionate about intervention taking an interdisciplinary approach and ensuring that each child and their family has access to individualised, holistic care to assist them in reaching their utmost potential within all areas of life. As I currently work primarily at the Kids First Clinic, I am afforded the opportunity to work closely with each child and their family, tailoring their targets specifically to their areas of need and ensuring all team members around the child can work effectively together in achieving these. Working within Words First has given me access to a wealth of knowledge by learning from other SaLT’s within the team and ensuring continuous development throughout my career.
I love trying to find creative ways to engage and interest clients during our sessions, this might include sensory boxes filled with rainbow rice or pasta, and in my spare time I enjoy cooking and baking. If you had to call my best friend and ask her to describe me, I think she would describe me as loyal, caring and accountable.
After graduating with an undergrad degree from the University of South Africa in a Bachelor of Arts (Health Sciences and Social Services in Psychological Counselling) in 2017, I moved on to complete a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Psychology. After graduating from this Honours degree in 2019, I dedicated my time to facilitating and supporting a young man with special needs. In January 2021, I began my journey as a school counsellor at Oakley House School in Cape Town, South Africa. Here, I provided counselling services to learners and staff who were experiencing a range of emotional, social and psychological difficulties to help them bring about effective change and enhance their well-being. It was at this point that I enrolled in a Postgraduate Certificate in Education through the Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town and graduated at the end of 2022.
With a longstanding passion for working and supporting children and adolescents with a diverse range of needs, one of the areas I am most passionate about is holistic and integrative counselling. This approach sees a person as a whole, integrated individual, rather than looking at their health or psychological concerns as separate issues. My passion for holistic psychology stems from my passion to support children and adolescents in their journey to grow, heal and change. Being naturally compassionate, nurturing and dedicated, I am confident in my ability to connect with children and adolescents in meeting their needs. I am confident in my ability to provide a counselling space that is built upon empathy, sensitivity and unconditional positive regard.
I studied online through the University of South Africa where I obtained an undergrad in Psychology and Linguistics in 2019. I then went on to complete a postgraduate certificate, followed by a post graduate diploma in Play Therapy and, during this time, have worked at various schools ranging from primary mainstream, an NGO, and specialist provisions.
During my studies I obtained a learn to swim qualification and, before moving to the UK, worked at a swim school for almost 6 years. I have a passion for working with children and have always known that I would end up in a field where I am able to help them in their development in some way. Being around children almost every day, I strongly believe that an element of fun is vital in allowing children to grow and develop and this is why I fell in love with the idea of Play Therapy. Play is the language of the child, and through play therapy, I believe that every child can find their voice, their strength, and their path to healing. At the centre of my practice is a core belief that a strong therapeutic relationship is the foundation to effective therapy and believe that this is achieved through authenticity, acceptance, empathy, and trust.
M.Sc Biomedical Science
Hi, my name is Hannah and I’m new to Kids First Therapy Centre, taking over from Emma as Practice Administrator.
I have a degree and Masters in Biomedical Science and worked in this field until I had my children. I have two daughters aged 6 and 4. My eldest has Angelman Syndrome which includes severe speech disorder, so I have a connection with Speech and Language Therapy on a personal level.
The book that has had the biggest impact on me is probably The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. It was one of the first books I remember reading completely independently and it made me fall in love with books. I was completely mesmerised by the magic of it!
If my friends had to describe me in 3 words it would probably be thoughtful, organised, and caring.
Mary joined Word First in 2015 working as a Speech and Language therapist in primary mainstream schools. She has always found the link between language and literacy development fascinating and intertwined. In 2017, Mary qualified with a Level 7 Post Graduate Certificate in dyslexia, which qualified her to undertake dyslexia assessments, tuition and training.
Mary currently works with pupils aged 4-16 years within primary and secondary schools using her knowledge and skills about language and literacy to support students’ progress. Mary’s aim is to deliver fun, multi-sensory targeted lessons which focus on utilising the child’s strengths to enable them to realise their potential.
