Rebecca Radford

I am Rebecca Radford, a Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist with a broad and integrated clinical skill set spanning communication, sensory processing, and behavioural understanding.

My clinical work focuses on supporting individuals whose needs are often complex and multifaceted. This includes Autistic people, individuals with Learning Disabilities, and those whose communication differences are shaped by trauma, mental health needs, or sensory processing differences. I also hold post-graduate training in dysphagia, allowing me to assess and support eating and drinking difficulties alongside communication needs.

I am trained in both ADOS-2 and ADI-R assessments and contribute to multidisciplinary Autism and ADHD diagnostic processes.

Clinical approach

My approach is grounded in the understanding that communication does not exist in isolation. It is shaped by sensory regulation, emotional wellbeing, environment, and relationships. As such, I take a holistic and formulation-led approach, looking beyond surface-level presentation to understand the underlying drivers of a person’s needs.

I prioritise building strong, trusting relationships with the individuals and systems I work with. Therapy is most effective when it feels meaningful, respectful, and relevant to real-world contexts, not artificial or overly clinical. I aim to create interventions that are practical, sustainable, and genuinely improve day-to-day functioning.

Where appropriate, I integrate approaches such as:

• Sensory Integration
• Intensive Interaction
• Makaton, and high and low tech alternative/augmentative communication (AAC)
• Social communication interventions
• Positive Behaviour Support-informed practice

I am also experienced in indirect work, including training, consultation, and programme development for families, education staff, and care teams, including consultation on environmental design. This is often a key factor in achieving consistent and lasting outcomes.

I have extensive experience working within care settings and with multidisciplinary teams supporting individuals with high levels of need.

I am skilled in adapting my approach to meet individuals where they are.

Professional values

My work is underpinned by a strong commitment to integrity, transparency, and person-centred care. I will always advocate for approaches that are in the best interests of the individual, even where this involves challenging existing practices. As a registered professional I must, and happily do, subscribe to the ethos of evidence based practice, but I have also always been a strong advocate of practice based evidence: if it’s genuinely working, even if there are no studies from university researchers about it - keep doing it.

I bring both professional expertise and personal insight into my work, including experience of therapy from a family perspective due to having Neurodivergent siblings, and a lived perspective due to likely Neurodivergence in myself. This informs my emphasis on collaboration, empathy, and practical outcomes that actually make a difference.