Successfully Supporting Communication with the Forces Life Talking Mat

We are so pleased to share that the co-developed, forces-life-specific Talking Mat is now available to children and young people. This outcome is the culmination of our collaboration with Talking Mats, enabled by generous support from the Army Benevolent Fund.

This unique resource, available in both physical and digital formats, is here to support children and young people with ASN, and any forces child who is struggling to communicate their feelings with speech alone.

Following co-production sessions with children and young people, Talking Mats helped us transform their experiences from forces life into visual symbols. This has made a real difference in how children and young people can communicate:

“It was good because you let me think about it and not just answer quickly. I felt like I wasn’t being judged.”

We are happy to bring the experiences of children from forces families into the suite of Talking Mats resources, now available for anyone trained in this tool. These cards will enable inclusive and thoughtful support for children and young people from forces backgrounds, reflecting their unique lives and circumstances.

We’re ensuring inclusive and thoughtful support for every young person we serve.

A heartfelt thank you to Talking Mats, the children and young people who attended our co-production sessions, and of course the Army Benevolent Fund—this wouldn’t have been possible without your support.