About Shelley Natt

I set up Communication Train after practising as a Speech and Language Therapist for many years. I qualified in 2007 from the University of Central England (now Birmingham City). I also completed a Masters in Special Education: Autism (children) from the University of Birmingham in 2015. My masters dissertation is referenced in the book “Adult Interactive Style Intervention and Participatory Research Designs in Autism: Bridging the Gap between Academic Research and Practice” by Dr Lila Kossyvaki.

I have worked in both the private sector and NHS across a variety of settings; including clinics, nurseries and children’s centres, mainstream and special schools, specialist resource provisions and clients’ homes.

I have extensive experience in delivering training to parents and education professionals and am a qualified Early Bird Plus trainer (a course for parents designed and delivered by the National Autistic Society).

I have also undertaken a number of further training courses to continue my professional development, including:

• Attention Autism
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule 2 (ADOS-2)
• Building Children’s Self-esteem
• Early Bird Plus (National Autistic Society)
• Gestalt Language Development and Natural Language Acquisition (Meaningful Speech)
• Intensive Interaction
• Language of Emotions
• Language Choices and Into Inference (Wendy Rinaldi)
• Makaton (foundation and enhanced)
• Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS)
• SCERTS (Social Communication, Emotional Regulation and Transactional support)
• Solution-focused Brief Therapy
• Talkabout Social Skills and Relationship Skills
• TEACCH
• 3di (The developmental, dimensional and diagnostic interview)
• Social Thinking
• Brief Observation of Symptoms of Autism (BOSA)
• Coventry Grid
• Assessing ADHD in Children and Young People

I am registered with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice, Health and Care Professions Council and the Information Commissioner’s Office. I also hold an enhanced certificate from Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).