Online talk: Communicating with Non-speaking Children

Ever wondered 'How do I communicate with non-speaking children?'
Watch the video to find out how! - watch this 5 minute taster clip on TikTok, or see link below for the full 45 minute talk.

Online talk: Held
Monday 9th February 2026
7.00 - 8.00 pm (UK time) on Zoom

Speaker: Evangeline Thanaseelan, a speech and language therapist
Host: Roofbreaker Children and Youth Ministry Network
Cost: FREE of charge
Watch the talk: See the full talk on communicating with non-speaking children on YouTube here.

Share in Evangeline's knowledge and expertise with non-speaking children; hear about practical resources to use.

Evangeline is a Roofbreaker disability champion who works as a speech and language therapist in Birmingham. She has a passion for helping to communicate with children and young people with additional needs, and finding ways to truly hear and embrace every child and young person’s voice.

Here are topics the talk covers:

- Presuming Competence - Every child deserves to hear and learn about Jesus in a way that is accessible to them. When we presume competence we believe everyone can learn, think and grow with the right supports.

- What is total communication? We all have a voice and it doesn't have to look like yours or mine, how we respect and use all forms of communication.

- How using Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) can help children access church and the scriptures more e.g. use of symbols, pictures, signs, writing, voice output communication devices.

- Some practical ideas on using AAC in worship, prayer, lessons.

Further information: To find out more about the Children and Youth Ministry Roofbreaker Network, please email Carol@throughtheroof.org

Flyer for Online talk on 'How do I communicate with non-speaking children?' Mon 9th Feb 2026, 7-8pm (UK) on Zoom. By Evangeline a speech and Language therapist. For more info, email carol@throughtheroof.org With photo of a smiling young woman with long dark hair.

Know and Grow Makaton Taster Sessions

We were thrilled to have Janneke Klos from the Christian learning disability charity Count Everyone In joining us for a series of regional events, organised by our Roofbreaker networks.

Janneke says...
Makaton is a communication programme designed for adults and children with communication needs. In these practical sessions, we will explore how Makaton signing can be used to make the Gospel more accessible. We will learn some basic Makaton principles and some of the Christian signs.

There were five free online taster sessions of one hour, running between January and March 2026, organised to bring together Roofbreakers and others from different parts of the UK. In each session, Janneke taught us signs in Makaton, so we were able to sign the Lord's Prayer by the end of the session! It was a very powerful and enjoyable experience.

If you missed the sessions, don't worry! Janneke and Count Everyone In are continuing to offer online Know and Grow Makaton training for a fee: visit Count Everyone In's online booking site.

And if you want to learn the Lord's Prayer from Janneke in Makaton, you can access a video of it free in the 'Worship for Everyone' Lord's Prayer resources in the Songs for Schools series - which is also available to churches with a CCLI copyright license.

Close up of a smiling woman doing the Makaton sign for 'good' (a double 'thumbs up')