http://www.treehousetraining.com/

Treehouse Training Collective, QV Tower Level 3 11 High Street, East Launceston (2026)

25/08/2026

Make space for processing time.
We don't all take in information, process it and respond at the same pace.
Some thoughts come quickly. Others need time. Sometimes processing continues long after a conversation, meeting or interaction has finished.
Making space for that variation can be surprisingly simple.
Allow the pause.
Make important information available to revisit.
Give people time before expecting a decision.
Make it easy to return to a conversation later.
And resist interpreting a delayed response as a lack of understanding, interest or engagement.
When we make room for different processing rhythms, we create more ways for people to communicate, contribute and participate in ways that work for them.
Response speed isn't a measure of understanding, interest or competence.
💭 This week, notice what happens when you leave a little more space before filling the silence.
Visual description: A simple animated graphic on a light background. The words “Make space for…” appear above three animated dots, creating an intentional pause before the words “processing time” are revealed. The final message reads “Not every response needs to be immediate.” The Treehouse Training Collective logo appears at the bottom.

20/08/2026

Today Lisa presented statewide to Playgroup Tasmania on using visual supports to create more accessible, predictable and communication-friendly playgroup environments.

They explored:
- What visual supports are and why they help
- Schedules, Now–Next/First–Then boards, choice boards, communication boards and step-by-step visuals
- How visual supports can support understanding, communication and independence
- Neuroaffirming approaches to designing and using visuals
- How we can support families to confidently use visual supports at home and in the community
- Adapting visuals to meet diverse sensory, communication, cognitive, physical and vision needs

A key message from the session was that visual supports support the participation, understanding, and engagement of a wide range of children and adults. They can reduce cognitive load, increase predictability and provide children with another way to understand, communicate and participate.

Thank you to Playgroup Tasmania for the opportunity to connect with playgroup facilitators across the state and explore how we can build more inclusive spaces where every child has a way to understand, communicate and participate.

[Visual Descripton]
A single image with a dark green background and white text. It says Profesional Learning in the bottom left corner and shows a white Treehouse Training Co logo in the top right. There is a photo of a computer screen and slideshow and a photo of a variety of visual supports.

19/08/2026

Good design works better for everyone.
Sometimes inclusive design is so useful that we barely notice it.
The automatic door that creates physical access also helps when you're pushing a pram, carrying something or pulling a suitcase.
Captions provide important communication access and can also help when you're somewhere noisy, watching without sound or when written information supports understanding.
Signage that combines words, visuals and braille provides different ways to access the same information.
These aren't separate experiences created for separate groups of people.
They're examples of what can happen when we design with human diversity in mind from the beginning.
More ways to access. More ways to participate.
This week, notice the inclusive design around you. You might be surprised by how often you benefit from it too.
Visual description: A short video showing three examples of inclusive design: automatic doors opening at a building entrance, a video playing with captions, and clear signage that communicates the same information using words, visual symbols and braille

16/08/2026

A new chapter for disability inclusion in Tasmania

The Tasmanian Disability Inclusion Plan 2026–2030 has been released!

This is Tasmania’s first Disability Inclusion Plan under the Disability Rights, Inclusion and Safeguarding Act 2024, setting out a four-year agenda to advance disability rights, inclusion and safeguarding across Tasmania.

There are some really important commitments in this plan and we’re particularly excited to see:

An Accessible Communication Standard: A commitment to make government communication easier to understand and access, including online information, written materials and how services communicate with people.

Universal Design Principles: Designing environments, products and communications to work for people from the beginning rather than relying on retrofitted adjustments or separate solutions.

A Disability Engagement Strategy: A commitment to more effective and accessible consultation, including guidance around co-design and meaningful engagement with people with disability.

A disability-confident workforce: Embedding disability inclusion into the everyday work of Tasmanian Government entities.

Disability attitudes, understanding and awareness: Working with the disability community to make inclusion a positive and defining part of Tasmanian identity.

The Plan also specifically recognises the importance of communication boards in public-facing services, alongside accessible events, sensory spaces, hearing augmentation, accessible information and other inclusive design approaches.

For us, this is an exciting step towards a Tasmania where communication access and inclusion are built into our communities, not something people have to fight for.

But a Plan is only the beginning. We are hoping to see these these commitments turn into everyday practice: in schools, workplaces, health services, community organisations, public spaces, websites and the countless interactions that make up daily life.

Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep co-designing. And let’s keep working towards a society where everyone can communicate, participate and belong.

[Visual Description]
A portrait-format social media graphic from Treehouse Training Co. The design has a white background with pale blue curved shapes in the top-right and bottom-left corners.

At the top is the Treehouse Training Co. logo, featuring a stylised tree inside a house icon alongside the words “TREEHOUSE TRAINING CO.”

The main heading on the left reads “Tasmanian Disability Inclusion Plan 2026–2030”, with “2026–2030” in pale blue.

To the right is an image of the cover of the Tasmanian Disability Inclusion Plan 2026–2030, dated August 2026, Version 1.0. The cover features an artwork depicting a colourful sunset over the ocean.

A dark teal banner spans the bottom of the graphic with large white text reading:

“A plan for inclusion.
Now let’s make it real.”

11/08/2026

Tuesday Tip: Build access in.
Inclusive practice isn't only about responding when someone needs support.
It's also about thinking ahead.
When we build access into the way we communicate, design spaces, share information and create experiences, we reduce barriers before they become obstacles.
That might mean using plain language, offering information in more than one way, including captions, creating flexible ways to participate or making expectations clearer from the beginning.
These small decisions don't just benefit one person.
They often make the experience better for most people.
That's the power of thoughtful design.
💭 Reflection
This week, take a fresh look at something you regularly do.
What's one small change you could make so access is already part of the experience?

Visual description: A short video encouraging viewers to think about how access can be intentionally built into everyday experiences through thoughtful design, clear communication and flexible participation.

09/08/2026

"If we use visuals and chat boards, won’t it stop them from talking?"

We often hear this concern from parents, carers and even professionals. It is a completely natural question, but research and clinical practice show us the exact opposite is true. Visual supports do not replace speech, they are a bridge to communication and connection.

📌 Save this post to share with a parent, family member, colleague, or team member who needs to hear this today.

🔗 Explore our ready-to-use visual tools: Click the link in our bio to browse our range of resources built for real life.

[Visual Description]
A 5-slide dark green and white graphic carousel featuring the Treehouse Training Co. logo on every slide. The set uses clean arch frames, playful handwritten headers, and wavy line accents.

[Alt Text]
Slide 1: MYTHS VS FACTS'. Using Visual Supports and Alternative Communication Systems'.
Slide 2: MYTH - Symbol-based communication systems delay verbal language development. FACT - in bold dark teal text, followed by: "Providing tools that help someone communicate will enhance language development. Visuals reduce the anxiety and cognitive load caused by struggling to find words. When stress drops, the brain has more capacity to process and produce spoken language.
Slide 3: MYTH - in bold dark teal text, reading: "Visual supports are only for non-speaking children. FACT - Kids and adults who usually use speech can experience verbal shutdown during fatigue, sensory overload, or big emotions. Communication devices, wearable lanyards and quick-chat boards offer a reliable backup when speech goes offline.
Slide 4: MYTH - Using visual supports will cause long-term dependency and reduce independence. FACT - Visual tools foster independence by reducing the amount of prompting used. Instead of waiting for a carer to prompt them verbally, someone can follow a routine, complete each step of a task or understand an instruction independently.
Slide 5: VISUAL SUPPORTS DON'T DELAY COMMUNICATION - THEY UNLOCK IT.

04/08/2026

We often notice the big barriers.
The smaller ones can be much easier to overlook.
Unclear information.
Background noise.
Waiting.
Jargon.
Time pressure.
Each one may seem insignificant on its own.
Together, they can influence whether an experience feels accessible, manageable and welcoming.
The good news is that the opposite is also true.
Small changes add up too.
A clearer explanation.
One less unnecessary step.
More flexible options.
A quieter space.
A little more thinking time.
Inclusive practice is often built through small, thoughtful changes that make it easier for more people to participate.
💭 Reflection
What's one small change you could make this week that might make someone's experience easier?
Visual description: A minimalist illustration of a glass jar gradually filling with labelled pebbles representing everyday barriers. As two more pebbles are added, the animation reinforces the message that small barriers accumulate over time. The final message reads, "Small barriers add up. Small changes matter."

02/08/2026

Words matter when we talk about AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) and the people who use it!

A study by Zisk, Konyn, and Niemeijer (2025) surveyed over 500 AAC users, family members, and professionals to understand how language shapes respect and inclusion.

Here are 5 key takeaways for communication partners, supporters, and professionals:

Listen to AAC Users First: "Nothing about us without us." AAC users are the experts on their own preferred terms. Both person-first ("people who use AAC") and identity-first ("AAC users") terms are widely accepted, so follow individual preferences!

Ditch Clinical & Institutional Labels: Terms like "client" or "learner" can feel alienating. AAC users generally prefer humanizing terms like "people" or "individuals."

Say NO to Deficit Language: Words like "speech deficit" or "communication deficit" were overwhelmingly disliked across all survey groups. Focus on active, descriptive language instead.

All Speech is Valid Speech: Avoid describing unassisted verbal speech as "natural speech", this can imply device-based communication is "unnatural." Speech generated via an AAC device is simply speech.

Spell Out Acronyms: Acronyms create barriers for families and non-professionals. Always introduce concepts clearly by explaining them fully.

It's important for communication partners to keep learning and adapting our language to the preference of those with lived experience to foster inclusion and dignity!

Accessibility SpeechLanguagePathology CommunicationPartners DisabilityAwareness IdentityFirstLanguage PersonFirstLanguage

[Visual description]
Dark green graphic featuring the Treehouse Training Co. logo at the top and bold white text reading: "Words matter when we talk about AAC and the people who use it!" Below the text, a cutout photo shows a smiling woman wearing glasses sitting at a table across from a young girl, both using tablet-style AAC devices.

28/07/2026

Assume competence.
The assumptions we make influence the environments we create.
When we assume competence, we begin with the belief that every person has strengths, perspectives and the capacity to contribute.
That doesn't mean expecting everyone to communicate, learn or participate in the same way. It means recognising that access looks different for different people and that our role is to create environments where more people can participate, contribute and belong.
Sometimes, the most powerful change isn't asking more of people.
It's asking different questions of ourselves.
When we shift our focus from judging capability to designing for access, we open the door to more meaningful participation for everyone.
💭 Reflection
This week, consider one interaction, meeting or activity.
What small change could create greater access or make participation easier for more people?
Visual description: An open journal displays reflective questions that encourage a shift from assumptions about ability to reflection on access, support and creating the conditions for success. The final page features the words "Assume competence."

Treehouse Training Collective

25/08/2026

20/08/2026

19/08/2026

16/08/2026

11/08/2026

09/08/2026

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28/07/2026

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