Mother’s SEN communication tags praised for having ‘life-changing’ impact on families globally
A mother’s SEN communication tags have been praised for having a “life-changing” impact on families all over the world, and the business was founded just six months ago.
Sophie Haynes launched SEN Talk Tags in March, which was inspired by her five-year-old son’s autism diagnosis and the aim to help him express his needs and emotions.
What started as a personal project quickly grew into providing durable, 3D-printed communication tools for non-verbal and neurodivergent children.
Unlike laminated alternatives, these tags are waterproof, wipe clean and built to last, meaning families and teachers no longer have to replace them regularly.
Sophie is proud to have designed products with real life in mind, which are ready for “sticky hands, unexpected spills and everyday adventures”.
It was in February when Sophie first began making the tags for her five-year-old and by March, SEN Talk Tags had been established to meet the demand among local families and people further afield.
The base set of emotions come as black or white square tags, with a keyring to attach them to a bag or lanyard. These include happy, sad, excited, worried and overwhelmed.
Sophie also does sets for needs and routines, including eat, drink, stop, go, help, please, thank you, home, car and hungry. The toilet set is among her most popular, as it has been praised for helping families with toilet training.
The ID tags let others know if a child is non-verbal or autistic. Sophie explained that these tags help people to understand and it minimises judgement and discrimination in public.
The tags can be personalised to suit the needs of different families and the range of emotions covered continues to grow on a daily basis.
Since Sophie last spoke to the Chronicle & Echo back in March, SEN Talk Tags has only got busier and has a wider customer base and reach.
Sophie launched a new product line of communication boards, which help children with routines and understanding what to expect next in their day. These are customisable to suit families’ needs.
“I’m still selling to parents and teachers, but I’ve got larger wholesale and commercial orders in the pipeline,” said Sophie. “People say the products are life-changing.
“I get sent photos and videos of how they change people’s days. One mum sent a video of her son using the communication board. They used to struggle, but they now use the board and he even takes it to bed with him.
“I’m told the products are engaging and clear and that’s why children respond well. They help with communication and some have been verbalising what they can see. I’m emotional at the feedback I get.
“I can’t explain the feeling. It’s just something I made for my son and it’s helping hundreds of other families. It’s one of the most rewarding feelings and very special.”
Sophie’s spare room is now full to the brim with five printers and a packing and storage space, and she looks forward to executing some larger commercial projects coming soon. Until then, these will remain under wraps.