Couple creating communication signs for son announce partnership with Widgit
When parents Sophie and Tom Haynes discovered their autistic son sometimes struggled with everyday life, they made it their mission to create their own communication solution to help support his independence and emotional wellbeing.
The dynamic duo decided to create colourful, tactile small signs to enable their seven-year-old to confidently communicate when things became overwhelming for him and SEN Talk Tags was born. Their initial home-grown initiative has transformed their lives and those of countless others and proved to be a business success, as they announced a new collaboration with Widgit.
The inspirational, innovative Northamptonshire couple creates 3D printed, durable tags with symbols and messages youngsters and adults can use to help cope with everyday life or challenges they encounter. Their tags are trusted by parents, teachers, and therapists supporting children and adults with autism, ADHD, and additional needs, across the UK and beyond.
Mother-of-two Sophie, 32, said: “Our journey started from a simple need to support communication in our home. Inspired by our son, who is autistic, we began searching for communication tools that were personal, practical, and durable enough for real life. When we couldn’t find exactly what he needed, we decided to create it ourselves.
“What began as a personal solution for our son quickly resonated with friends and family. Seeing the positive impact these tools had on other children, we realised we could help a much wider community.”
The pioneering parents are passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and individuals who are nonverbal or navigate the world with communication challenges and their new partnership with Widgit will take their mission to another level.
Sophie said: “We are so excited to officially announce the Widgit Licensed symbol range is coming to SEN Talk Tags this October!
“We had the incredible privilege of recently visiting Widgit HQ to celebrate this launch. Widgit Symbols have long set the standard for visual communication in schools and settings across the UK. We are deeply passionate about taking those trusted symbols and turning them into hardwearing, tactile 3D communication aids built for real daily life.
“When someone relies on visual support, consistency is everything. By combining Widgit’s iconic symbols with our Talk Tags, our mission is to provide children, families, and professionals with true visual continuity, creating familiar, comfortable communication channels across school, home, and therapy spaces.”
Lisa Pinkerton, Head of Education at Widgit, added: “We’re really excited to partner with SEN Talk Tags because they complement what we do at Widgit so naturally. Many children are already familiar with Widgit Symbols from seeing and using them at school, and this new range gives them another practical way to benefit from that same familiar visual language in everyday life. It’s about creating greater consistency for children, families and educators, with tools that work alongside each other to support communication, understanding and independence wherever they are.”
When Sophie and Tom’s venture outgrew their spare room, and to keep up with the phenomenal product demand, they relocated to The Stables at Holdenby House where they produce their multitude of hardwearing tags and products, which are distributed locally, nationally and worldwide.
Previous professional gardener Tom, 35, had his own company but decided to put his green fingers to different use helping support their new business in a bid to achieve their aim to “help build a more inclusive world one tag at a time”.
Founder and director Sophie said: “At SEN Talk Tags, we believe everyone deserves to be heard. Our mission is to create innovative, sensory-friendly products that bridge communication gaps and promote independence. From our flagship Talk Tags to our portable boards, every item is designed with care and real-world practicality. We started this for our son, but we continue it for every family who just wants their child to be understood.”
Sophie is the creative vision behind the business. Drawing from her lived experience as a SEND parent, she manages all design and development. From creating graphic symbols to technical product layout and community outreach, Sophie ensures every tag is “thoughtfully designed with a deep understanding of what is truly needed”.
Tom’s domain is the workshop where he manages the entire operations side of the business. From overseeing their ever-increasing fleet of 3D printers, alongside personally packing and ensuring quality control of every order.
Sophie describes the journey the couple has been on since first making their own SEN Talk Tags as a “whirlwind”. “It’s the only word to describe it because it's not like any other business. At no point did I sit down and think, I want to start a business - I need to come up with a product.”
The couple has gone from creating and packaging tags orders in their spare room to dedicating themselves full-time to their business.
Sophie said: “It's just happened so quickly, we've just had to roll with it. As more people were interested, we were selling more and had significant orders from multiple schools coming in - it literally snowballed.”
Tom said: “Sophie’s passion and drive is infectious. She was just getting to the point where she couldn't do it on her own and I wanted to back her and support her.”
Together they are their own tag team whether it’s caring for their adored boys or developing the business, which they “live and breathe”.
Sophie added: “We’re helping people beyond what I ever thought or envisaged – it’s having an actual impact. When I read our reviews, it makes you realise we really are making a difference to so many people. You can't even put it into words; it's beautiful.
“We aren’t just creating products; we’re building a community. Together, we are making the world a kinder place, one small tag at a time.”