I learned 100 signs to go away and teach my autistic child.

That's fantastic thanks so much for all of those strategies! I want to maximise on this latest development with his desire to vocalise sounds and some words! Thanks a million!

"Very helpful when we asked questions - she didn't hesitate to answer anything we asked"

Patty’s approach to teaching was so engaging, she has a wealth of knowledge and a lovely way of delivering information. A really enjoyable experience overall.

I have been using CATTS for several month with my daughter. What started off as a very difficult appointment every week (with another service), now my daughter is happy to enter the room immediately and engage with Marijke. I see an improvement at every appointment. I would be lost if I had not found CATTS.

I learned lots of new signs. Can't wait to learn more.

"Nice people, good understanding with asd kids."

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

CATTS is an excellent service providing Speech and Language which is highly needed for children with special needs.

“I liked learning sign language so it can help me communicate with my cousin and each other.”

I liked the way the 100 words were split out throughout the day. Not information overload. Very enjoyable - the day flew!

“What I liked: Use of videos as well as slides. The variety of signs taught. Relaxed atmosphere – had a laugh while learning signs.”

Very well organised event. - Looking forward to the next CATTS CPD event. Thank you!

I really enjoyed Patty, loved her style, stories and analogies

CATTS Ireland were good and helpful hosts.
Great course. Need more interdisciplinary type courses in Ireland!

I liked that the day was active ad no one was put on the spot!

"Our therapist obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into each of [NAME]'s sessions, very creative to get the best out of him."

CATTS has a great system that definitely works.
[Therapist] just makes him feel do comfortable. [NAME] has come along so well since we started CATTS. Me and [NAME] have a great communication now and he barely spoke 2 words when we started. Now he is flying with his vocab. We couldn't be prowder.

Lisa is very inspiring, very practical and we benefited most from the presenter’s own experience. Enjoyed the positive approach of presenter – I feel invigorated

"I enjoyed doing the signs and activity. I think that this will help me in the future with being a special needs assistant"

I am very happy with the progress that my daughter has made since we started to come to CATTS. The service is professional, on point and there is a genuine interest in the child. Every session is different with a combination of work and games which is very effective. There are adequate breaks which is very important and an excellent understanding of my daughter's ASD and ADHD. The games and lesson plans tie in very naturally with whats going on with school and at home and this makes the sessions valuable and effective with excellent learning and development for my daughter. I have recommended CATTS to many other mums and will continue to do so.

With the rollout of Progressing Disabilities its so important to build awareness on family centred practice. Thank you for bringing this and other courses to Ireland.

Great few days. Very professionally done and all needs tended to and anticipated

I liked the multiple steps in learning signs - helped memory.

Found Marijke very enjoyable as a teacher. Made the course a lot more intereting and easier to learn.

[NAME] is very happy and is progressing. My son has built a lot of confidence since starting therapy, our family & friends really see a difference in his abilities.

I am very happy with the service we have received with [Therapist]. After 2 sessions [NAME] had started saying 'more', 'again', 'up', 'down' and is continuing to add new words each week.

The best thing is the therapist's genuine interest in my child and getting to know her and what works best for her - in particular a shared passion for Pokemon! I have noticed improvements in pronunciation of words, developments of language and improvements of winning / losing scenarios.

I learned a lot of new signs and that it's possible to learn a lot of signs in a relatively short space of time.

Really Great Event. Well done CATTS 🙂

"I enjoyed the group interaction. Moving between theory and practical Lamh signs has helped me to concentrate for the entirety of the day.”

Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend.

I liked your enthuasian and how personable and approachable you are. So much was covered and I liked how you were willng to show us lots of other sign.

CATTS are very flexible. My child loves coming and my child understands the speech therapist's instructions, which is very important to me.

We researched a lot of places and time and time again CATTS was recommended to us. We are so glad we listened as we have seen great progress in our son. [Therapist] just "gets him" and its so nice to have a positive experience all the while our son is doing some "work".

This is a great idea. It really helps to have a resource on hand you can trust

Marijke was excellent - brilliant tutor.

Thoroughly enjoyed the class. Marijke makes learning fun!

[NAME] enjoys going to Marijke and I feel the work being done is addressing [NAME]'s needs. We attended other speech therapists in the past and whilst they also helped I think CATTS' way of establishing where [NAME]'s main areas of need are, is very good.

I was a bit hesitant at first to ask a question, but once I did, she was really quick getting back to me with pointers and things to do.

I learned over 100 signs which will make it a lot easier to communicate with my child.

I learned how to think about how it might feel to not be able to communicate. I learned not only about the signs but also how to associate them with other things to remember them. I also learned how to 'teach' the signs in an effective way with the kids.

Refreshing no-nonsense parent’s perspective.

I liked the way the tutor presented the class. It enabled me to learn in a relaxed way. Her coverage was fantastic. I would attend another class hosted by her.

I liked Marijke. You made the course interesting and fun.

Everyone has commented on how well my son's speech has come on.
His speech is more relevant to what is happening around him. Today, he answered a 'Where' question for the first time appropriately without being prompted first.

This was a fun, interactive course. Marijke was very good, and patient, friendly and funny.

“I thought it was very well presented. Not only was it about Lamh sign; it was about communication.”

The day was fun! Marijke made it fun and easy to learn. Really enjoying. Good craic.

I learned a lot of signs I didn't know and how to teach them to my brother. I'll finally be able to have a proper conversation with him.

I learned how to put Lamh into the school setting where I work. How to plan and create situations where I can use it.

Overall Satisfaction: 96%
Value for Money: 92%

My little boy absolutely loves going to CATTS. He loves playing all his 'games' and 'sound games' and thinks it is great fun. Marijke makes every minute of speech therapy fun and exciting. It is lovely to see my little boy progress in a fun, warm environment. Marijke is warm and provides great guidance and support for home. Marijke always responds to queries in a timely manner. Learning is made fun. He has made improvements in speech sounds and is now more susceptible to fixing up errors without resistance.

The best thing about CATTS therapy is the tailored sessions and continuous review of what is working.

“I’ve learned 100 Lamh signs. I’ve learned ways to use them and importance of repetition. I’ve enjoyed Marijke’s energetic method of teaching.”

“I’ve learned so many signs and how to effectively communicate with residents.”

I think the best thing about CATTS is the professional service. The therapists are very skilled and it is of huge benefit to my child.

"Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend. Only annoyed we didn't know about it before. We would have taken him years ago."

Social interaction, speech has come on, both expressive and receptive. I'm more relaxed and reassured because I feel supported.

"My thanks to you and Marijke for the excellent staff and responsive service that you have provided in CATTS."
Large Residential Service Provider

"Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement. She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her."

Marijke made it very easy to learn and very entertaining! ?

A very professional but friendly and focused to each individual child's needs.

I liked the way nobody was singled out. The signs were demonstrated as a group.

The CATTS team were so friendly and enthusiastic. We all felt really well looked after.

The sessions are fun and she always strives to remember what works for our son down to the smallest details. Our SLT always made sessions fun and engaging but also was able to get the most out of each session which is so important when dealing with intellectual disability.

Niamh is phenomenal! She is so talented at working with children in a fun and relaxed way. My 9 year old didn't even realize any of it was work. He looked forward to every session and that is due to Niamh and her kindness and skill.

CATTS work really well with my child's school resource teacher and SNA to insure my child has every opportunity to improve his communication skills.

I liked the structure of the day. The associations Marijke used helped me to remember the signs. I also like that the games reinforced the signs. Plus the sweets as rewards!

Good insight into different behaviours of autism which was based in the real world. Really excellent

I am very satisfied with the treatment I got from CATTS. I was a bit apprehensive but the friendly, professional attitude of the therapist put me at my ease. The comparison of my performance at the start of treatment and at the six-monthly follow up showed that my voice had improved both in volume and range. I am more than pleased.

I learned how I can use signs to help children communicate on a one to one basis or in a group to encourage social and language skills in an informal way.
Learned more than I thought I would at one sitting!

"Catts Ireland is providing a superb vital service for children"

"Great anecdotes helped me associate the words with the sign."

Huge amount of useful info. Video clips were useful.
Excellent topic and event. It is difficult to get the opportunity to learn from the main experts in specific fields.

The best thing is that my daughter's needs, strengths and weaknesses are being met, understood and worked on. Going at her pace, with patience.

Without a doubt my son's progression is down to Marijke's involvement. I think the best thing about CATTS service is that they value parents and external therapists input and have no problem liaising with outside services (i.e. HSE, Enable Ireland, etc). We have both learned techniques/ mechanisms to increase speech and reduce fustration. Definate drop in NAME's distress.

The progress my son has made over the last year is astounding. Marijke is a fabulous therapist. It is obvious she enjoys her job and cares for her clients. I appreciate the value CATTS places on parent involvement ant think the tips / techniques provided to use at home have proved to be very successful. We are 100% satisfied with the service CATTS provide.

We have been attending CATTS for over 5 years and can only recommend them to anyone looking for a friendly and professional service. My child's speech, communication and confidence has made huge improvements consistently over the years. He's gone from a child who was frustrated with very little words and screamed to let us know what he needed to now working on grammar! The sessions are always fun to keep him interested and focused on his needs and exactly what he should be working on. This progress wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't been attending Marijke at CATTS.

Very happy with the attention and detail [NAME] gets at each session. Each session is setup in advance and if a games doesn't go to plan there is always a backup nearby.

I like the no rushing of each session so it can respond to what [NAME] needs on the day. He has opened up so much and has become more confident as time goes on.

The energy and humour of the presenter helps me remember. Marijke delivered it very well and made it very informative and enjoyable! 🙂

"Loved the training style. Very enjoyable day."

“I liked the positive interaction between the tutor & learners.”

Efficient, excellent communication and follow up post classes, excellent advice for further at hone progress.

I learned a lot of new Lamh signs

“I enjoyed the games, these were practical and helped consolidate our learning and helped us to retain the new signs.”

CATTS really know how to attract great speakers. Really professionally run event. Felt very well looked after.

100% of Speech Therapy clients surveyed would recommend CATTS to a friend or family member!

Very informative course, learned a lot both theoretical and practical from a very skilled presenter.

The energy of the course and how it was taught. Great information that will stay in my brain!

I think the best thing is our therapist's approach to dealing with my sometimes difficult child.

We've seen improvement from day one. We've also learned a lot from watching her work. My son enjoys his sessions with Marijke, she somehow manages to get a 4 year old to focus for the whole session and have fun while doing it. We're seeing constant improvement.

"I learned how important it is to communicate. I hope it will make life happier for the service users.”

I liked Marijke as a Lamh tutor. She was extremely engaging and personable. I like how it was fun during the lesson.

I came away with far more than I could have imagined

“I thought the course was made very interesting because it was informal and amusing at times. I was surprised at how the Lamh signs stuck in my mind.”

Would highly recommend CATTS. I have seen a big difference in my child since his first session. The biggest has been learning to wait. [NAME] has come along so much, now his vocab is coming on better and better everyday. Since starting the sessions the whole family have joined in to learn what we do in every session and really enjoy learning how to really have fun on [NAME]'s level. it is great to see [NAME] so excited when we get out of the car and see Marijke's door. He knows where he is going and really enjoys it which makes it really enjoyable for us to look at. Thank you.

I like the fact that you can look at the videos and browse the group at your own pace.

[NAME] always had a 'difficult' relationship with his speech therapists from his service providers. CATTS therapists are totally different, young & energetic & determined to get the best out of him.

Amazing, Well planned, Very impressed with Lisa’s knowledge as a mother.

Excellent. Very informative and Patty was wonderfully engaging. Learned so much!

Since starting with CATTS, my son's confidence has improved, he is involved more socially and he is not as anxious.

"Very interesting. Benefits us especially while working with kids - learned so many things I never knew e.g. DVD, and apps"

"Marijke made the day very funny and interesting."

Very happy with the speech service my son is getting through CATTS. The therapist is working very well with my son and gets the best out of him. Only for this service my son would be getting no speech. I am very grateful.

Good cooperation with parents to help special needs kids. Excellent Speech therapy support for kids with ASD.

I've joined so many groups etc to try help [NAME], this one is really useful. I do need to ask more questions though lol.

Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement.  She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her.

The BEST THING about CATTS is the One to One service, Great Advice and Tips to work on at home!

I have been attending CATTS with my son for 5 years now and the service we have received is fantastic. Marijke is a wonderful therapist and my son's speech and communication has come on so much from when he started from a no-verbal little boy to a fully verbal child now. Marijke has each session planned to meet his needs and I feel fully involved. We travel a long distance to each session but it is worth it to see the difference in my son's communication and confidence.

Very beneficial program. I learnt a lot of strategies to help me.

My son has attended regularly for some months now, and responded very early on to the use of Lámh. He has made good progress and enjoys going to sessions. Overall would highly recommend Marijke as an SLT.

Lovely facilities, nice class size. Amazing that only 3 rows back, it felt small and intimate.

I enjoyed the interaction and the humour!

I find our therapist Brilliant! She gives great tips and is excellent in engaging with my son. It is much improved for primary school as he can tell me things that happen in his summer setting, which is less frustrating for him and less worrying for me.

Patty is an excellent presenter, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

I learned a lot more than I expected to! thank you .

I learned so many new signs and lots of different ways to approach kids to create conversation opportunities.

“I’ve enjoyed learning everything about Lamh, including watching videos, doing games and working in group. It was very interesting.”

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

Great Content. Well organised.
All members of the CATTS team were friendly and helpful. They were always providing much needed information.

Excellently covered by Patty, I am walking away feeling a lot more confident that my clients will receive better therapy.

[NAME] settled well. He found it hard first time but after a few sessions he got used to being there and started to work well. He makes more sounds now and is copying the words after us.

I liked the enthusiasm of the presenter. It was really interactive, clear and well paced.

The best thing about CATTS is the experience of the Speech Therapist. How she engages with my son. He understands a lot more, his receptive language has improved greatly since starting.

"This is a great service, he really looks forward to the therapy sessions."

A Super Day! A wealth of knowledge. Loved the detail and attention to accuracy. Thank you.

I liked the structure of the class. Marijke made the class fun and enjoyable to learn the different signs.

“What did I like: being able to communicate with Lamh user. Brilliant course. Would recommend it to other people.”

The best thing about CATTS is that each session is individually tailored to that child's need at that time and carried out in a fun way.

Thought the tutor (Marijke) was excellent. Really easy to listen to, so easy to learn from. Made the day fun. Kept you focused.

Really enjoyed the course, excellent information & presenter.

Patty’s approach to teaching was so engaging, she has a wealth of knowledge and a lovely way of delivering information. A really enjoyable experience overall.

[NAME] is very happy and is progressing. My son has built a lot of confidence since starting therapy, our family & friends really see a difference in his abilities.

I learned a lot of signs I didn't know and how to teach them to my brother. I'll finally be able to have a proper conversation with him.

100% of Speech Therapy clients surveyed would recommend CATTS to a friend or family member!

Great few days. Very professionally done and all needs tended to and anticipated

Excellently covered by Patty, I am walking away feeling a lot more confident that my clients will receive better therapy.

I liked your enthuasian and how personable and approachable you are. So much was covered and I liked how you were willng to show us lots of other sign.

[NAME] settled well. He found it hard first time but after a few sessions he got used to being there and started to work well. He makes more sounds now and is copying the words after us.

The day was fun! Marijke made it fun and easy to learn. Really enjoying. Good craic.

I learned how I can use signs to help children communicate on a one to one basis or in a group to encourage social and language skills in an informal way.
Learned more than I thought I would at one sitting!

Very happy with the attention and detail [NAME] gets at each session. Each session is setup in advance and if a games doesn't go to plan there is always a backup nearby.

I like the no rushing of each session so it can respond to what [NAME] needs on the day. He has opened up so much and has become more confident as time goes on.

This is a great idea. It really helps to have a resource on hand you can trust

Efficient, excellent communication and follow up post classes, excellent advice for further at hone progress.

I learned a lot of new signs and that it's possible to learn a lot of signs in a relatively short space of time.

Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend.

I learned a lot more than I expected to! thank you .

[NAME] enjoys going to Marijke and I feel the work being done is addressing [NAME]'s needs. We attended other speech therapists in the past and whilst they also helped I think CATTS' way of establishing where [NAME]'s main areas of need are, is very good.

Very well organised event. - Looking forward to the next CATTS CPD event. Thank you!

I learned lots of new signs. Can't wait to learn more.

This was a fun, interactive course. Marijke was very good, and patient, friendly and funny.

I liked the way nobody was singled out. The signs were demonstrated as a group.

I liked the structure of the class. Marijke made the class fun and enjoyable to learn the different signs.

I have been attending CATTS with my son for 5 years now and the service we have received is fantastic. Marijke is a wonderful therapist and my son's speech and communication has come on so much from when he started from a no-verbal little boy to a fully verbal child now. Marijke has each session planned to meet his needs and I feel fully involved. We travel a long distance to each session but it is worth it to see the difference in my son's communication and confidence.

CATTS Ireland were good and helpful hosts.
Great course. Need more interdisciplinary type courses in Ireland!

Amazing, Well planned, Very impressed with Lisa’s knowledge as a mother.

Good cooperation with parents to help special needs kids. Excellent Speech therapy support for kids with ASD.

The CATTS team were so friendly and enthusiastic. We all felt really well looked after.

"This is a great service, he really looks forward to the therapy sessions."

The sessions are fun and she always strives to remember what works for our son down to the smallest details. Our SLT always made sessions fun and engaging but also was able to get the most out of each session which is so important when dealing with intellectual disability.

The energy and humour of the presenter helps me remember. Marijke delivered it very well and made it very informative and enjoyable! 🙂

“I liked the positive interaction between the tutor & learners.”

“What I liked: Use of videos as well as slides. The variety of signs taught. Relaxed atmosphere – had a laugh while learning signs.”

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

Overall Satisfaction: 96%
Value for Money: 92%

I liked the multiple steps in learning signs - helped memory.

"Loved the training style. Very enjoyable day."

Good insight into different behaviours of autism which was based in the real world. Really excellent

CATTS are very flexible. My child loves coming and my child understands the speech therapist's instructions, which is very important to me.

"Catts Ireland is providing a superb vital service for children"

I liked the structure of the day. The associations Marijke used helped me to remember the signs. I also like that the games reinforced the signs. Plus the sweets as rewards!

Everyone has commented on how well my son's speech has come on.
His speech is more relevant to what is happening around him. Today, he answered a 'Where' question for the first time appropriately without being prompted first.

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

I am very happy with the service we have received with [Therapist]. After 2 sessions [NAME] had started saying 'more', 'again', 'up', 'down' and is continuing to add new words each week.

I learned so many new signs and lots of different ways to approach kids to create conversation opportunities.

Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement.  She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her.

I learned how to think about how it might feel to not be able to communicate. I learned not only about the signs but also how to associate them with other things to remember them. I also learned how to 'teach' the signs in an effective way with the kids.

I liked the way the 100 words were split out throughout the day. Not information overload. Very enjoyable - the day flew!

The BEST THING about CATTS is the One to One service, Great Advice and Tips to work on at home!

I like the fact that you can look at the videos and browse the group at your own pace.

I learned over 100 signs which will make it a lot easier to communicate with my child.

We researched a lot of places and time and time again CATTS was recommended to us. We are so glad we listened as we have seen great progress in our son. [Therapist] just "gets him" and its so nice to have a positive experience all the while our son is doing some "work".

I really enjoyed Patty, loved her style, stories and analogies

"Very interesting. Benefits us especially while working with kids - learned so many things I never knew e.g. DVD, and apps"

Very happy with the speech service my son is getting through CATTS. The therapist is working very well with my son and gets the best out of him. Only for this service my son would be getting no speech. I am very grateful.

“I thought it was very well presented. Not only was it about Lamh sign; it was about communication.”

Patty is an excellent presenter, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

The best thing is the therapist's genuine interest in my child and getting to know her and what works best for her - in particular a shared passion for Pokemon! I have noticed improvements in pronunciation of words, developments of language and improvements of winning / losing scenarios.

CATTS work really well with my child's school resource teacher and SNA to insure my child has every opportunity to improve his communication skills.

"I learned how important it is to communicate. I hope it will make life happier for the service users.”

My son has attended regularly for some months now, and responded very early on to the use of Lámh. He has made good progress and enjoys going to sessions. Overall would highly recommend Marijke as an SLT.

Since starting with CATTS, my son's confidence has improved, he is involved more socially and he is not as anxious.

The energy of the course and how it was taught. Great information that will stay in my brain!

I liked Marijke. You made the course interesting and fun.

"Our therapist obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into each of [NAME]'s sessions, very creative to get the best out of him."

"I enjoyed doing the signs and activity. I think that this will help me in the future with being a special needs assistant"

I liked the enthusiasm of the presenter. It was really interactive, clear and well paced.

A very professional but friendly and focused to each individual child's needs.

Thoroughly enjoyed the class. Marijke makes learning fun!

Without a doubt my son's progression is down to Marijke's involvement. I think the best thing about CATTS service is that they value parents and external therapists input and have no problem liaising with outside services (i.e. HSE, Enable Ireland, etc). We have both learned techniques/ mechanisms to increase speech and reduce fustration. Definate drop in NAME's distress.

The progress my son has made over the last year is astounding. Marijke is a fabulous therapist. It is obvious she enjoys her job and cares for her clients. I appreciate the value CATTS places on parent involvement ant think the tips / techniques provided to use at home have proved to be very successful. We are 100% satisfied with the service CATTS provide.

"Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend. Only annoyed we didn't know about it before. We would have taken him years ago."

The best thing about CATTS is the experience of the Speech Therapist. How she engages with my son. He understands a lot more, his receptive language has improved greatly since starting.

Very beneficial program. I learnt a lot of strategies to help me.

“I liked learning sign language so it can help me communicate with my cousin and each other.”

[NAME] always had a 'difficult' relationship with his speech therapists from his service providers. CATTS therapists are totally different, young & energetic & determined to get the best out of him.

“I enjoyed the games, these were practical and helped consolidate our learning and helped us to retain the new signs.”

I think the best thing is our therapist's approach to dealing with my sometimes difficult child.

Great Content. Well organised.
All members of the CATTS team were friendly and helpful. They were always providing much needed information.

“I thought the course was made very interesting because it was informal and amusing at times. I was surprised at how the Lamh signs stuck in my mind.”

The best thing about CATTS therapy is the tailored sessions and continuous review of what is working.

CATTS really know how to attract great speakers. Really professionally run event. Felt very well looked after.

"Marijke made the day very funny and interesting."

"My thanks to you and Marijke for the excellent staff and responsive service that you have provided in CATTS."
Large Residential Service Provider

Marijke made it very easy to learn and very entertaining! ?

Marijke was excellent - brilliant tutor.

I am very satisfied with the treatment I got from CATTS. I was a bit apprehensive but the friendly, professional attitude of the therapist put me at my ease. The comparison of my performance at the start of treatment and at the six-monthly follow up showed that my voice had improved both in volume and range. I am more than pleased.

Would highly recommend CATTS. I have seen a big difference in my child since his first session. The biggest has been learning to wait. [NAME] has come along so much, now his vocab is coming on better and better everyday. Since starting the sessions the whole family have joined in to learn what we do in every session and really enjoy learning how to really have fun on [NAME]'s level. it is great to see [NAME] so excited when we get out of the car and see Marijke's door. He knows where he is going and really enjoys it which makes it really enjoyable for us to look at. Thank you.

Really enjoyed the course, excellent information & presenter.

We've seen improvement from day one. We've also learned a lot from watching her work. My son enjoys his sessions with Marijke, she somehow manages to get a 4 year old to focus for the whole session and have fun while doing it. We're seeing constant improvement.

I learned 100 signs to go away and teach my autistic child.

My little boy absolutely loves going to CATTS. He loves playing all his 'games' and 'sound games' and thinks it is great fun. Marijke makes every minute of speech therapy fun and exciting. It is lovely to see my little boy progress in a fun, warm environment. Marijke is warm and provides great guidance and support for home. Marijke always responds to queries in a timely manner. Learning is made fun. He has made improvements in speech sounds and is now more susceptible to fixing up errors without resistance.

“What did I like: being able to communicate with Lamh user. Brilliant course. Would recommend it to other people.”

CATTS has a great system that definitely works.
[Therapist] just makes him feel do comfortable. [NAME] has come along so well since we started CATTS. Me and [NAME] have a great communication now and he barely spoke 2 words when we started. Now he is flying with his vocab. We couldn't be prowder.

I liked the way the tutor presented the class. It enabled me to learn in a relaxed way. Her coverage was fantastic. I would attend another class hosted by her.

“I’ve enjoyed learning everything about Lamh, including watching videos, doing games and working in group. It was very interesting.”

Niamh is phenomenal! She is so talented at working with children in a fun and relaxed way. My 9 year old didn't even realize any of it was work. He looked forward to every session and that is due to Niamh and her kindness and skill.

“I’ve learned 100 Lamh signs. I’ve learned ways to use them and importance of repetition. I’ve enjoyed Marijke’s energetic method of teaching.”

We have been attending CATTS for over 5 years and can only recommend them to anyone looking for a friendly and professional service. My child's speech, communication and confidence has made huge improvements consistently over the years. He's gone from a child who was frustrated with very little words and screamed to let us know what he needed to now working on grammar! The sessions are always fun to keep him interested and focused on his needs and exactly what he should be working on. This progress wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't been attending Marijke at CATTS.

Really Great Event. Well done CATTS 🙂

The best thing about CATTS is that each session is individually tailored to that child's need at that time and carried out in a fun way.

"Very helpful when we asked questions - she didn't hesitate to answer anything we asked"

A Super Day! A wealth of knowledge. Loved the detail and attention to accuracy. Thank you.

I find our therapist Brilliant! She gives great tips and is excellent in engaging with my son. It is much improved for primary school as he can tell me things that happen in his summer setting, which is less frustrating for him and less worrying for me.

"Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement. She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her."

"Great anecdotes helped me associate the words with the sign."

Social interaction, speech has come on, both expressive and receptive. I'm more relaxed and reassured because I feel supported.

The best thing is that my daughter's needs, strengths and weaknesses are being met, understood and worked on. Going at her pace, with patience.

Very informative course, learned a lot both theoretical and practical from a very skilled presenter.

I learned a lot of new Lamh signs

That's fantastic thanks so much for all of those strategies! I want to maximise on this latest development with his desire to vocalise sounds and some words! Thanks a million!

Huge amount of useful info. Video clips were useful.
Excellent topic and event. It is difficult to get the opportunity to learn from the main experts in specific fields.

I learned more ways to create communication opportunities.

Thought the tutor (Marijke) was excellent. Really easy to listen to, so easy to learn from. Made the day fun. Kept you focused.

I liked that the day was active ad no one was put on the spot!

I enjoyed the interaction and the humour!

Excellent. Very informative and Patty was wonderfully engaging. Learned so much!

I've joined so many groups etc to try help [NAME], this one is really useful. I do need to ask more questions though lol.

I am very happy with the progress that my daughter has made since we started to come to CATTS. The service is professional, on point and there is a genuine interest in the child. Every session is different with a combination of work and games which is very effective. There are adequate breaks which is very important and an excellent understanding of my daughter's ASD and ADHD. The games and lesson plans tie in very naturally with whats going on with school and at home and this makes the sessions valuable and effective with excellent learning and development for my daughter. I have recommended CATTS to many other mums and will continue to do so.

With the rollout of Progressing Disabilities its so important to build awareness on family centred practice. Thank you for bringing this and other courses to Ireland.

"Nice people, good understanding with asd kids."

I was a bit hesitant at first to ask a question, but once I did, she was really quick getting back to me with pointers and things to do.

I came away with far more than I could have imagined

CATTS is an excellent service providing Speech and Language which is highly needed for children with special needs.

I learned how to put Lamh into the school setting where I work. How to plan and create situations where I can use it.

Lisa is very inspiring, very practical and we benefited most from the presenter’s own experience. Enjoyed the positive approach of presenter – I feel invigorated

Found Marijke very enjoyable as a teacher. Made the course a lot more intereting and easier to learn.

“I’ve learned so many signs and how to effectively communicate with residents.”

"I enjoyed the group interaction. Moving between theory and practical Lamh signs has helped me to concentrate for the entirety of the day.”

I liked Marijke as a Lamh tutor. She was extremely engaging and personable. I like how it was fun during the lesson.

I have been using CATTS for several month with my daughter. What started off as a very difficult appointment every week (with another service), now my daughter is happy to enter the room immediately and engage with Marijke. I see an improvement at every appointment. I would be lost if I had not found CATTS.

Refreshing no-nonsense parent’s perspective.

Lovely facilities, nice class size. Amazing that only 3 rows back, it felt small and intimate.

[NAME] enjoys going to Marijke and I feel the work being done is addressing [NAME]'s needs. We attended other speech therapists in the past and whilst they also helped I think CATTS' way of establishing where [NAME]'s main areas of need are, is very good.

Overall Satisfaction: 96%
Value for Money: 92%

I learned so many new signs and lots of different ways to approach kids to create conversation opportunities.

Huge amount of useful info. Video clips were useful.
Excellent topic and event. It is difficult to get the opportunity to learn from the main experts in specific fields.

I have been using CATTS for several month with my daughter. What started off as a very difficult appointment every week (with another service), now my daughter is happy to enter the room immediately and engage with Marijke. I see an improvement at every appointment. I would be lost if I had not found CATTS.

The best thing is that my daughter's needs, strengths and weaknesses are being met, understood and worked on. Going at her pace, with patience.

We researched a lot of places and time and time again CATTS was recommended to us. We are so glad we listened as we have seen great progress in our son. [Therapist] just "gets him" and its so nice to have a positive experience all the while our son is doing some "work".

"This is a great service, he really looks forward to the therapy sessions."

The CATTS team were so friendly and enthusiastic. We all felt really well looked after.

Lovely facilities, nice class size. Amazing that only 3 rows back, it felt small and intimate.

The BEST THING about CATTS is the One to One service, Great Advice and Tips to work on at home!

I learned a lot more than I expected to! thank you .

I liked the enthusiasm of the presenter. It was really interactive, clear and well paced.

"Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement. She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her."

I am very happy with the service we have received with [Therapist]. After 2 sessions [NAME] had started saying 'more', 'again', 'up', 'down' and is continuing to add new words each week.

“I liked the positive interaction between the tutor & learners.”

I learned lots of new signs. Can't wait to learn more.

[NAME] is very happy and is progressing. My son has built a lot of confidence since starting therapy, our family & friends really see a difference in his abilities.

Very happy with the speech service my son is getting through CATTS. The therapist is working very well with my son and gets the best out of him. Only for this service my son would be getting no speech. I am very grateful.

I liked the structure of the class. Marijke made the class fun and enjoyable to learn the different signs.

Without a doubt my son's progression is down to Marijke's involvement. I think the best thing about CATTS service is that they value parents and external therapists input and have no problem liaising with outside services (i.e. HSE, Enable Ireland, etc). We have both learned techniques/ mechanisms to increase speech and reduce fustration. Definate drop in NAME's distress.

The progress my son has made over the last year is astounding. Marijke is a fabulous therapist. It is obvious she enjoys her job and cares for her clients. I appreciate the value CATTS places on parent involvement ant think the tips / techniques provided to use at home have proved to be very successful. We are 100% satisfied with the service CATTS provide.

Lisa is very inspiring, very practical and we benefited most from the presenter’s own experience. Enjoyed the positive approach of presenter – I feel invigorated

Excellent. Very informative and Patty was wonderfully engaging. Learned so much!

Niamh is phenomenal! She is so talented at working with children in a fun and relaxed way. My 9 year old didn't even realize any of it was work. He looked forward to every session and that is due to Niamh and her kindness and skill.

Would highly recommend CATTS. I have seen a big difference in my child since his first session. The biggest has been learning to wait. [NAME] has come along so much, now his vocab is coming on better and better everyday. Since starting the sessions the whole family have joined in to learn what we do in every session and really enjoy learning how to really have fun on [NAME]'s level. it is great to see [NAME] so excited when we get out of the car and see Marijke's door. He knows where he is going and really enjoys it which makes it really enjoyable for us to look at. Thank you.

"I enjoyed the group interaction. Moving between theory and practical Lamh signs has helped me to concentrate for the entirety of the day.”

CATTS is an excellent service providing Speech and Language which is highly needed for children with special needs.

I liked the structure of the day. The associations Marijke used helped me to remember the signs. I also like that the games reinforced the signs. Plus the sweets as rewards!

The best thing about CATTS is the experience of the Speech Therapist. How she engages with my son. He understands a lot more, his receptive language has improved greatly since starting.

CATTS work really well with my child's school resource teacher and SNA to insure my child has every opportunity to improve his communication skills.

Really enjoyed the course, excellent information & presenter.

I learned a lot of new Lamh signs

“I enjoyed the games, these were practical and helped consolidate our learning and helped us to retain the new signs.”

CATTS really know how to attract great speakers. Really professionally run event. Felt very well looked after.

“What did I like: being able to communicate with Lamh user. Brilliant course. Would recommend it to other people.”

Efficient, excellent communication and follow up post classes, excellent advice for further at hone progress.

CATTS are very flexible. My child loves coming and my child understands the speech therapist's instructions, which is very important to me.

I learned a lot of new signs and that it's possible to learn a lot of signs in a relatively short space of time.

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

I liked the multiple steps in learning signs - helped memory.

My son has attended regularly for some months now, and responded very early on to the use of Lámh. He has made good progress and enjoys going to sessions. Overall would highly recommend Marijke as an SLT.

We have been attending CATTS for over 5 years and can only recommend them to anyone looking for a friendly and professional service. My child's speech, communication and confidence has made huge improvements consistently over the years. He's gone from a child who was frustrated with very little words and screamed to let us know what he needed to now working on grammar! The sessions are always fun to keep him interested and focused on his needs and exactly what he should be working on. This progress wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't been attending Marijke at CATTS.

CATTS Ireland were good and helpful hosts.
Great course. Need more interdisciplinary type courses in Ireland!

The energy and humour of the presenter helps me remember. Marijke delivered it very well and made it very informative and enjoyable! 🙂

“I liked learning sign language so it can help me communicate with my cousin and each other.”

Very well organised event. - Looking forward to the next CATTS CPD event. Thank you!

"My thanks to you and Marijke for the excellent staff and responsive service that you have provided in CATTS."
Large Residential Service Provider

Social interaction, speech has come on, both expressive and receptive. I'm more relaxed and reassured because I feel supported.

A Super Day! A wealth of knowledge. Loved the detail and attention to accuracy. Thank you.

My little boy absolutely loves going to CATTS. He loves playing all his 'games' and 'sound games' and thinks it is great fun. Marijke makes every minute of speech therapy fun and exciting. It is lovely to see my little boy progress in a fun, warm environment. Marijke is warm and provides great guidance and support for home. Marijke always responds to queries in a timely manner. Learning is made fun. He has made improvements in speech sounds and is now more susceptible to fixing up errors without resistance.

This is a great idea. It really helps to have a resource on hand you can trust

"I learned how important it is to communicate. I hope it will make life happier for the service users.”

Very happy with the attention and detail [NAME] gets at each session. Each session is setup in advance and if a games doesn't go to plan there is always a backup nearby.

I like the no rushing of each session so it can respond to what [NAME] needs on the day. He has opened up so much and has become more confident as time goes on.

I learned a lot of signs I didn't know and how to teach them to my brother. I'll finally be able to have a proper conversation with him.

I liked Marijke. You made the course interesting and fun.

I learned more ways to create communication opportunities.

Everyone has commented on how well my son's speech has come on.
His speech is more relevant to what is happening around him. Today, he answered a 'Where' question for the first time appropriately without being prompted first.

The energy of the course and how it was taught. Great information that will stay in my brain!

I learned 100 signs to go away and teach my autistic child.

"Great anecdotes helped me associate the words with the sign."

I like the fact that you can look at the videos and browse the group at your own pace.

A very professional but friendly and focused to each individual child's needs.

I learned how to put Lamh into the school setting where I work. How to plan and create situations where I can use it.

"Marijke made the day very funny and interesting."

Patty’s approach to teaching was so engaging, she has a wealth of knowledge and a lovely way of delivering information. A really enjoyable experience overall.

[NAME] always had a 'difficult' relationship with his speech therapists from his service providers. CATTS therapists are totally different, young & energetic & determined to get the best out of him.

Since starting with CATTS, my son's confidence has improved, he is involved more socially and he is not as anxious.

“I’ve learned so many signs and how to effectively communicate with residents.”

We've seen improvement from day one. We've also learned a lot from watching her work. My son enjoys his sessions with Marijke, she somehow manages to get a 4 year old to focus for the whole session and have fun while doing it. We're seeing constant improvement.

I learned how I can use signs to help children communicate on a one to one basis or in a group to encourage social and language skills in an informal way.
Learned more than I thought I would at one sitting!

I liked your enthuasian and how personable and approachable you are. So much was covered and I liked how you were willng to show us lots of other sign.

Great Content. Well organised.
All members of the CATTS team were friendly and helpful. They were always providing much needed information.

Amazing, Well planned, Very impressed with Lisa’s knowledge as a mother.

I learned how to think about how it might feel to not be able to communicate. I learned not only about the signs but also how to associate them with other things to remember them. I also learned how to 'teach' the signs in an effective way with the kids.

I've joined so many groups etc to try help [NAME], this one is really useful. I do need to ask more questions though lol.

[NAME] settled well. He found it hard first time but after a few sessions he got used to being there and started to work well. He makes more sounds now and is copying the words after us.

"Our therapist obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into each of [NAME]'s sessions, very creative to get the best out of him."

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

"Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend. Only annoyed we didn't know about it before. We would have taken him years ago."

Excellently covered by Patty, I am walking away feeling a lot more confident that my clients will receive better therapy.

Marijke made it very easy to learn and very entertaining! ?

“What I liked: Use of videos as well as slides. The variety of signs taught. Relaxed atmosphere – had a laugh while learning signs.”

100% of Speech Therapy clients surveyed would recommend CATTS to a friend or family member!

The day was fun! Marijke made it fun and easy to learn. Really enjoying. Good craic.

Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend.

"Very helpful when we asked questions - she didn't hesitate to answer anything we asked"

"Catts Ireland is providing a superb vital service for children"

Thoroughly enjoyed the class. Marijke makes learning fun!

Very beneficial program. I learnt a lot of strategies to help me.

Refreshing no-nonsense parent’s perspective.

CATTS has a great system that definitely works.
[Therapist] just makes him feel do comfortable. [NAME] has come along so well since we started CATTS. Me and [NAME] have a great communication now and he barely spoke 2 words when we started. Now he is flying with his vocab. We couldn't be prowder.

"Very interesting. Benefits us especially while working with kids - learned so many things I never knew e.g. DVD, and apps"

I think the best thing is our therapist's approach to dealing with my sometimes difficult child.

I am very satisfied with the treatment I got from CATTS. I was a bit apprehensive but the friendly, professional attitude of the therapist put me at my ease. The comparison of my performance at the start of treatment and at the six-monthly follow up showed that my voice had improved both in volume and range. I am more than pleased.

I learned over 100 signs which will make it a lot easier to communicate with my child.

That's fantastic thanks so much for all of those strategies! I want to maximise on this latest development with his desire to vocalise sounds and some words! Thanks a million!

Good cooperation with parents to help special needs kids. Excellent Speech therapy support for kids with ASD.

Really Great Event. Well done CATTS 🙂

“I’ve learned 100 Lamh signs. I’ve learned ways to use them and importance of repetition. I’ve enjoyed Marijke’s energetic method of teaching.”

“I’ve enjoyed learning everything about Lamh, including watching videos, doing games and working in group. It was very interesting.”

"Nice people, good understanding with asd kids."

Great few days. Very professionally done and all needs tended to and anticipated

Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement.  She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her.

The sessions are fun and she always strives to remember what works for our son down to the smallest details. Our SLT always made sessions fun and engaging but also was able to get the most out of each session which is so important when dealing with intellectual disability.

I have been attending CATTS with my son for 5 years now and the service we have received is fantastic. Marijke is a wonderful therapist and my son's speech and communication has come on so much from when he started from a no-verbal little boy to a fully verbal child now. Marijke has each session planned to meet his needs and I feel fully involved. We travel a long distance to each session but it is worth it to see the difference in my son's communication and confidence.

"Loved the training style. Very enjoyable day."

This was a fun, interactive course. Marijke was very good, and patient, friendly and funny.

With the rollout of Progressing Disabilities its so important to build awareness on family centred practice. Thank you for bringing this and other courses to Ireland.

I came away with far more than I could have imagined

I liked that the day was active ad no one was put on the spot!

Patty is an excellent presenter, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

I liked the way the tutor presented the class. It enabled me to learn in a relaxed way. Her coverage was fantastic. I would attend another class hosted by her.

The best thing about CATTS therapy is the tailored sessions and continuous review of what is working.

Thought the tutor (Marijke) was excellent. Really easy to listen to, so easy to learn from. Made the day fun. Kept you focused.

“I thought it was very well presented. Not only was it about Lamh sign; it was about communication.”

"I enjoyed doing the signs and activity. I think that this will help me in the future with being a special needs assistant"

I liked the way the 100 words were split out throughout the day. Not information overload. Very enjoyable - the day flew!

I find our therapist Brilliant! She gives great tips and is excellent in engaging with my son. It is much improved for primary school as he can tell me things that happen in his summer setting, which is less frustrating for him and less worrying for me.

I liked the way nobody was singled out. The signs were demonstrated as a group.

I enjoyed the interaction and the humour!

I think the best thing about CATTS is the professional service. The therapists are very skilled and it is of huge benefit to my child.

The best thing about CATTS is that each session is individually tailored to that child's need at that time and carried out in a fun way.

I liked Marijke as a Lamh tutor. She was extremely engaging and personable. I like how it was fun during the lesson.

I really enjoyed Patty, loved her style, stories and analogies

I am very happy with the progress that my daughter has made since we started to come to CATTS. The service is professional, on point and there is a genuine interest in the child. Every session is different with a combination of work and games which is very effective. There are adequate breaks which is very important and an excellent understanding of my daughter's ASD and ADHD. The games and lesson plans tie in very naturally with whats going on with school and at home and this makes the sessions valuable and effective with excellent learning and development for my daughter. I have recommended CATTS to many other mums and will continue to do so.

Found Marijke very enjoyable as a teacher. Made the course a lot more intereting and easier to learn.

Good insight into different behaviours of autism which was based in the real world. Really excellent

Marijke was excellent - brilliant tutor.

I was a bit hesitant at first to ask a question, but once I did, she was really quick getting back to me with pointers and things to do.

“I thought the course was made very interesting because it was informal and amusing at times. I was surprised at how the Lamh signs stuck in my mind.”

The best thing is the therapist's genuine interest in my child and getting to know her and what works best for her - in particular a shared passion for Pokemon! I have noticed improvements in pronunciation of words, developments of language and improvements of winning / losing scenarios.

“What did I like: being able to communicate with Lamh user. Brilliant course. Would recommend it to other people.”

Excellently covered by Patty, I am walking away feeling a lot more confident that my clients will receive better therapy.

I learned a lot of signs I didn't know and how to teach them to my brother. I'll finally be able to have a proper conversation with him.

CATTS work really well with my child's school resource teacher and SNA to insure my child has every opportunity to improve his communication skills.

We've seen improvement from day one. We've also learned a lot from watching her work. My son enjoys his sessions with Marijke, she somehow manages to get a 4 year old to focus for the whole session and have fun while doing it. We're seeing constant improvement.

"Very helpful when we asked questions - she didn't hesitate to answer anything we asked"

CATTS has a great system that definitely works.
[Therapist] just makes him feel do comfortable. [NAME] has come along so well since we started CATTS. Me and [NAME] have a great communication now and he barely spoke 2 words when we started. Now he is flying with his vocab. We couldn't be prowder.

"Nice people, good understanding with asd kids."

I liked the way the 100 words were split out throughout the day. Not information overload. Very enjoyable - the day flew!

I liked your enthuasian and how personable and approachable you are. So much was covered and I liked how you were willng to show us lots of other sign.

CATTS are very flexible. My child loves coming and my child understands the speech therapist's instructions, which is very important to me.

Since starting with CATTS, my son's confidence has improved, he is involved more socially and he is not as anxious.

Very informative course, learned a lot both theoretical and practical from a very skilled presenter.

“I’ve learned so many signs and how to effectively communicate with residents.”

Good cooperation with parents to help special needs kids. Excellent Speech therapy support for kids with ASD.

"I learned how important it is to communicate. I hope it will make life happier for the service users.”

"Great anecdotes helped me associate the words with the sign."

We researched a lot of places and time and time again CATTS was recommended to us. We are so glad we listened as we have seen great progress in our son. [Therapist] just "gets him" and its so nice to have a positive experience all the while our son is doing some "work".

"My thanks to you and Marijke for the excellent staff and responsive service that you have provided in CATTS."
Large Residential Service Provider

CATTS is an excellent service providing Speech and Language which is highly needed for children with special needs.

A Super Day! A wealth of knowledge. Loved the detail and attention to accuracy. Thank you.

A very professional but friendly and focused to each individual child's needs.

Overall Satisfaction: 96%
Value for Money: 92%

I learned a lot of new Lamh signs

I learned lots of new signs. Can't wait to learn more.

I think the best thing is our therapist's approach to dealing with my sometimes difficult child.

I am very satisfied with the treatment I got from CATTS. I was a bit apprehensive but the friendly, professional attitude of the therapist put me at my ease. The comparison of my performance at the start of treatment and at the six-monthly follow up showed that my voice had improved both in volume and range. I am more than pleased.

Marijke was excellent - brilliant tutor.

Thoroughly enjoyed the class. Marijke makes learning fun!

Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend.

Great few days. Very professionally done and all needs tended to and anticipated

“I liked learning sign language so it can help me communicate with my cousin and each other.”

We have been attending CATTS for over 5 years and can only recommend them to anyone looking for a friendly and professional service. My child's speech, communication and confidence has made huge improvements consistently over the years. He's gone from a child who was frustrated with very little words and screamed to let us know what he needed to now working on grammar! The sessions are always fun to keep him interested and focused on his needs and exactly what he should be working on. This progress wouldn't have been possible if I hadn't been attending Marijke at CATTS.

Efficient, excellent communication and follow up post classes, excellent advice for further at hone progress.

Patty’s approach to teaching was so engaging, she has a wealth of knowledge and a lovely way of delivering information. A really enjoyable experience overall.

The sessions are fun and she always strives to remember what works for our son down to the smallest details. Our SLT always made sessions fun and engaging but also was able to get the most out of each session which is so important when dealing with intellectual disability.

Would highly recommend CATTS. I have seen a big difference in my child since his first session. The biggest has been learning to wait. [NAME] has come along so much, now his vocab is coming on better and better everyday. Since starting the sessions the whole family have joined in to learn what we do in every session and really enjoy learning how to really have fun on [NAME]'s level. it is great to see [NAME] so excited when we get out of the car and see Marijke's door. He knows where he is going and really enjoys it which makes it really enjoyable for us to look at. Thank you.

I liked that the day was active ad no one was put on the spot!

“I’ve learned 100 Lamh signs. I’ve learned ways to use them and importance of repetition. I’ve enjoyed Marijke’s energetic method of teaching.”

Very happy with the attention and detail [NAME] gets at each session. Each session is setup in advance and if a games doesn't go to plan there is always a backup nearby.

I like the no rushing of each session so it can respond to what [NAME] needs on the day. He has opened up so much and has become more confident as time goes on.

"I enjoyed the group interaction. Moving between theory and practical Lamh signs has helped me to concentrate for the entirety of the day.”

I learned how to put Lamh into the school setting where I work. How to plan and create situations where I can use it.

[NAME] always had a 'difficult' relationship with his speech therapists from his service providers. CATTS therapists are totally different, young & energetic & determined to get the best out of him.

“I thought the course was made very interesting because it was informal and amusing at times. I was surprised at how the Lamh signs stuck in my mind.”

"Marijke made the day very funny and interesting."

This is a great idea. It really helps to have a resource on hand you can trust

CATTS Ireland were good and helpful hosts.
Great course. Need more interdisciplinary type courses in Ireland!

Really enjoyed the course, excellent information & presenter.

The energy of the course and how it was taught. Great information that will stay in my brain!

That's fantastic thanks so much for all of those strategies! I want to maximise on this latest development with his desire to vocalise sounds and some words! Thanks a million!

“What I liked: Use of videos as well as slides. The variety of signs taught. Relaxed atmosphere – had a laugh while learning signs.”

I learned how I can use signs to help children communicate on a one to one basis or in a group to encourage social and language skills in an informal way.
Learned more than I thought I would at one sitting!

I enjoyed the interaction and the humour!

I liked Marijke as a Lamh tutor. She was extremely engaging and personable. I like how it was fun during the lesson.

This was a fun, interactive course. Marijke was very good, and patient, friendly and funny.

I learned so many new signs and lots of different ways to approach kids to create conversation opportunities.

My little boy absolutely loves going to CATTS. He loves playing all his 'games' and 'sound games' and thinks it is great fun. Marijke makes every minute of speech therapy fun and exciting. It is lovely to see my little boy progress in a fun, warm environment. Marijke is warm and provides great guidance and support for home. Marijke always responds to queries in a timely manner. Learning is made fun. He has made improvements in speech sounds and is now more susceptible to fixing up errors without resistance.

"I enjoyed doing the signs and activity. I think that this will help me in the future with being a special needs assistant"

Marijke made it very easy to learn and very entertaining! ?

Social interaction, speech has come on, both expressive and receptive. I'm more relaxed and reassured because I feel supported.

Everyone has commented on how well my son's speech has come on.
His speech is more relevant to what is happening around him. Today, he answered a 'Where' question for the first time appropriately without being prompted first.

"Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement. She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her."

I have been attending CATTS with my son for 5 years now and the service we have received is fantastic. Marijke is a wonderful therapist and my son's speech and communication has come on so much from when he started from a no-verbal little boy to a fully verbal child now. Marijke has each session planned to meet his needs and I feel fully involved. We travel a long distance to each session but it is worth it to see the difference in my son's communication and confidence.

"Our therapist obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into each of [NAME]'s sessions, very creative to get the best out of him."

I learned 100 signs to go away and teach my autistic child.

[NAME] settled well. He found it hard first time but after a few sessions he got used to being there and started to work well. He makes more sounds now and is copying the words after us.

The best thing about CATTS is that each session is individually tailored to that child's need at that time and carried out in a fun way.

I liked the way the tutor presented the class. It enabled me to learn in a relaxed way. Her coverage was fantastic. I would attend another class hosted by her.

I liked the way nobody was singled out. The signs were demonstrated as a group.

I like the fact that you can look at the videos and browse the group at your own pace.

The BEST THING about CATTS is the One to One service, Great Advice and Tips to work on at home!

I've joined so many groups etc to try help [NAME], this one is really useful. I do need to ask more questions though lol.

The energy and humour of the presenter helps me remember. Marijke delivered it very well and made it very informative and enjoyable! 🙂

The CATTS team were so friendly and enthusiastic. We all felt really well looked after.

I have been using CATTS for several month with my daughter. What started off as a very difficult appointment every week (with another service), now my daughter is happy to enter the room immediately and engage with Marijke. I see an improvement at every appointment. I would be lost if I had not found CATTS.

Very beneficial program. I learnt a lot of strategies to help me.

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

Without a doubt my son's progression is down to Marijke's involvement. I think the best thing about CATTS service is that they value parents and external therapists input and have no problem liaising with outside services (i.e. HSE, Enable Ireland, etc). We have both learned techniques/ mechanisms to increase speech and reduce fustration. Definate drop in NAME's distress.

The progress my son has made over the last year is astounding. Marijke is a fabulous therapist. It is obvious she enjoys her job and cares for her clients. I appreciate the value CATTS places on parent involvement ant think the tips / techniques provided to use at home have proved to be very successful. We are 100% satisfied with the service CATTS provide.

Refreshing no-nonsense parent’s perspective.

I liked the structure of the class. Marijke made the class fun and enjoyable to learn the different signs.

I learned over 100 signs which will make it a lot easier to communicate with my child.

Excellent. Very informative and Patty was wonderfully engaging. Learned so much!

I learned a lot of new signs and that it's possible to learn a lot of signs in a relatively short space of time.

I learned a lot more than I expected to! thank you .

I liked the structure of the day. The associations Marijke used helped me to remember the signs. I also like that the games reinforced the signs. Plus the sweets as rewards!

The day was fun! Marijke made it fun and easy to learn. Really enjoying. Good craic.

Great Content. Well organised.
All members of the CATTS team were friendly and helpful. They were always providing much needed information.

My son has attended regularly for some months now, and responded very early on to the use of Lámh. He has made good progress and enjoys going to sessions. Overall would highly recommend Marijke as an SLT.

CATTS really know how to attract great speakers. Really professionally run event. Felt very well looked after.

I came away with far more than I could have imagined

I am very happy with the progress that my daughter has made since we started to come to CATTS. The service is professional, on point and there is a genuine interest in the child. Every session is different with a combination of work and games which is very effective. There are adequate breaks which is very important and an excellent understanding of my daughter's ASD and ADHD. The games and lesson plans tie in very naturally with whats going on with school and at home and this makes the sessions valuable and effective with excellent learning and development for my daughter. I have recommended CATTS to many other mums and will continue to do so.

Really Great Event. Well done CATTS 🙂

“I liked the positive interaction between the tutor & learners.”

Amazing, Well planned, Very impressed with Lisa’s knowledge as a mother.

I learned how to think about how it might feel to not be able to communicate. I learned not only about the signs but also how to associate them with other things to remember them. I also learned how to 'teach' the signs in an effective way with the kids.

“I enjoyed the games, these were practical and helped consolidate our learning and helped us to retain the new signs.”

Public speaking is a significant feature of my job. An injury at work meant I had to step back from this aspect of my work. Present for me also was an underlying worry whether I would be able to overcome the resultant speech issues. Step by step, like completing a jig-saw, Marijke systematically took me through the various steps towards recovery with an additional, unexpected bonus of learning to use my voice properly when public speaking. This was never covered when I first trained in public speaking twenty years ago. I did my homework between sessions but I learned that I did not always execute the practices correctly. It was this expert correction and feedback from Marijke that was invaluable! Thank you !

I was a bit hesitant at first to ask a question, but once I did, she was really quick getting back to me with pointers and things to do.

I am very happy with the service we have received with [Therapist]. After 2 sessions [NAME] had started saying 'more', 'again', 'up', 'down' and is continuing to add new words each week.

Niamh is phenomenal! She is so talented at working with children in a fun and relaxed way. My 9 year old didn't even realize any of it was work. He looked forward to every session and that is due to Niamh and her kindness and skill.

The best thing is that my daughter's needs, strengths and weaknesses are being met, understood and worked on. Going at her pace, with patience.

“I’ve enjoyed learning everything about Lamh, including watching videos, doing games and working in group. It was very interesting.”

"Loved the training style. Very enjoyable day."

"Catts Ireland is providing a superb vital service for children"

Very happy with the speech service my son is getting through CATTS. The therapist is working very well with my son and gets the best out of him. Only for this service my son would be getting no speech. I am very grateful.

I learned more ways to create communication opportunities.

I liked the multiple steps in learning signs - helped memory.

Found Marijke very enjoyable as a teacher. Made the course a lot more intereting and easier to learn.

"This is a great service, he really looks forward to the therapy sessions."

With the rollout of Progressing Disabilities its so important to build awareness on family centred practice. Thank you for bringing this and other courses to Ireland.

Thought the tutor (Marijke) was excellent. Really easy to listen to, so easy to learn from. Made the day fun. Kept you focused.

I liked Marijke. You made the course interesting and fun.

Patty is an excellent presenter, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Lisa is very inspiring, very practical and we benefited most from the presenter’s own experience. Enjoyed the positive approach of presenter – I feel invigorated

“I thought it was very well presented. Not only was it about Lamh sign; it was about communication.”

I liked the enthusiasm of the presenter. It was really interactive, clear and well paced.

I find our therapist Brilliant! She gives great tips and is excellent in engaging with my son. It is much improved for primary school as he can tell me things that happen in his summer setting, which is less frustrating for him and less worrying for me.

Very well organised event. - Looking forward to the next CATTS CPD event. Thank you!

Good insight into different behaviours of autism which was based in the real world. Really excellent

Lovely facilities, nice class size. Amazing that only 3 rows back, it felt small and intimate.

"Very interesting. Benefits us especially while working with kids - learned so many things I never knew e.g. DVD, and apps"

The best thing is the therapist's genuine interest in my child and getting to know her and what works best for her - in particular a shared passion for Pokemon! I have noticed improvements in pronunciation of words, developments of language and improvements of winning / losing scenarios.

I think the best thing about CATTS is the professional service. The therapists are very skilled and it is of huge benefit to my child.

The best thing about CATTS is the experience of the Speech Therapist. How she engages with my son. He understands a lot more, his receptive language has improved greatly since starting.

[NAME] is very happy and is progressing. My son has built a lot of confidence since starting therapy, our family & friends really see a difference in his abilities.

Since starting speech therapy my daughters speech has improved considerably. Her language skills and comprehension have also seen a huge improvement.  She is more confident and thrives on the positive feedback about her progress. I love that the program is designed to meet her needs and grows with her.

"Am so happy with speech therapy. She knows how to encourage my son to attempt to say words. He wouldn't have even tried for other therapists. (Therapist) has a fantastic way with him. And out of all the speech therapists we've attended over the years, both public and private, this has been the best by far. Highly recommend. Only annoyed we didn't know about it before. We would have taken him years ago."

100% of Speech Therapy clients surveyed would recommend CATTS to a friend or family member!

[NAME] enjoys going to Marijke and I feel the work being done is addressing [NAME]'s needs. We attended other speech therapists in the past and whilst they also helped I think CATTS' way of establishing where [NAME]'s main areas of need are, is very good.

Huge amount of useful info. Video clips were useful.
Excellent topic and event. It is difficult to get the opportunity to learn from the main experts in specific fields.

The best thing about CATTS therapy is the tailored sessions and continuous review of what is working.