Parents' invention for autistic son now helping families worldwide
What began as a practical solution soon grew into a business supporting thousands of families
A Northamptonshire couple who created a communication tool for their autistic son have gone from making products in their spare room to running a thriving business helping families around the world.
Sophie Haynes, 32, and her husband Tom, 35, launched SEN Talk Tags after struggling to find communication aids that met the needs of their seven-year-old son, who sometimes finds verbal communication difficult when overwhelmed.
What began as a simple solution at home has since grown into a successful business producing tactile 3D-printed communication tags used by parents, schools and therapists across the UK and beyond.
Speaking to Hits Radio, Sophie said the idea came from years of creating laminated visual aids for her son. "I was fed up of remaking the same visuals over and over again.'' She said.
"We suddenly had something hard-wearing and tactile that he could feel and enjoy using. It lasted and, because he wanted to use it, it made such a difference."
The tags feature raised symbols, providing both visual and sensory feedback for users. Sophie said they quickly became more effective than traditional laminated communication cards because her son actively wanted to engage with them.
"He would just chuck away a visual before," she said.
"Now he grabs hold of it and wants to use it. He wants to give it to me. It's been a massive success."
The former home project quickly gained attention after Sophie took the first tags to a local autism support group. "The lovely ladies there who run the group said, 'These are amazing, people need these'." she said.
'A visual lasts, whereas spoken language is gone in seconds'
Sophie then set up a social media page and launched a website to sell the tags, receiving 30 orders within the first week. She said: "At no point did I sit down and think, 'I want to start a business.' It started because my son needed support. From there, it just snowballed.
"We are now supporting literally thousands of not just children, but individuals across the country and the world now."
The company has recently announced a major new partnership with visual communication specialists Widgit, whose symbols are widely used in schools and educational settings across the UK.
Lisa Pinkerton, Head of Education at Widgit, said the collaboration would help children use the same visual language across different environments. "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.''
Despite the business's rapid growth, Sophie said the most rewarding part remains hearing from the families they have helped.
She said: "It's very special that it's come from a need of his and we have run with it and are now supporting so many others.
"We aren't just creating products, we're building a community. Together, we're making the world a kinder place, one small tag at a time."