Skip to main content
STEVE ROSE
Accessibility settings
Text size

Saved on this device for your next visit.

Specialist in deafblindness & tactile communication

Communication without barriers.

Specialist speech pathology, training and consultancy in deafblindness, tactile communication and complex communication needs.

Explore servicesAbout Steve

20+

Years of specialist experience

Deafblindness and complex communication needs

Steve Rose, speech and language therapist and deafblind consultant

How I can help

Specialist support for people, teams and organisations.

01

Assessment & therapy

I predominantly support and provide assessment and therapy services to children who are deafblind, deaf or blind or low vision or with multiple disability.

Explore assessment & therapy

02

Deafblind awareness training

I can design and deliver disability training to meet your specific needs, aims and objectives.

Explore deafblind awareness training

03

Consultancy

I offer consultancy services in, but not limited to, developing, managing and evaluating different projects.

Explore consultancy

About Steve

Specialist knowledge built over more than two decades.

I am a speech and language therapist and deafblind consultant.

I have over 20 years' experience of working within the disability field and 19 years working as a therapist in NHS, voluntary services and as an independent therapist.

Read more about Steve

Education

  • BSc (Hons) Speech Sciences

    University College London, 2003

  • P.G. Cert. Profound and Multiple Disabilities

    University of Manchester, 2007

  • M.Ed. Special Education: Multi-Sensory Impairment (Deafblindness)

    University of Birmingham, 2012

Experience

  • Project Officer, Deafblind Information Australia

    Able Australia · Oct 2024 – present

  • Senior Speech Pathologist (Deafblind clinical)

    Vision Australia · Jan 2024 – present

  • Speech & Language Therapist and Deafblind Consultant

    Steve Rose Therapy & Consultancy · Apr 2017 – present

  • Principal Speech and Language Therapist

    Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust · Dec 2018 – Dec 2023

  • Highly Specialist Speech & Language Therapist

    Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust · Apr 2017 – Mar 2018

  • Head of Children’s Specialist Services

    Sense · 2009 – Mar 2017

  • Assistant Director, Family, Education and Advisory Service

    Sense · 2007 – 2009

  • Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    Islington Primary Care Trust · 2003 – 2007

  • Branches Coordinator

    Sense · 1999 – 2003

Professional roles

  • National adviser to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists

  • NatSIP Associate

The Tactile Framework

A structured approach to tactile communication.

The framework supports practitioners to assess and develop bodily-tactile communication and tactile sign language, stage by stage. It's a pilot: released for testing and trial, not yet a finished, fully validated tool.

Explore the Tactile Framework

  1. 01

    Sensory Learners

  2. 02

    Emergent Language Learners

  3. 03

    Foundation Language Learners

  4. 04

    Language Learners

Publications & resources

Writing and resources on deafblindness and tactile communication.

Steve has contributed to books, journals and practical resources on deafblindness, tactile communication and sensory development, alongside colleagues across the sector.

View all publications

  • Book chapter · 2021

    Language and communication development (opens in a new tab)

    Communicating langauge development for children with vision impairment presents unique challenges and patterns of development. This chapter explores current research and explores, assessment, development and mangagment to enhance langauge development.

    Published in Children with Vision Impairment: Assessment, Development and Management, with Kim Bates and Rebecca Greenaway.

  • Book chapter · 2019

    Sign acquisition in children who are deafblind (opens in a new tab)

    Communicating and learning language in the tactile mode can present a significant challenge to children who are deafblind and those they communicate with. In this chapter we discuss the significant communication challenges that may be faced by learners who are deafblind and their communication partners; current perspectives underlying communication development of tactile manual sign language; and outline practical aspects of some of the foundation skills in this area.

    Published in Manual Sign Acquisition in Children with Developmental Disabilities, with Gail Deuce.

  • Blog post · 2018

    Thinking about tactile sign languages (opens in a new tab)

    In this blog post I provide an overview of different aspects of tactile sign language and young people who can benefit from this approach to communication.

    Published on Insight Online, RNIB.

  • Information pack · 2013

    CHARGE information pack for professionals (opens in a new tab)

    Sense published a comprehensive information pack about the many aspects of living with CHARGE syndrome.

    Published by Sense.

  • Journal article · 2012

    A study of CHARGE Syndrome in the UK (opens in a new tab)

    This article reports findings of a questionnaire completed by 44 families living in the UK with a child (aged 15 years or younger) with a medical diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome. It reports on the findings on the presence of major and minor characteristics of CHARGE using the diagnostic criteria outlined and other existing conditions.

    Published in BJVI, with Gail Deuce, Simon Howard and Christopher Fuggle.

  • Practical resource · 2007

    Messy play hierarchy

    A texture hierarchy, from easy to challenging, to support messy play experiences.

  • Practical resource · 2009

    Food play hierarchy

    A texture hierarchy, from easy to challenging, to support food play experiences.

Get in touch

Get in touch.

Send a message about assessment and therapy, training, or a consultancy project.

Get in touch (opens in a new tab)

Availability

Monday, 9am to 5pm