How Talking Mats is helping pupils with anxiety communicate more confidently

This case study from Pioneer House School shows how Talking Mats® can transform the way students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs express their feelings — and reduce anxiety in the process

At Pioneer House School, Sally Trafford, Therapy Assistant, and Mary Sheard, Highly Specialist Occupational Therapist, regularly work with students who can find it challenging to understand and express how they are feeling. For one Year 8 student — referred to as M — rising levels of anxiety were causing physical symptoms including chest pain and an increased heart rate. M would disengage from peers and teachers, particularly in busy or noisy environments such as the corridor, sports hall, and lunchtime areas.

Despite experiencing significant distress, M found it very difficult to communicate her concerns verbally — often remaining in situations that caused her anxiety rather than asking for help.

Over five weeks, Sally and Mary conducted a series of Talking Mat® sessions with M, covering topics including:

• Anxiety and what it feels like
• Sensory experiences (touch, taste, smell, sound, movement)
• Different areas around school and how they felt
• Strategies that could help her feel calmer

The sessions were compared against a standard verbal communication method to measure the difference in M’s engagement and ability to express herself.

The difference in M’s engagement between the two approaches was clear. During standard verbal sessions, M struggled to listen and respond, made limited eye contact, and eventually asked to return to class. With Talking Mats®, the picture was very different:

• M remained calm and seated throughout sessions, which ran for longer with a more relaxed pace
• She demonstrated a clear understanding of the topics being discussed
• She confidently placed options on the mat to express her views without needing to speak
• Staff were able to clearly understand her perspectives for the first time
• At the end of each session, M confirmed she was satisfied with her responses and made no changes

Practical steps that followed

Using the strategies M herself identified through the Talking Mat® process, the team put several personalised supports in place:

• A referral was made for reflexology sessions following M’s positive response to meditation
• Lightweight loop ear defenders were sourced as a discreet alternative to the bulkier school versions
• M now has access to the school’s therapy dog, Ruby, during lunchtime on the Muga
• A ‘choice mat’ has been placed on her desk so she can signal to teachers when she is feeling anxious and choose her own calming strategy
• A small friendship group was established in a calm, structured setting to support social development

Why this matters

This case study highlights something important: for some students, the barrier to getting support is not a lack of willingness, but a lack of the right tools to communicate. By removing the pressure to speak verbally and replacing it with a visual, non-threatening framework, Talking Mats® gave M a genuine voice in her own care.

Early outcomes show a meaningful reduction in anxiety-based behaviours across the school areas M found most challenging. Crucially, every strategy in place was one that M chose herself.

For all those living and working with children with SEMH or communication difficulties, this approach is a reminder that communication support does not always have to be verbal — and that giving children agency in identifying their own strategies can be a powerful part of the process.

This example, as well as other similar impact stories, led Pioneer House school to set up a Talking Mats Organisational Foundation Training course for 12 members of staff, enabling them to support more students on a wider scale, as a whole school approach.

Interested in Foundation Training?