Built by two parents who couldn't find the right tool.
TalkAlong didn't start as a business idea. It started at a kitchen table, with a young man who had plenty to say — and parents determined to help him say it.
TalkAlong began with a frustrating search. Two parents went looking for something to help their adult son, who has Down syndrome, practise speaking — and tried everything: the speech apps, the AI platforms, the interactive tools. Almost all of it was built for young children: bright, babyish, and quietly undignified for a capable adult. The few things aimed at adults didn't engage, and none delivered the one thing that actually helps — consistent, everyday practice.
A good speech pathologist is invaluable — most are in it because they care deeply about helping people communicate. But even the most dedicated clinician can only be there for the funded hour, and paying for daily one-to-one practice on top is beyond most families — all the more as therapy budgets are stretched. Alongside their therapist, what a family really needs is something that's simply there — every day, at a set time, calm and consistent. Something that gets to know the person, understands how they speak, and helps the world understand them too.
Over the years, it was his mum who did the most of that daily speech practice — sitting with him, modelling the words, celebrating the wins, and learning what actually works when the textbook meets a real Tuesday afternoon. Her hard-won experience shaped much of how TalkAlong works: the patience, the repetition without pressure, the respect for the person doing the practising.
That tool didn't exist. So we built it — together.
Three lessons, built into every part of TalkAlong.
Practice only works if it happens
The best method in the world does nothing if it's a battle to sit down to it. TalkAlong is built first and foremost to be something people come back to, day after day.
Dignity isn't optional
A capable teenager or adult should never be handed a babyish app. The experience matches the person's age — warm, respectful, never talking down.
Families carry the load
Between sessions, it's parents and carers who do the work. TalkAlong exists to take that weight — so you can be the parent, not the therapist.
Be first to try TalkAlong
We're opening up early access to families, adults and clinicians. Join the list and we'll be in touch as places open.
- The daily practice that actually gets done — without being the therapist
- An Australian voice that adapts to the person's age
- For less than one therapy session a month; may be NDIS-claimable