Speech Therapy for Kids

 
Speech therapy for children focuses on improving communication skills, including speech, language, and comprehension. Therapists employ various techniques such as articulation exercises, language games, and auditory training to address speech impediments, language disorders, and communication challenges. Early intervention in speech therapy can significantly enhance a child's overall development and social interactions.
 

We Specialize in Speech Therapy Services

  • Articulation
  • Apraxia
  • Autism
  • Cognitive-Linguistic Deficits
  • Developmental Delays
  • Down Syndrome
  • Feeding and Swallowing Delays/Deficits
  • Fluency (Stuttering & Cluttering)
  • Oral Motor Deficits
  • Orofacial Myofunctional Treatment
  • Receptive and Expressive Language Disorders
  • Phonological Process
  • Tongue Tie
  • Tongue Thrust
  • Voice Disorders
  • Berard (AIT)

When a Speech Evaluation is Recommended

When trying to communicate, does the child:
  • Have to repeat him/herself to be understood?
  • Get frustrated or avoid to attempt to communicate?
  • Give up when trying to communicate?
  • Use more gestures than words?
  • Struggle academically?
  • Demonstrate difficulty with peer interaction, relationships and/or behavior?
  • Repeat sounds, part-word repetitions, whole-word repetitions, prolongations of sounds?
  • Demonstrate unusual behaviors such as poor eye contact, doesn't respond to his/her name, flapping, body rocking, spinning, echolalia, obsessive interest, sensitivity to tastes, textures, sounds and/or smells?
When eating does the child:
  • Have difficulty biting or chewing his/her food?
  • Stuff his/her mouth with food?
  • Pocket food in his/her mouth?
  • Use the bottle/straw/cup inefficiently and/or ineffectively?
  • Have spillage from the mouth when eating/drinking?
  • Cough and/or clear throat during and/or after eating/drinking?
  • Watery eyes and/or runny nose during and/or after eating/drinking?
  • Refuse certain temperatures/textures?
  • Wet/gurgly voice during and/or after eating/drinking?
Other reasons for speech therapy:
  • Birth Injuries or Birth Defects
  • Sensory Processing Disorders
  • Traumatic Injury (Brain or Spinal Cord)
  • Learning Problemss
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Developmental Delays
  • Spina Bifida
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Premature Birth
  • Oral Motor and Feeding Dysfunction
  • Acute or Chronic Neuromuscular Problems
  • Genetic Disorders
  • Congenial Anomalies
  • Down Syndrome
  • Failure to Thrive
  • Hypotonicity (Low / Weak Muscle Tone)
  • Hypotonicity (High / Increased Muscle Tone)
  • Seizure Disorders

Speech Development

Milestones

3-12 Months
  • Feeding Okay?
  • Babbling?
  • Recognize familiar faces and voices?
  • Does the child look at speaker?
12-18 Months
  • Saying first words?
  • Beginning to name simple objects?
  • Beginning to verbalize requests?
  • Protests?
  • Greets?
  • Follows simple directions?
  • Points to 2 objects?
  • Identifies 1 or 2 body parts?
18-24 Months
  • Says 2 to three word phrases?
  • Uses 200+ words by age two?
  • Enjoys listening to stories?
  • Parents understand much of what is said by age 2?
2 to 2 1/2 years
  • Uses 3 and 4 word phrases?
  • 400+ word vocabulary by 2 1/2?
  • Listens to 5 to 10 minute stories?
  • Follows 2 step directions?
  • Uses plurals?
  • Understands basic prepositions such as: in, on, off and out?
2 1/2 to 3 years
  • Asks basic questions?
  • Verbalizes pronouns such as I, me and mine.
  • Answers "what" questions?
  • Comprehends sizes (big, little)?
  • Uses 500 words?
  • Familiar and unfamiliar listeners understand what the child says by 3 years of age?
3 1/2 years
  • Uses most parts of speech in 4 or 5 word sentences?
  • Asks "who", "whose", "why", and "how many" questions?
  • Understands commands that involve 2 objects/actions?
  • Maintain topics through multiple conversational turns?
  • Answers "when" and "where" questions?
  • Familiar and unfamiliar listeners understand what the child says?
4 years
  • Produces blends (2 sounds together, such as "clay")
  • Communicates wants/needs without difficulty?
  • Uses 4 to 7 word sentences with few grammatical errors?
  • Understands complex directions - including those requiring three steps/actions?
  • Answers "why" questions?
  • Correct usage of prepositions?
  • Familiar and unfamiliar listeners understand what the child says?
5 years
  • User 5 to 6 word grammatically correct sentences? Tells long stories?
  • Asks for definitions for the meaning of words?
  • Gives definitions for the meaning of words?
  • Uses adjectives?
  • Understands concepts such as half, whole, first and last?
6 years
  • Adds and subtracts numbers to 5?
  • Uses "er" and "est"?
  • Retells a story using visual support?
  • Uses irregular plurals in conversations?