Speech Therapy
Speech-language therapy addresses how a child produces speech, understands and uses language, and participates in interaction. Where spoken language is not yet functional, it also establishes an alternative means of communication.
- We assess articulation, receptive and expressive language, fluency and social communication.
- Intervention is play-based and embedded in the routines where language is actually used.
- Where indicated, augmentative and alternative communication is introduced without delay.
Jump to:
- What speech-language therapy is
- When an evaluation is warranted
- What an evaluation involves
- What we treat
- Parent coaching
- How to begin
- Questions parents ask
What speech-language therapy is
We assess how your child produces speech sounds, how much language they understand, how they use language to express themselves, and how they manage the back-and-forth of interaction.
From that assessment we set functional goals: producing a target sound accurately, expanding vocabulary and sentence length, following multi-step directions, initiating and sustaining an exchange, or reducing the effort involved in speaking fluently.
Intervention is delivered through structured play and within everyday routines, because language acquired in one setting only is of limited use.
Where a device or picture-based system is indicated, we introduce it promptly. The evidence does not support the concern that augmentative communication suppresses speech; children given a reliable means of communicating generally produce more spoken language, not less.
When an evaluation is warranted
- Vocabulary or sentence length below expectations for the age.
- Speech that is understood by immediate family but not by unfamiliar listeners.
- Frustration or behavioral escalation when communication attempts fail.
- Difficulty following directions appropriate to the age.
- Disfluency: repetitions, prolongations or blocks when speaking.
- Limited initiation of interaction with peers.
- A history of recurrent otitis media, or any hearing concern.
If you are unsure whether a delay is present, the expected milestones by age are set out here.
What an evaluation involves
- Case history. Developmental, medical and hearing history, reviewed with you.
- Standardized measures. Age-referenced assessment of receptive and expressive language.
- Speech sound analysis. Which sounds are in error, in what contexts, and how intelligible speech is overall.
- Observation in interaction. How your child communicates in play, and with you.
- Findings and plan. We explain the results and our recommendations, and you leave with them in writing.
A fuller account of what the evaluation looks like, so that nothing is unexpected.
What we treat
Accurate sound production and intelligibility to unfamiliar listeners.
Vocabulary, sentence structure and the ability to convey meaning.
Understanding vocabulary, questions and multi-step directions.
Initiating, turn-taking, topic maintenance and repair of breakdowns.
Reducing the frequency and effort of disfluency in connected speech.
Picture systems and speech-generating devices, selected and trained.
Parent coaching
A weekly session is a small proportion of a child language exposure. The remaining hours are where acquisition occurs, which is why coaching is part of the plan.
We teach specific strategies: how to create opportunities for your child to communicate, how long to wait for a response, and how to respond so that the attempt is reinforced. A small number at a time, embedded in routines you already have.
How to begin
- Contact us. Describe what you are hearing at home, and what you are not.
- Evaluation. Standardized measures, speech sound analysis and observation in interaction.
- Individualized plan. Functional goals, tied to home and to the classroom.
For coverage, here are the plans we work with.
Questions parents ask
We speak two languages at home. Is that causing the delay?
No. Bilingual exposure does not cause language disorder, and removing a language typically costs a child more than it gains. The evidence, set out in full.
Should we wait and see?
Some children do resolve without intervention. An evaluation is what distinguishes those from the children for whom waiting has a cost, and it is the one variable you can control.
My child is under three. Is there support before school age?
Yes. Florida Early Steps serves birth to three. Eligibility and how to apply.
Will a communication device prevent my child from speaking?
No. The research consistently shows the opposite: children provided with a reliable means of communication tend to produce more spoken language, not less.
What does it cost?
Costs and payment, explained plainly, including private pay and Step Up.
Keep reading
- What a speech evaluation involvesThe measures used, and what the results mean.
- Bilingual exposure and language delayWhat the evidence says about raising a child in two languages.
- Developmental signs by ageWhen it is worth requesting an evaluation.
- Florida Early StepsEarly intervention for children under three.
Concerned about your child speech or language?
Describe what you are observing and we will tell you whether an evaluation is warranted.