Speech-Language Therapy

Speech-Language therapy improves speech/sound production skills, oral motor function, language development and social communication skills. The role of the speech-language pathologist is to help the child become as successful as possible with communication.

Speech therapy addresses speech sound production and oral motor structure and function.

Language therapy addresses the understanding and use of auditory verbal language to communicate. Therapists use specific strategies and techniques, as well as electronics such as computers and visual aids to empower children and facilitate their speech, language development and communication skills.

Speech Therapy for Children

Speech-Language pathologists provide assessment and direct therapy services to children aged 0 - 18 years who experience speech, language or communication difficulties. Children may experience challenges in one or more of the following areas: articulation of speech sounds, oral motor functioning, comprehension of language (e.g. following spoken directions), expressive language (e.g. use of vocabulary and grammatical forms in sentences), voice production, social communication skills (e.g. turn-taking, conversational skills, non-verbal communication skills), pre-reading and early literacy development. Both individual and small group therapy programs are available at blueballoon to help children improve their speech, language, and communication skills. Sessions are planned to target specific goals, but activities and therapy techniques always ensure that the child is enjoying therapy. Parents are active participants in their child’s therapy program with home-programming suggestions provided after each visit to encourage practice at home between therapy visits.

Red Flags for Speech-Language Challenges

The following are red flags that may suggest your child should be receiving speech and/or language services:

By 12 months, your child does NOT:

• Use gestures such as waving “hi” or shaking head to indicate “no”
• Respond to his/her name
• Babble with intonation
• Communicate when he/she needs help

By 15 months, your child does NOT:

• Reach/point while making sound approximation and looking at another person
• Copy words/gestures
• Use words like “mama”
• Understand “no”  and familiar phrases
• Identify 3 body parts
• Play with a variety of toys
• Point to objects/pictures when asked “where’s the...?”

By 18 months, your child does NOT:

• Use 20-30 meaningful words (e.g. “mommy” or “up”)
• Imitate adult words
• Display turn-taking
• Understand name of common objects and simple commands like “don’t touch” or “what’s that?” and respond with a word or gesture
• Points to 3-6 common body parts
• Look for familiar items out of sight
• Answer simple questions
• Engage in pretend play

By 21 months, your child does NOT:

• Use ≥ 50 words and some 2-word combinations
• Use words more than gestures
• Take “turns” in conversation
• Point to pictures in a book when asked
• Learn a few new words weekly
• Combine actions in pretend play

By 24 months, your child does NOT:

• Have initial sounds: h, w, b, t, d, m, n, k, g, f, s
• Have final sounds: p, t, k, n, and s
• Use over 100 words
• Use many 2-3 word combinations with adult-like intonation
• Imitate actions or words
• Follow two-step directions
• Label pictures in books
• Demonstrate pretend play with toys, such as feeding doll or making toy man drive toy car and use many actions in combination during play
• Use eye contact and gestures to support communication

By 36 months, your child does NOT:

• Use 10 or more consonants and longer phrases (at least 3-4 words)

By 3-4 years, your child does NOT:

• Ask questions about the world
• Use more grammatically complex sentences (e.g. “I don’t want that” or “My car is broken”)
• Tell a simple story

No doctor referral is necessary. Please complete our Self Referral Form: Click here