How to Get Your Child Speech Therapy

Table of Contents

1. Understanding Speech and Language Development: When to Act
2. Navigating the Path to Professional Help: Where to Start
3. Understanding Speech Therapy: What to Expect
4. Beyond Traditional Therapy: Empowering Parents at Home
5. Making Speech Blubs Work for Your Family: Value and Access
6. Conclusion
7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Watching your child struggle to express themselves can be one of the most heartbreaking experiences for a parent. That little furrowed brow, the frustrated grunts, or the quiet withdrawal when they can’t make their thoughts understood – it’s a silent plea for help that echoes in a parent’s heart. You want to give them a voice, to empower them to share their minds and hearts, but where do you even begin? You might wonder if it’s just a phase, or if professional support is needed.

This blog post is your comprehensive guide to understanding speech and language development, identifying potential delays, and navigating the path to effective speech therapy. We’ll demystify the process, from recognizing the signs that your child might need support, to understanding the types of therapies available, and most importantly, how you can be an active and powerful participant in your child’s communication journey. Our aim is to provide you with the knowledge and tools to confidently advocate for your child, transforming their communication challenges into triumphs.

Understanding Speech and Language Development: When to Act

Before diving into the “how-to” of speech therapy, it’s essential to understand what typical speech and language development looks like. This knowledge empowers you to recognize when your child might benefit from a little extra support.

Speech vs. Language: Clarifying the Terms

Often used interchangeably, speech and language are distinct but interconnected.

• Speech is the verbal expression of language. It involves the precise coordination of your lips, tongue, jaw, and breath to produce sounds, words, and sentences. Articulation (how we form sounds) and fluency (the rhythm and flow of speech, like avoiding stuttering) are aspects of speech.
• Language is a broader concept that encompasses how we understand and communicate information. It includes both receptive language (what we understand) and expressive language (how we convey our thoughts, feelings, and needs). Language involves vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and the ability to engage in conversations, whether verbally, nonverbally (like gestures and facial expressions), or in written form.

A child can have a speech delay (they understand well but are hard to understand when they speak) or a language delay (they struggle to understand or express ideas, even if their individual sounds are clear), or both.

Key Milestones: What to Watch For

While every child develops at their own pace, there are general milestones that can serve as a guide. If your child consistently misses several milestones for their age group, it’s a good idea to seek professional advice.

• 0-12 Months:
  • 0-3 Months: Startles at loud sounds, calms to familiar voices, different cries for different needs, cooing sounds, smiles.
  • 4-6 Months: Looks in the direction of sounds, responds to changes in your voice tone, giggles, babbles with different consonant sounds (e.g., “ba,” “da”).
  • 7-12 Months: Turns head toward sounds, responds to their name, follows a point, understands familiar words (“milk,” “mama”), engages in social games like peek-a-boo, strings sounds together (“babababa”), uses gestures and sounds to get attention. Around 12 months, they may use first single words like “hi” or “mama,” though clarity may vary.
• 1-2 Years:
  • 12-18 Months: Uses more single words, points to body parts and familiar pictures, looks at you when talking.
  • 18-24 Months: Begins to combine two words (“more milk,” “bye-bye car”), asks simple questions (“what’s that?”), follows simple one-step directions (“roll the ball”).
• 2-3 Years:
  • Uses 2-3 word phrases, vocabulary expands rapidly, understands and uses location words (“on,” “in”), follows simple two-step directions (“get the book and put it on the table”), starts telling short stories about their day.
  • Intelligibility: By age 2, familiar caregivers should understand about 50% of a child’s speech. By age 3, this increases to about 75%.
• 3-4+ Years:
  • Uses longer, more complex sentences, asks and answers a variety of questions, participates in conversations, uses more adult-like grammar.
  • Intelligibility: By age 4, a child should be mostly understood by strangers, even if some speech sound errors are still age-appropriate.

Signs That Might Indicate a Need for Support

If you observe any of the following, it’s a good idea to consult your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist:

• By 12 months: Not using gestures like pointing or waving bye-bye.
• By 18 months: Prefers gestures over vocalizations to communicate, trouble imitating sounds, trouble understanding simple verbal requests.
• By 2 years: Only imitates speech or actions and doesn’t produce words or phrases spontaneously; says only some sounds or words repeatedly and can’t use oral language to communicate more than immediate needs; can’t follow simple directions; has an unusual tone of voice (e.g., raspy or nasal).
• Beyond 2 years: Speech is mostly unintelligible to familiar caregivers or strangers, significant frustration when trying to communicate, limited vocabulary compared to peers.

For instance, you might notice your 2.5-year-old often points to a toy and makes an “uh-uh” sound instead of saying “I want that” or “give me.” This could be a sign of an expressive language delay. Or perhaps your 3-year-old, who loves animals, struggles to imitate the sounds of “moo” or “baa,” making it difficult for you to understand what animal they’re talking about. These are common indicators that a child might need speech therapy to develop clearer articulation and expand their expressive vocabulary.

Unsure where to begin or if your child could benefit? Take our quick 3-minute preliminary screener to get an immediate assessment and a personalized next-steps plan.

Navigating the Path to Professional Help: Where to Start

Once you have concerns about your child’s communication development, taking the first step towards professional help can feel daunting. But remember, early intervention is key, and there are clear pathways to support.

Initial Concerns: Who to Talk To First

Your child’s pediatrician is often the first and most crucial point of contact. They can assess your child’s overall development, rule out any underlying medical conditions (like hearing loss), and provide a referral to a speech-language pathologist (SLP).

For children from birth to age 3, Early Intervention Services are available in every state under federal law. These services are team-based and designed to help young children with developmental delays, including speech and language issues. You don’t always need a professional referral; parents can contact their local early intervention program directly if they have concerns.

You can find your community’s early intervention office by:

• Asking your child’s pediatrician, childcare provider, or teacher.
• Calling your local department of health or school district.
• Reaching out to your state’s Parent Training and Information Center.
• Visiting the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center’s state-by-state contacts page.

Getting an Evaluation: The First Step

Once referred (or self-referred), a speech-language pathologist (SLP), also known as a speech therapist, will conduct a comprehensive evaluation. This is a crucial step to determine your child’s specific needs.

The evaluation typically involves:

• Parent Interview: The SLP will gather detailed information about your child’s developmental history, health (e.g., history of chronic ear infections), and family history of speech or language disorders.
• Observation: The SLP will observe your child interacting in various settings – with you, with peers, or during play – to assess their natural communication style.
• Formal Assessment: Standardized tests will be used to evaluate specific areas, including:
  • Receptive Language: What your child understands.
  • Expressive Language: What your child can say and how they express themselves.
  • Sound Development and Clarity of Speech: How well your child produces individual sounds and how intelligible their speech is.
  • Oral-Motor Status: How the lips, tongue, palate, and jaw work together for speech, as well as for eating and swallowing.
• Hearing Test: A hearing test by an audiologist is often recommended as part of a speech evaluation, as hearing problems can significantly impact speech and language development.

Based on these results, the SLP will determine if your child is eligible for speech therapy and recommend an individualized plan.

The Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) / Transition Planning

If your child is eligible for early intervention services (ages 0-3), the team, including you, will develop an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). This plan outlines specific goals, services, and supports tailored to your child and family’s priorities. It ensures services are provided in a language you and your child understand, with interpreters arranged if needed.

As your child approaches their third birthday, a transition plan will be developed. This plan determines if services are still needed after age 3, and if so, how to transition them, often to school-based services provided by the local school district. If your child is not eligible for early intervention services but you still have concerns, you can request another evaluation or seek services through your insurance company for private providers. Each school district also has a program called “Child Find” that can help identify and provide services for children over 3.

Understanding Speech Therapy: What to Expect

Once your child is identified as needing support, understanding what speech therapy entails can help you feel more prepared and confident in the process.

What is Speech-Language Pathology (SLP)?

Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are highly trained professionals who hold master’s degrees, pass national certification exams, and are licensed by their state. They specialize in diagnosing and treating communication and swallowing disorders across all ages.

SLPs can treat a wide range of conditions that affect a child’s ability to communicate effectively, including:

• Articulation Disorders: Difficulty producing specific speech sounds correctly (e.g., saying “wed” instead of “red”).
• Phonological Disorders: Difficulty with sound patterns, leading to errors that make speech hard to understand (e.g., consistently leaving off the ends of words).
• Language Delays/Disorders:
  • Expressive Language Disorders: Trouble expressing thoughts, needs, and ideas (e.g., limited vocabulary, difficulty putting words together).
  • Receptive Language Disorders: Trouble understanding what others are saying (e.g., difficulty following directions, limited vocabulary).
• Fluency Disorders: Disruptions in the flow and rhythm of speech, such as stuttering (repeated sounds or words) or cluttering (rapid, disorganized speech).
• Oral-Motor Difficulties: Problems with the coordination of muscles in the mouth, impacting speech, eating, and swallowing.
• Apraxia of Speech: A motor speech disorder where the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the muscle movements needed to produce speech.
• Resonance Disorders: Problems with airflow through the mouth and nose affecting voice quality, often related to structural issues like cleft palate.
• Cognitive-Communication Disorders: Difficulty communicating due to damage to the brain areas that control thinking, memory, and problem-solving.
• Social Communication (Pragmatic) Disorders: Difficulties with the social use of language, such as understanding social cues or participating in conversations.

Therapy Approaches: How SLPs Help

Speech therapy for children is typically play-based and highly engaging, making learning fun and natural. An SLP will tailor strategies to your child’s specific needs, focusing on repetition and practice.

Common activities in pediatric speech therapy include:

• Play-Based Learning: Using toys, games, and imaginative scenarios to elicit communication, practice new words, and work on social skills.
• Oral-Motor Exercises: Strengthening the muscles of the tongue, lips, and jaw through specific movements and activities.
• Sound Drills: Practicing target sounds in isolation, then in words, phrases, and sentences.
• Language-Based Games: Activities designed to expand vocabulary, improve grammar, teach concepts (like prepositions), and develop storytelling skills.
• Reading Aloud: For older children, reading can help connect brain and mouth coordination, and build phonological awareness crucial for literacy.

Crucially, speech therapy isn’t just about what happens in the clinic. It heavily relies on consistent home practice. The SLP will equip you with strategies and activities to reinforce learned skills in your child’s daily life, because you are their most influential teacher.

The Power of Early Intervention

The phrase “early intervention is key” is repeated often in child development for a very good reason. The brain’s plasticity – its ability to change and adapt – is highest in the early years (birth to age 5). Addressing speech and language delays during this formative period can have a profound impact, leading to faster progress, reduced frustration, and a stronger foundation for academic and social success. Delaying intervention can make it harder to change established communication patterns later on.

Beyond Traditional Therapy: Empowering Parents at Home

While professional speech therapy provides expert guidance, the real magic happens at home, through consistent interaction and practice. Parents are their child’s primary communication partners, and their involvement is paramount to success.

The Parent’s Role: Your Child’s Best Advocate

You spend the most time with your child, witnessing their daily struggles and triumphs. This unique position makes you their most powerful advocate and a vital part of their therapy team. Your consistency, encouragement, and ability to integrate communication practice into everyday routines are irreplaceable.

Here’s how you can actively help at home:

• Focus on Communication: Create an environment where communication is valued and encouraged. Talk, sing, read, and model clear speech. Narrate your day: “Mama is cooking dinner,” “Let’s go to the park.”
• Read Together Daily: Start reading to your child from infancy. Use engaging picture books, point to objects, name them, and ask simple questions. This builds vocabulary and fosters a love for language.
• Use Everyday Situations: The world is your classroom! At the grocery store, name fruits and vegetables. During bath time, describe actions (“washing your head,” “splashing water“). Keep language simple and model correct grammar without overly correcting your child.
• Be Patient and Positive: Learning to communicate takes time. Celebrate small victories and avoid pressuring your child, which can lead to frustration and resistance.

Introducing “Smart Screen Time”: The Speech Blubs Approach

In today’s world, screens are often a part of children’s lives. At Speech Blubs, we believe this screen time can be transformed into a powerful, interactive, and educational experience – what we call “smart screen time.” Our unique approach blends scientific principles with joyful play to provide an immediate, effective, and engaging solution for children who need speech support.

Our company was born from a very personal place: our founders all grew up with speech problems and created the tool they wished they had. This personal journey fuels our mission to empower every child to “speak their minds and hearts,” ensuring that the 1 in 4 children who need speech support have access to innovative, engaging resources.

Scientific Methodology: Video Modeling

At the core of Speech Blubs is our video modeling methodology. Instead of passive cartoons, children learn by watching and imitating real children (their peers) in short, engaging video clips. This approach leverages the power of mirror neurons in the brain, which fire when we observe an action, helping us learn to perform that action ourselves. This natural learning mechanism makes imitation easy, fun, and highly effective for developing complex communication skills. Our method is backed by science, placing us in the top tier of speech apps worldwide; you can dive deeper into the research behind Speech Blubs and our video modeling methodology.

Engaging Activities for Every Child

Speech Blubs offers a wide array of activities designed to target various speech and language skills in a fun and motivating way:

• For the late talker: If your child is around two years old and struggles to combine two words, often relying on gestures, our “What’s That?” category can be incredibly helpful. It introduces new vocabulary in engaging contexts, prompting them to use two-word phrases like “big dog” or “red apple” by imitating their peers.
• For articulation challenges: Is your child having trouble with specific sounds, like the “k” sound (saying “tat” instead of “cat”)? Our “Talking Friends” sections feature peers articulating these sounds clearly. For a child who is a ‘late talker’ and struggles with consonant-vowel combinations, the “Animal Kingdom” section in Speech Blubs offers engaging video models of peers making animal sounds like “moo” or “baa,” providing a fun, low-pressure way to practice foundational sounds.
• For receptive language difficulties: If your child struggles to follow simple directions or understand new words, activities like “Guess the Sound” or “Say My Name” encourage active listening and vocabulary building. These activities require interaction, moving beyond passive viewing and fostering genuine comprehension.
• Building Confidence: Children learn in a supportive, judgment-free environment, which is crucial for building self-esteem and reducing frustration around communication.

Download Speech Blubs on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to explore fun, engaging activities and discover why children love learning with us!

Creating Family Connection

Unlike passive screen time (like watching cartoons), Speech Blubs is designed to be an interactive experience that fosters family connection. We encourage parents and caregivers to play alongside their children, imitating, laughing, and learning together. It transforms screen time into a powerful tool for bonding and shared educational moments, making it truly “smart screen time.”

Setting Realistic Expectations

While Speech Blubs is a powerful tool, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Our goal is to foster a love for communication, build confidence, reduce frustration, develop key foundational skills, and create joyful family learning moments. We are a powerful supplement to your child’s overall development plan and, when applicable, to professional speech therapy. We provide the engaging practice and consistent exposure that can accelerate progress, but we encourage families to work closely with their SLPs to integrate the app into their therapeutic goals.

But don’t just take our word for it – read testimonials from other parents who have seen remarkable progress with Speech Blubs. To learn more about our commitment to children’s communication and overall development, visit the Speech Blubs homepage.

Making Speech Blubs Work for Your Family: Value and Access

We are committed to making effective speech support accessible and affordable for every family. We offer transparent pricing options to suit your needs, with clear benefits for choosing the best value.

Choosing Your Plan: Monthly vs. Yearly

When you decide to join the Speech Blubs family, you have two primary subscription options:

• Monthly Plan: Priced at $14.99 per month. This plan offers flexibility for shorter-term use.
• Yearly Plan: Our most popular and highly recommended option, priced at $59.99 per year. This breaks down to just $4.99 per month, offering significant savings and additional features designed for long-term success.

Why the Yearly Plan is the Best Value

The Yearly plan is undoubtedly the superior choice, offering comprehensive benefits that maximize your child’s learning potential and provide exceptional value:

• Save 66%: Opting for the Yearly plan allows you to save a remarkable 66% compared to paying month-to-month, making high-quality speech support incredibly affordable.
• 7-Day Free Trial: The Yearly plan includes a generous 7-day free trial, giving you and your child ample time to explore all the engaging activities and experience the magic of Speech Blubs before committing. The Monthly plan does not include this free trial.
• Extra Reading Blubs App: As a Yearly subscriber, you gain exclusive access to the Reading Blubs app, a fantastic resource designed to support early literacy skills, further enhancing your child’s communication journey.
• Early Access to New Updates: You’ll be among the first to benefit from new features, activities, and improvements as they are released.
• 24-Hour Support Response Time: Enjoy peace of mind with prioritized customer support, ensuring any questions or technical issues are addressed promptly.

To experience the full suite of features and benefits, and to take advantage of our risk-free 7-day trial, we highly recommend choosing the Yearly plan.

Ready to empower your child’s voice? Start your 7-day free trial today by choosing our Yearly plan. To get started right away and gain access to all premium features, create your account on our website and select the Yearly plan.

Seamless Integration with Your Child’s Journey

Speech Blubs is designed to seamlessly integrate into your child’s overall communication development plan. It serves as an excellent complement to professional speech therapy, providing consistent, fun practice at home. Imagine taking what your SLP works on in a session and reinforcing it daily through engaging app activities. This synergistic approach ensures that learning never stops, and progress is accelerated. With the flexibility to use it anytime, anywhere, Speech Blubs makes high-quality speech practice accessible and convenient for busy families.

Conclusion

Embarking on the journey to get your child speech therapy can feel overwhelming, but it’s a profound step towards unlocking their full potential. From recognizing the early signs of speech and language delays to seeking professional evaluations and actively participating in home practice, your informed involvement is the most powerful catalyst for change.

Remember, early intervention, professional guidance from an SLP, and consistent, joyful support at home are the cornerstones of successful communication development. At Speech Blubs, we are dedicated to providing you with an innovative, research-backed tool that makes speech practice fun, engaging, and effective, empowering your child to “speak their minds and hearts.”

Don’t wait to make a difference. We invite you to experience the transformative power of Speech Blubs. Download Speech Blubs now on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and help your child begin their communication journey. Choose the Yearly plan to unlock a 7-day free trial, access to the Reading Blubs app, early updates, and dedicated support – it’s the best value for your family’s future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

A1: Observe your child’s communication milestones. If they are consistently not meeting age-appropriate milestones (e.g., not using gestures by 12 months, not combining two words by 24 months, or if their speech is largely unintelligible to familiar adults by age 3), it’s advisable to consult your pediatrician. They can guide you on whether an evaluation by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) is needed.

Q2: What’s the best age to start speech therapy?

A2: There is no “best” age, but early intervention is consistently shown to be most effective. The earlier a child receives support for speech and language delays, the greater their potential for significant progress. The brain’s plasticity is highest in early childhood (birth to age 5), making this a critical window for intervention. If you have concerns, don’t hesitate to seek an evaluation regardless of age.

Q3: Can Speech Blubs replace in-person speech therapy?

A3: Speech Blubs is a powerful and scientifically-backed tool designed to supplement and enhance your child’s speech and language development. It provides engaging practice and leverages video modeling for effective home learning. While it can be a primary resource for mild delays or for consistent practice, it should not be seen as a replacement for professional in-person speech therapy for significant or complex disorders. We encourage parents to use Speech Blubs in conjunction with guidance from a certified SLP when professional therapy is recommended.

Q4: What’s the difference between speech and language delays?

A4: Speech refers to the verbal production of sounds and words, including articulation and fluency. A speech delay means a child might have difficulty forming sounds correctly or speaking clearly. Language refers to the understanding and use of communication, including vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. A language delay means a child might struggle to understand what others are saying (receptive language) or have difficulty expressing their thoughts and needs (expressive language), even if individual words are clear.