For parents in Santa Ana
Is your child talking less than other kids their age?
Under 2 years 10 months, call Early Start at the Regional Center of Orange County, 714-796-5100. In Santa Ana Unified, preschool-age children call Mitchell Child Development Center at (714) 285-4600 from that age.
Is my child on track?
If something on this list worries you, you don’t need to wait and see. You can ask for a free evaluation right away.
Free and paid help in Santa Ana
An evaluation is a check of how your child talks and understands words. It usually happens through play, often with a speech therapist.
Santa Ana Unified sends families with children under 2 years 10 months to the Regional Center of Orange County. Call 714-796-5100 for a free evaluation. You don’t need a doctor’s note.
Visit the regional center’s websiteFor preschool-age children, Santa Ana Unified points families to Mitchell Child Development Center at (714) 285-4600. For TK (transitional kindergarten) and older, call your child’s school principal. The Special Education office at (714) 558-5551 helps with the next steps. School evaluations are free. Parts of Santa Ana are in Garden Grove Unified, (714) 663-6000, Tustin Unified, (714) 730-7301, or Orange Unified, (714) 628-4000. These three numbers are main lines, so ask for special education. Your home address decides.
Visit the district’s evaluation pageCall 714-509-4220 to book at 3745 W. Chapman Ave., Suite 200, in Orange. Get a doctor’s referral and insurance approval first.
Visit CHOC’s speech therapy pageThese services are run independently of Speech Blubs.
Speech Blubs at home
Getting an appointment can take time. Speech Blubs gives you short activities to do together: your child watches other kids say words and make sounds, then tries too.
Pick a topic your child loves, like animals or snacks.
Watch together and pause. Give your child time to look, point or say a word.
Use the word later, at snack time or in a book.
MimiMomIt has so many different resources to help your child with their first words up to learning how to build sentences.
AnaMom of a 2-year-oldIt's definitely one of my favorite apps right now for my little one.
NoelleMom, sister of a speech therapistMy sister is an SLP, and she actually told us to download this app for my kid.
LezlieMom of a toddlerHe looks forward to it every day because we get to take a fun picture.
ShannonMom of three autistic sonsIt's just really been a joy to see how much fun he has using the app.
KaterinaMom and educatorI started looking for something that was research-backed and supported by professionals.
LindsayMom of a 2-year-oldThey agreed that we could be doing some more practice at home.
Father of a 23-month-oldWhen I tell her it's time to play her game, she runs and gets up on the couch to play.
ChristinaMom of EdenWe aren't completely there, but we're closer than we ever have been.
MikeDad of a toddlerGail responds really well to seeing kids his age or a little bit older doing things that he's doing.
If your child sees a therapist, ask which activities fit.
Everyday ideas
A walk, a book or a snack gives you something to talk about. Follow what your child is looking at.
01 / Centennial Park
City option
A 69-acre park near Edinger Avenue and Fairview Street with a playground for tots and picnic areas.
At the playground, say “ready, set, go” before each push on the swing. Stop and wait for your child to say “go.”
02 / Santa Ana Main Library
City option
The Main Library at 26 Civic Center Plaza has an interactive children’s learning area.
Let your child choose a book from a low shelf. Point to a picture and ask “What’s that?” Then wait.
03 / The app
Show two familiar toys or foods and name them. Give your child time to respond with a look, a gesture, a sound or a word.
Opening hours change, so check the website before you go.
The evaluation is free through the Regional Center of Orange County for children under 2 years 10 months. From that age it is free through your home district, usually Santa Ana Unified. School speech services are free if your child qualifies. Early Start is California’s early intervention program for babies and toddlers up to 36 months. Its therapy may be billed to Medi-Cal or your insurance first.
Clinic fees vary, so ask about the price when you call. Medi-Cal covers medically necessary speech therapy for children. With private insurance, call the number on your card and ask about speech therapy for kids.
Not for Early Start or the school district. You can call them yourself. CHOC asks for a doctor’s referral, and Medi-Cal or your plan may too.
Ask Early Start staff how soon the evaluation can happen when you call 714-796-5100. Under California rules, a school district sends an assessment plan within 15 days of your written request. The IEP (your child’s school support plan) is due within 60 days of your written consent. While you wait, talk, read and play together every day, and try short Speech Blubs activities at home.
Many 2-year-olds put two words together, like “more milk.” If yours doesn’t yet, it’s a good time to call the Regional Center of Orange County for an evaluation. It’s free, and you don’t need to wait and see.
No. Speech Blubs gives you short activities to practice together at home. A speech therapist evaluates your child and plans the therapy. If your child sees a therapist, ask which activities fit.
Speech Blubs is available in English (US and UK) and Spanish, plus 11 more languages. These include German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Swedish, Polish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Lithuanian and Romanian. You can switch the language in the app menu.
Life with little ones in Santa Ana
Santa Ana Unified sorts families by age, which makes the first call easy. Under 2 years 10 months, call the Regional Center of Orange County at 714-796-5100.
From 2 years 10 months, the district’s preschool-age route is Mitchell Child Development Center at (714) 285-4600. From TK on, start with your school principal. If your address is in Garden Grove, Tustin or Orange Unified, call that district.
The Special Education department is at 1601 E. Chestnut Ave. Call (714) 558-5551 on weekdays from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The district serves students from Early Start age through 22. For school-age children, the district recommends a Student Study Team meeting of parents and staff before an assessment plan. Ask your principal to set one up. Meanwhile, keep a short list of words your child says and the sounds that are hard.
California rules give the district 15 days to send an assessment plan after a written request.
The Main Library at 26 Civic Center Plaza has a children’s learning area. Newhope Library is at 122 N. Newhope St., and Delhi Library is at 505 E. Central Ave. Centennial Park has a playground for tots. Pick one outing a week and name three things you see.
Need a clinic? CHOC runs a speech clinic at 3745 W. Chapman Ave., Suite 200, in Orange. It asks for a doctor’s referral and insurance approval. A first call can be short: “My child is 3 and hard to understand. I’d like an evaluation.”
We last checked these details in November 2026.
