Is your child talking less than other kids their age?
In Houston, you can get a free speech evaluation. ECI helps if your child is under 3, and your public school district helps from age 3. Below you’ll find who to call, what happens next and simple ways to practice at home while you wait.
If something on this list worries you, you don’t need to wait and see. You can ask for a free evaluation right away.
An evaluation is a check of how your child talks and understands words. It usually happens through play, often with a speech therapist.
ECI is Texas’s early intervention program for babies and toddlers up to 36 months. You can call ECI yourself, without a doctor’s referral.
Your public school district evaluates children from age 3 for free, even before they start school. If you live in Houston ISD, send a short written request to its special education office.
A university clinic for babies, children and adults with speech, language and hearing needs. Call to ask about fees and wait times.
These services are run independently of Speech Blubs.
Watch and respond together.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.
KaterinaMom and educatorI started looking for something that was research-backed and supported by professionals.
NoelleMom, sister of a speech therapistMy sister is an SLP, and she actually told us to download this app for my kid.
ShannonMom of three autistic sonsIt's just really been a joy to see how much fun he has using the app.
AnaMom of a 2-year-oldIt's definitely one of my favorite apps right now for my little one.
LezlieMom of a toddlerHe looks forward to it every day because we get to take a fun picture.
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.
MikeDad of a toddlerGail responds really well to seeing kids his age or a little bit older doing things that he's doing.
ChristinaMom of EdenWe aren't completely there, but we're closer than we ever have been.
LindsayMom of a 2-year-oldThey agreed that we could be doing some more practice at home.
If your child sees a therapist, ask which activities fit.
The app content is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Czech, Swedish, Polish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Lithuanian and Romanian. You can switch the language in the app menu. Read the language FAQ.
Use a walk, a book, or a snack as a reason to talk together. Follow what interests your child.
A nearby public park for a short stop with a young child. 540 West 34th Street.
Name something your child notices with a short phrase, such as “big tree.” Pause for their response.
A nearby Houston Public Library branch in Oak Forest, with picture books to borrow.
Choose a picture your child likes and talk about it together. Connect it to a toy at home.
Offer two familiar toys or foods and name each one. Give your child time to respond. Follow a look, gesture, sound, or word.
Opening hours change, so check the website before you go.
Short answers about free help, costs and the app.
The evaluation is free: through ECI under age 3, or through your public school district from age 3. School speech services are free if your child qualifies. ECI therapy costs depend on family size and income, and no family is turned away because they can’t pay. Find free help.
Texas Medicaid covers speech therapy for children when it’s medically necessary. Private plans differ, so call the number on your insurance card and ask about pediatric speech therapy. Find free help.
Not for ECI or the school district: you can contact them yourself. The school district must answer a written request for an evaluation in writing within 15 school days. Texas Medicaid and many insurance plans need a referral from your child’s doctor. Find free help.
Many 2-year-olds put two words together, like “more milk.” If your child doesn’t yet, it’s a good time to ask ECI for a free evaluation. You don’t need to wait and see. Find free help.
No. It gives you short activities to practice together at home. A speech therapist evaluates your child and plans the therapy. See how the app works.
Speech Blubs is available in English and Spanish, plus 11 more languages. You can switch the language in the app menu. See how the app works.
Speech Blubs is a subscription. You’ll see the current price and any trial in the quiz before you pay. Choose your child’s age.
Start with the quiz to learn about the app for your child.
Garden Oaks families can ask for a free speech evaluation through ECI or the school district. Graham Park on West 34th Street and the Oak Forest library nearby give you easy places to practice talking.
For a baby or toddler under 3, call ECI (Early Childhood Intervention). It’s Texas’s program for children up to 36 months, and you don’t need a doctor’s referral. The evaluation is free. From age 3, your public school district can evaluate your child for free if you ask in writing. If you would like a private clinic, the University of Houston Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic sees children. Call 713-743-0915 to ask about fees and wait times. Texas Medicaid covers speech therapy for children when it’s medically necessary, with a referral from your child’s doctor.
Graham Park is a nearby park at 540 West 34th Street. On a short stop, take turns spotting colors: a red car, a green leaf, a blue sky. Say the color and the thing, like “red car”, then wait. Your child can answer by pointing, with a sound or with a word. Then it’s their turn to find one for you. Stop the game while it’s still fun.
Oak Forest Neighborhood Library, at 1349 West 43rd Street, is a nearby branch for Garden Oaks families. Look for a picture book about gardens, flowers or bugs. At home, find one picture that matches something your child saw outside. Say “look, a flower” and give them time to point or answer. You don’t need to name every picture on the page. One shared picture is enough for today.
We last checked these details in October 2026.
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