ECI (Early Childhood Intervention)
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.
Is your child talking less than other kids their age?
In San Antonio, 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 San Antonio ISD, send a short written request to its special education office.
A UT Health San Antonio speech-language pathologist treats children’s speech, language and feeding concerns. You can ask for an appointment through the provider page.
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.
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 city park with walking trails and a playground. 1315 San Pedro Avenue.
Name something your child notices with a short phrase, such as “big tree.” Pause for their response.

A San Antonio Public Library branch with gardens, paths and a playground around it.
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.
In Monte Vista, a free speech evaluation through ECI or your public school district is a good first step. San Pedro Springs Park and Landa Library, with its gardens and playground, are nearby places to practice talking.
If your child is under 3, call ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) yourself. It’s Texas’s program for babies and toddlers up to 36 months. The evaluation is free, and you don’t need a doctor’s referral. From age 3, ask your public school district for a free speech and language evaluation. San Antonio has several school districts. Look up yours by address on the Texas Education Agency website. Put your request in writing. Bring notes about words your child says and the languages you speak at home.
San Pedro Springs Park is a nearby city park at 1315 San Pedro Avenue, with walking trails and a playground. On a short walk, find one thing to see, one to hear and one to touch, like a smooth stone. Name each one in two words, like “soft grass”. Then let your child pick the next thing to find. Follow their lead and keep it short.
Landa Library has gardens, paths and a playground around the building. Start with one picture book inside, then take a short walk outside. Look for something in the garden that matches a picture, like a flower or a bird. Say “same as the book” and point. Let your child show you the next match. Keep the visit brief so it stays fun.
We last checked these details in October 2026.
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