Language Therapy

Every child develops at their own pace, but there are general milestones. Most children say their first words around 12 months, use about 50 words and begin combining two words by 24 months, and speak in short sentences by age 3. A child who is behind on these markers, or who has trouble understanding simple directions, is worth an evaluation.

Some late talkers catch up on their own, but it is hard to predict which ones will. Starting early is never wasted, and if your child is right on track, an evaluation gives you peace of mind. Call (346) 474-4626, extension 2, if you have concerns.

For young children, language therapy looks a lot like play, and that is on purpose. Your speech-language pathologist uses toys, books, songs, and daily routines to create many chances to hear and use target words and sentence forms. Techniques include modeling, expanding on what your child says, offering choices, and pausing to give your child a turn.

Parent coaching is a big part of therapy. You will learn simple strategies, like narrating what you are doing and waiting a few extra seconds for your child to respond, that turn bath time, meals, and car rides into language practice. That daily practice is what moves progress forward between visits.

Yes. Language skills sit underneath reading, writing, and following classroom instruction, so a language disorder often shows up as trouble with reading comprehension, written assignments, or multi-step directions. Therapy for school-age children targets vocabulary, sentence structure, story retell, and comprehension strategies that carry straight into the classroom.

Our team regularly supports children with IEP and 504 plan goals and is happy to share progress with teachers when you give permission. We also see children whose school services are not enough on their own and who need more one-on-one time to make progress.