About Speech Therapy

Have you ever wondered what speech therapy is? How speech therapy works? What speech therapists actually do? You are not alone!

Many parents hear the term speech therapy being thrown around or find out their little ones need speech therapy without ever getting a real explanation of what speech therapy actually is and what it looks like. And if you’re already on edge about your child’s development, we know that that uncertainty and a lack of information only adds to the nerves and anxiety!

So, if you’re concerned about your child’s speech and language development, if you think they might need speech therapy, or if you know they do, this post is for you. We hope it gives you the answers you need to confidently pursue the treatment and support your family needs. You’ve got this!

(P.S. For the purpose of this blog post, we will be talking about speech therapy for toddlers. But FYI, speech therapists work with people of all abilities and throughout their lifespan!)

WHAT IS SPEECH THERAPY?

Put simply, speech therapy is the treatment of speech, language, and communication disorders. 

Speech therapy is carried out by speech-language pathologists, but we often call ourselves speech therapists for simplicity! Following the definition provided by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, we work to prevent, assess, diagnose, and treat speech, language, social communication, cognitive-communication, and swallowing disorders in children and adults.

Your toddler might need speech therapy if they’re not meeting communication milestones the way we would typically expect them to.


SPEECH THERAPY IS PLAY-BASED & FUN!

During speech therapy, it will look like your child is playing—but rest assured, it’s play with a purpose! We use play in therapy because:

  • Play is how toddlers learn
  • Play helps toddlers make sense of new concepts and practice what they’ve learned
  • Play builds connection (an essential component between therapist and child)
  • Play helps accomplish certain speech and language goals

We also use play because we want to make speech therapy fun for kids! Think bubbles, stickers, farm animals, the whole thing. The more fun toddlers have in speech therapy, the more likely they are to stay engaged. And we know that along with repetition, engagement leads to meaningful improvements in speech and language development.


SPEECH THERAPY IS GOAL-ORIENTED

Speech therapy doesn’t take a one-size-fits-all approach. Your therapist will target your child’s specific needs and build upon their strengths. It’s very individualized and very intentional! 

Speech therapy also relies on stair-stepping: working on smaller goals in a way that adds up to achieving BIG ones. Speech therapists are really great at taking high-level goals and breaking them down into small, manageable, bite-sized parts. They’ll also identify all the little, foundational skills that lead up to bigger, desired skills, and help your child master those first. If it helps, you can think of it as stepping stones! Here’s an example:

Goal: Communicating Wants & Needs

Speech Therapist Observation: Child isn’t yet imitating gestures!

  • Step 1: Imitating Physical Movements (Waving, Clapping, Knocking)
  • Step 2: Imitating Animal & Environmental Sounds (Beep Beep, Moo, Uh Oh!)
  • Step 3: Imitating Real Words
  • Step 4: Using Words Independently To Communicate Wants & Needs

WHAT DOES A SPEECH THERAPIST DO?

Speech therapists (also known as speech-language pathologists or SLPs) treat and work with people of all ages and abilities who have speech, language, and/or communication delays.

Speech therapists can help when a child is born with a diagnosis and may benefit from extra support, when a child isn’t meeting certain speech or language milestones, or when an event like a traumatic accident or illness affects a child’s communication skills.


WHAT SPEECH THERAPISTS TREAT

Speech therapists support children with delays or concerns in any of the following areas:

  • Speech
  • Language 
  • Voice
  • Fluency 
  • Social Communication
  • Feeding
  • Swallowing

HOW DOES SPEECH THERAPY WORK?

We know starting therapy is nerve-wracking and that you probably have a lot of feelings about it. That’s totally normal. Just know that your SLP will be doing everything they can to make the transition a smooth one for your family! We are on your side. Here’s how it works:


#1 SPEECH ASSESSMENT

The first step in the process is an assessment (also called an evaluation) by a speech-language pathologist. The assessment is important because it helps us determine whether or not your child really needs speech and language therapy at that point in time! And, if it turns out your little one does, then it’s the time when your therapist will create a plan to support your child.

Typically, you can request a speech and language assessment by visiting your pediatrician or through your child’s school. Depending on where you live, there may also be early intervention programs available.

Here are some other questions that parents often ask about speech therapy evaluations for toddlers: 

Do I have to have a speech and language evaluation to know if my toddler child needs speech therapy?

The short answer is yes. In order to begin speech therapy, your toddler will need a speech and language evaluation to document that they are delayed and would benefit from speech therapy sessions. 

But, there are some resources you can use at home to get a better understanding if your child might need speech therapy before you go for a speech therapy evaluation. 

How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

Just like speech therapists, you can watch for your child to reach communication milestones at home. If you notice that your child is missing one or more of their speech and language developmental milestones, they may need a speech therapy evaluation to qualify them for speech therapy. 

Speech therapy evaluations for toddlers are designed to identify why it is harder for your child to learn a communication skill and how you can best support them. Then ongoing speech therapy sessions are used to implement proven strategies and help toddlers reach their speech milestones. 

Why would a kid need speech therapy?

Speech therapy evaluations for toddlers are designed to identify why a particular child would need speech therapy. Because every child is developing speech and language skills in their own way, there is no one reason why a child would need speech therapy. 

Some of the most common reasons why a kid might need speech therapy include: speech and language delays, articulation disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and childhood apraxia of speech. 

How do you know if your child has a speech problem?

You can consult with “Doctor Google” to learn about communication milestones and see if your child might have a speech problem. But to know for sure, you’ll want to schedule a speech therapy evaluation for your toddler. During a speech and language evaluation, a speech therapist can take a look at your child’s speech and language skills compared to what is expected for their age to determine if they qualify for speech therapy. 

At what age should I be concerned about my child’s speech?

It’s a good idea to talk to your child’s pediatrician about their speech and language development any time you may have a concern regardless of your child’s age.  There is no minimum age for speech therapy, and in general the earlier you get started the easier it is for your child to learn new communication skills. 

Here are some common age milestones that might be missed for toddlers who are speech delayed. Children generally begin to say their first words between 10-14 months, have learned to say 40 words or more by 18 months, and are putting words together by 20 months.


#2 INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN

One of the things your speech therapist does during your child’s assessment is determine their unique areas of strength as well as the areas of speech and language development they may need help improving. 

Once they better understand your child, they use the information they’ve collected to create an individualized plan for how they’ll help. Going forward, that plan serves as the roadmap for supporting your child and your family while you work towards these goals as a team.


#3 SPEECH THERAPY SESSIONS

Now that goals have been set and your child’s plan is in place, regular speech therapy sessions can begin! Typically, speech therapy sessions last 30 to 60 minutes and happen once or twice a week.

If the idea of speech therapy feels intimidating, try to remember that sessions are fun, play-based, and toddler-friendly. We know how to work with your child, and don’t worry! We don’t expect them to sit still for a whole hour.


#4 CAREGIVER SUPPORT

A lot of work happens between your child and their speech therapist—but not all the work! A big piece of speech therapy for toddlers is teaching you, the family and caregivers, how to best support your child’s developing communication skills at home (or in other familiar environments, like daycare). The MOST progress will be made when you and your SLP work together!