Parents, below are 4 tips and tricks to encourage early communication with your kiddo. As a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) that has a passion for early language, I use all of these during my therapy sessions.

You can do this by announcing and talking through both your and your child’s routines, even if

you are not directly talking to your child. Try announcing the steps of brushing your teeth or

making a meal. During play, try narrating the actions of characters, putting noises to toys, and

labeling objects, colors, and animals while reading a book. Books with repeated words, different

textures and hidden doors provide lots of opportunities for early language development!

Playing at eye level and using fun language may encourage your child to explore language.

Bringing toys to your mouth will allow them to see how you move our lips, teeth, and tongue to

create words and communicate our thoughts. Build in opportunities to provide choices and allow

for increased time for your child to respond!

Examples of fun language: are “Ready, set, go”, “beep, beep”, and animal noises.

Parents often know what their child wants or needs even if the child is not producing any words.

Build on this by providing the want and modeling it back to them. Do this during play by

reinforcing their language and building on what they already know. If your child isn’t verbal,

continue to provide language input by modeling speech during play.

“Oh, drink! You want a drink of milk.”

Does your child try to put noises to cars or animals?

Try: “Yes! Car goes vroom!” or, “Cow says mooo!”

Pairing verbal language with sign language can spark your child’s interest and decrease their

frustrations with communication. Once they realize their words and actions serve a purpose (to

get those babies what they want) then they are more eager to explore and communicate. As a

speech therapist, some of my favorite beginning signs are “more”, “all done”, “open”, “eat”, and

Remember to be gentle with yourself. Developing language is an incredible and complex skill.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on expensive toys to practice these strategies at home.

Sit outside and talk about what you see, participate in pretend play, or use common home

objects as toys. Providing increased input, letting your child lead, and expanding on their

sounds/words will provide lots of opportunities for growth! 

to ask your SLP for some suggestions and demonstrations at your next appointment!

To inquire about booking your child's initial Speech-Language Therapy evaluation or next appointment with one of Marshall's expert clinicians, please utilize the form 

To learn even more about Speech-Language Disorders, statistics, and FAQs, you can visit the 

Four Tips & Tricks to Encourage Early Communication

Giving the Gift of Language Expansion & Making gift-giving fun and resourceful! 

Moms, we know the feeling of panic when grandparents, aunts, and friends ask you for Christmas gift ideas for your little ones!  I can help give you some suggestions that will not only be great for gift-giving but also help your child develop speech and language skills too!! As a Speech Therapist (also known as SLP), I look at toys from a language perspective.  I 

toys that increase the opportunities for using words, and sounds and that let parents guide the learning and development of building language skills!  Here are a few of my favorites!!

Remember, it doesn’t have to be expensive or come in a big box to be an amazing gift!  Use your imagination to create new fun ways to play!  Expanding your child’s language skills should be fun and interesting to your child.  Ask your child’s therapist or teacher for some fun developmentally appropriate ideas for your child!  You can also search many toy sites online by age and interest levels!  This is super helpful! 

Learn more about Speech-Language Therapy 

Helpful Speech-Language and other various resourceful links found 

Kids Gifts Ideas 

So you may be wondering...what exactly is Pediatric Speech-Language Therapy?

Speech-Language Therapy is described as a treatment that helps to support and care for children who have difficulties with communication, feeding, eating, drinking, and swallowing. Our expert clinicians at Marshall Pediatric Therapy want to help answer some of the most FAQs when it comes to this discipline. 

What specific conditions does Speech-Language Therapy help to support?

Examples of when you might need to express your concerns:

What age should a child receive Speech Therapy?

Realistically, there is no specific age a child should receive any particular therapy discipline. it is never too early to start therapy and get an evaluation with a licensed professional as soon as you notice and or experience concerns. It is not abnormal for a child with a disability to show signs of developmental delays as early as 3 months old, if not sooner.

We always advocate for our families to ask plenty of questions to their pediatrician, after all, that’s why they are there for! At Marshall, we see newborn babies, all the way to age twenty-one with a wide array of conditions and concerns. Early intervention is so very important!

If you and your child receive a referral to receive Speech-Language Therapy, we highly suggest that you contact us first to see if you’re in the network for insurance to help offset the cost of therapy visits. Our helpful referral team and clinical support can guide you through all of your financial options and answer absolutely any questions you might have regarding billing/insurance.

At Marshall, we do our very best to always advocate for our families and to help break down the financial barriers that might keep someone from receiving the services they not only need but that they deserve.

For a list of our current insurance providers that cover Speech Therapy visits, you can click 

How we address Speech-Language Therapy at Marshall Pediatric Therapy:

What is Speech Therapy?

ommunication. AAC is communication in a variety of ways, other than talking. This could be Alternative communication, to be used in place of speech. Or it can be Augmentative, to be used to support speech in order to make it more effective. 

AAC can include no-tech options, low-tech options, or high-tech options. Examples include:

AAC can be used for a variety of individuals, including young children with developmental disabilities, Autistic individuals, or adults who have acquired a disorder later on in life. 

These modes of communication allow for independence in the user’s environment. This could include allowing a child to communicate wants at home, being able to participate in conversations at school, making friends with same-age peers, and advocating for themselves in a variety of situations

All individuals have the fundamental right to communication. Reach out to your therapists with any questions you may have. 

https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/professional-issues/augmentative-and-alternative-communication/#collapse_1

https://www.asha.org/njc/communication-bill-of-rights/

AAC. What is it, and is it Right For My Child?

Are you worried that your child might have dyslexia? There is so much information available online and in the community about dyslexia, that it can be tricky to know what to believe and when to seek help. Here is a quick look at just a few of the common myths about dyslexia and some guidance for seeking help if your child is struggling with reading or pre reading skills.

MYTH- If a child reverses letters such as “p,b,d, and/or q”, they have dyslexia.

FACT- Letter reversals may be an indication that your child has dyslexia if they persist beyond the end of first grade or past the age of seven. Prior to this, letter reversals are common and do not indicate the need for evaluation or intervention when occurring in isolation.

MYTH- Dyslexia is only a concern for school age children.

FACT- Dyslexia does not suddenly appear when children begin school. Many children who are later diagnosed with dyslexia were late talkers and/or struggled with non-developmental phonological processing disorders (patterns of speech sound errors). Children with language and speech sound disorders in preschool should be closely monitored for pre reading and early reading skills prior to beginning school. 

FACT- Individuals do not outgrown dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language based, neurological disorder that can be treated. Individuals with dyslexia learn to decode and spell through systematic, explicit instruction that may be multisensory based.

FACT- Dyslexia is not a problem with vision, although individuals with dyslexia can also have vision issues. It is important to screen and evaluate for vision deficits to rule out any effects of poor vision.

MYTH- Non-English speakers or English Language Learners cannot have dyslexia.

FACT- Dyslexia is not specific to English. It affects all cultures and languages; and individuals who have difficulty reading and writing in their native language will also have difficulty reading and writing in English.

MYTH- Only individuals with a high or low IQ can have dyslexia.

FACT- There is no correlation between cognition and dyslexia. Dyslexia is present across the continuum of cognitive functioning. Difficulty with reading can be present in those with a high IQ as well as those with lower IQs. Low IQ no longer disqualifies individuals from receiving intervention to address reading disorders.

MYTH- Reading to your child will cure dyslexia.

FACT- Reading to your child is key for building speech, language, and literacy awareness. It is also a tremendous way to encourage bonding, closeness, and shared attention. Shared reading will not, however, cure dyslexia. Intervention for dyslexia must include systematic, explicit teaching of the rules and patterns for decoding and spelling.

You should speak to your child’s SLP about dyslexia/written language disorder: