We specialize in early intervention speech therapy for infants and children. We provide this service throughout Southwest Florida, including Naples, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Marco Island, and more.
Our certified speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat children as young as three months old. We believe that early intervention is crucial in helping children achieve success in all aspects of their lives. Schedule your free screening today!
What is Early Intervention Speech Therapy?
Early intervention speech therapy targets speech and language disorders in young children, typically from birth to three years of age. This type of therapy focuses on identifying and treating speech and language difficulties at an early stage to prevent them from becoming more severe or persistent later in life.
Why is Early Intervention Important?
Early intervention is crucial for successful speech and language development because it maximizes the child’s potential to improve their communication skills. Studies have shown that early intervention can lead to better outcomes for children with speech and language disorders. For example, a study published in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology found that children who received early intervention for speech and language disorders showed significant improvements in their language abilities compared to those who did not receive therapy.
Another study published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research found that children who received early intervention for speech and language disorders had higher language scores at age three and were less likely to require special education services later in life.
Early intervention speech therapy is important because it can help children overcome communication challenges. These challenges can impact their social, academic, and emotional development. By identifying and treating speech and language difficulties early on, children can develop stronger communication skills that will help them succeed in school and in life.
Our Approach to Early Intervention Speech Therapy
At Little Talks Speech Therapy, we take a family-centered approach to early intervention. We believe that every child is unique and tailor early intervention speech therap to meet each child’s specific needs. Our approach involves:
- Collaboration: We work closely with parents and caregivers to understand their child’s communication challenges and develop goals for them.
- Play-Based Therapy: We use play-based therapy to create a fun and engaging environment for children. Many children respond well to games and activities that encourage communication and build language skills. Examples may include imitation and sound echoing games, or blowing bubbles to strengthen oral muscles. Other examples may be object identification and verbalization using books, picture cards, or other materials.
- Evidence-Based Practice: We use evidence-based practice to ensure that our therapy is based on proven and effective strategies. We also stay up-to-date on the latest research in speech and language development.
Age-Appropriate Communication Milestones
We specialize in evaluating your child’s communication skills and assessing risk factors for future speech-language issues. This helps us develop an effective diagnosis, treatment plan, and prevention toolkit against the development of future disorders.
Consider the following communication milestone for your child. These milestones help determine if an early intervention speech therapy screening may be a good idea for your child:
- By 3 months, your child may smile when you appear, make cooing sounds, be quiet or smile when spoken to, seem to know your voice, or have different cries for different needs.
- By 6 months, your child might make gurgling sounds when playing, babble and make a range of sounds, use their voice to show likes and dislikes, move eyes toward sounds, respond to changes in the tone of your voice, notice music, and notice that some toys make sounds.
- By 12 months, your child may try copying speech sounds, say a few words, understand simple commands such as “come here,” know words for common items, or turn and look towards sounds.
- By 18 months, your child might know names of people, objects and body parts, follow simple commands that are given with gestures, or say 20 or more words.
- By 24 months, your child may use simple phrases such as “more milk,” ask one- to two-word questions, follow simple commands and understand simple questions, speak about 50 or more words, or speak well enough so that you or another caregiver can understand them at least half the time.
Learn if Early Intervention Speech Therapy is Right for Your Family
If you are concerned about your child’s communication or swallowing development, don’t hesitate to contact us. We offer free screenings to help you understand your child’s needs and determine the best course of action. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards helping your child reach their full potential.