Parent Resources

 Children grow and develop at their own rate. Although some children walk and talk early, others may be delayed in learning certain skills. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, the earlier you seek help, the better.

Early intervention is for children ages birth to 3 and their families. Early intervention is available in every state under federal law. Early Steps Early Intervention programs are available to children with developmental delays and their families.  

Families and professionals, including audiologists and speech-language pathologists, are part of an early intervention team. They help children develop skills such as

• cognitive skills (thinking, learning, problem-solving);
• communication skills (gesturing, talking, listening, understanding);
• physical and sensory skills (crawling, walking, climbing, seeing, hearing);
• social–emotional skills (playing, understanding feelings, making friends); and
• adaptive or self-help skills (eating, bathing, dressing).

Early intervention is different for each child and family depending on the child’s needs and the family’s priorities. The most important step is to start early.

The first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, is the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills. These skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.  If you suspect your child is not on target contact a Speech Language Pathologist for a screening to identify potential deficits in speech and/or language

The number of children being diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has been on the rise for many years.  These children will require intervention for social, emotional, or behavioral differences. Early identification and treatment for these children is pivotal to achieving long-term goals and success in life. NBSTS can provide professional advice and therapy including parent education, social playgroups, parent-child training, and/or individual speech therapy. Early signs of Autism include: 

• A baby who shows little to no affect when near loved ones 
• A young child who displays little to no awareness of social surroundings 
• An 18 month old who has lost previously mastered words and phrases 
• A 2 year old who is not yet talking 
• A toddler who does not show interest in peers and would rather play alone 
• A child with repetitive, stereotypical behaviors 
• A child with an above-age-expected knowledge of any one subject 
• A 2 year old who does not play with toys in a purposeful way 
• A child who is overly sensitive to sound or touch 
• A child who typically displays an overactive or underactive pattern of behavior 

  Speech, language, or hearing problems can lead to trouble making friends and doing well in school. Give your child success get help early.

Find your child's age below and learn about her speech, language, and hearing development.

• Birth to One Year
• One to Two Years
• Two to Three Years
• Three to Four Years
• Four to Five Years

Children develop at their own rate. These charts tell you when most children who speak only one language will reach each milestone. Your child should master the skills listed by the time he reaches the top of the age range. Missing one skill in the age range does not mean he has a problem. You may want to seek help if you answer "no" to most of the skills.

By the end of 3 months:

• Smile at you
• Make cooing sounds
• When spoken to, they might get quiet or smile
• Seem as though they recognize a parent's voice
• Make different crying sounds for different needs

• Make gurgling sounds
• Babble or make other sounds
• Use their voice to show pleasure/displeasure
• Look in the direction of sounds
• Respond to changes in tone of voice from an adult
• Pay attention to sounds made by objects/toys/music

• Attempt to imitate speech sounds
• Say simple words like "dada," "mama"
• Respond to simple directions, such as "Come here"
• Recognize common items, like "doggie"
• Look in the direction of sounds

• Know the names of known people, objects and body parts
• Follow simple directions 
• Say 10 words

• Use simple 2 word phrases like "more juice"
• As one or two word questions like "Go bye-bye?"
• Follow simple questions and understand simple questions
• Say about 50 or more words
• Speech is understood by parents/primary caregivers at least half of the time

 Reading and Writing (Literacy)

Literacy is your ability to read and write. These skills are important for school, at work, and at home. Speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, can help you learn to read and write.

You start to learn language as a baby. You learn how to say sounds and put them together to make words. You learn to use words to tell people what you think and how you feel. These early speech and language skills help you learn to read and write.

Does your child have speech or language problems? He may have trouble learning to read and write. This can make it hard to do well in school.

Adults can have problems reading and writing, too. You may have had trouble as a child and still not read and write well. Or, you may start to have problems reading and writing after a stroke or brain injury.

An SLP works with children and adults who have trouble reading and writing. The SLP can test speech, language, and literacy skills and find ways to help you or your child improve. The SLP 

can also work with your child’s teacher to make it easier for her to learn in school.

Reading and writing can be hard, but help is available

 Tips for Speech Delay in Children 

How can you tell if your child has a speech delay? And what can you do about it? We get a lot of questions from parents and caregivers about identifying and treating speech delay in children. First, we want to commend you for taking the time to research this important topic! The more you understand about speech and language development, the sooner you will be able to recognize any sort of speech delay and get back on track. 

First, it’s important to understand that a child’s speech and language development is continually evolving. Professional speech-language pathologists use age-based developmental milestones to assess whether or not a child is at a developmentally appropriate level. Take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with these milestones as they relate to your child’s age and stage. If you do believe that your child may have a speech delay – or even if you just want to work on developing communication skills at home – here are our top tips: 

1. Reading Helps Speech Delay 

Children are so inquisitive and love to explore ideas in books. Around the age of 18 months, you can begin letting your child pick the books that he or she wants to “read.” Don’t worry if it’s the same book over and over again. While this might get boring and repetitive for you, your child benefits from reinforcing the same concepts. Read and read often! Your child will benefit from hearing new words and listening to the cadence of how stories are told. 

2. It’s not enough to “just read” 

Ok, here’s a good one that seems to directly contradict #1. In addition to reading, you also want to make your child an active participant in the story. Sit with your child’s favorite book, point to the pictures, and ask your child what they see happening in the story. It doesn’t matter at all what they respond, or whether or not you can understand them. You want them to inquire and wonder and begin trying to communicate with you. Don’t try and use these times as a chance to “correct” or refine your child’s interpretation. You just want to get them talking. 

3. Sing! Songs for Speech Delay 

Even if children can’t speak fluently, they might be able to express themselves through music and singing. Sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”, or “Rain, Rain Go Away.” Pause at the end of the line and see if your child can fill in the next word. See if they will sing with you. And then celebrate! Any utterance is great progress. 

 What should I do if my child’s speech or language appears to be delayed?

Talk to your child’s doctor if you have any concerns. Your doctor may refer you to a speech-language pathologist. The speech-language pathologist will talk to you about your child’s communication and general development. He or she will also use special spoken tests to evaluate your child. A hearing test is often included in the evaluation because a hearing problem can affect speech and language development. Depending on the result of the evaluation, the speech-language pathologist may suggest activities you can do at home to stimulate your child’s development. They might also recommend group or individual therapy. 

 What is the difference between a speech disorder and a language disorder?

Children who have trouble understanding what others say  or difficulty sharing their thoughts may have a language disorder. Specific language impairment (SLI) is a language disorder that delays the mastery of language skills. Some children with SLI may not begin to talk until their third or fourth year.

Children who have trouble producing speech sounds correctly or who hesitate or stutter when talking may have a speech disorder.

When should a child start speech therapy?

Unfortunately, there are no firm guidelines about the best time to start therapy although most speech-language pathologists will recommend starting therapy within 6-12 months after you have first noticed the stuttering. One thing we do know, though, is that all children can benefit from therapy.

How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?

If you think your child may have a speech or language delay, a good place to start is with your pediatrician, day care provider, or teacher. They can be very good at gauging your child's speech/language skills based on what other children of the same age are doing. All kids develop differently and excel in different areas.
Expected speech/language milestones:

• click here for birth to 5,
• click here for for elementary ages .

​If you're still concerned about your child's speech or language, we offer brief 15 minute screenings. 

 When Do Kids Start Talking? And a Children's Language Development Milestones Chart

Updated: May 14We know that every child develops at their own pace and when a child learns to speak also happens at their own pace. Yet it is important for speech language pathologists to refer to general milestones  which can be a guide to normal speech and language development. When referring to these milestones, speech language pathologists can determine if there may be a delay and if further testing is required. 

  WHAT ARE IEP CONSULTING SERVICES?

IEP Consulting Services can include:

• Phone and email consulting to discuss your questions and concerns as you navigate the special education process for your child
• Empowering you as the parent(s) to be your own advocate through expert advice
• Explanation of paperwork and "IEP jargon & acronyms"
• IEP paperwork organization
• Review of your child's IEP and reports to determine areas to maximize what your child is getting out of his/her IEP
• Writing letters to your school to help you obtain what your child needs
• Help you prepare for the IEP meeting
• Attend the IEP meetings with you as your IEP advocate 
• Follow up to ensure all your addressed concerns were accurately documented in the paperwork to ensure carryover from staff to staff who receive your child's IEP