Empowering Parents to Support Speech and Language Growth at Home!
May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month!
This month we’re sharing information about what your child should be doing and how you can help at home.
How Movement Enhances Speech Development
Movement helps speech development. Speech therapists use movements such as swinging and crawling in therapy to build muscles that support speech development. It focuses on core strength, posture, and breath control. We use methods to encourage children to relax and be mindful which helps control the nervous system. It also helps the speech muscles work better together.
In addition to providing speech therapy, Pediatric Interactions has two additional programs for families: Pilates and yoga. Yoga moves such as balancing and stretching help kids control muscles used for speaking. Pilates exercises mainly target core strength which helps support the trunk and upper body muscles. A strong core stabilizes the entire body. This helps children control their vocal cords, diaphragm, and tongue more effectively. This improved stability helps children say sounds clearly and consistently. Pilates and yoga both focus on breath control and diaphragmatic breathing which helps support voice production. It allows the voice to produce steady airflow which leads to clear and fluent speech. Breath-focused exercises help kids control their breathing when they talk and allow them to speak in longer phrases or complete sentences without pausing. Families can watch and join in on our YouTube Yoga video series.
Check our calendar for a special “Pilates Day” event on May 3rd. We will also be offering some yoga/pilates camps for summer. Families can take advantage of our gym during their child’s therapy sessions and schedule private pilates at the Gorilla Gym.
Speech and Language Milestones
Speech skills begin to develop as soon as infants are born. In the first few months, babies start to make vocalizations. They coo and change their sounds. At about 6 months, babies start to babble. They use repeating consonant-vowel pairs like “da da da” or “ma ma ma”. Around 9 months of age, babies start to use more gestures (e.g., reaching for an item they want). This is about the time that babies begin imitating sounds modeled by others. Receptive language, which means understanding language, becomes evident around this age. Toddlers start to grasp simple words like their name, “no,” and “give me.” From 12 to 18 months, they start using simple words. Kids often say simple sounds like "mama" and "dada." They use these words to ask for something familiar, like an object, action, or person. At 12 months, many kids say simple sounds like consonants like "m," "b," "d," and "n" in their first words. Sounds like "p" and "t" might also appear at this age. Young children often simplify words by using easier sounds. For example, they might say "wawa" instead of "water" or "tee" instead of "tree." These substitutions help make speech production easier as they develop the motor skills needed for clearer speech. Expressive language (the use and complexity of words and grammar) skills continue to expand as toddlers use more words and begin to put words together around 18–24 months. By 18 months, kids start using more consonants. Kids start making sounds like "k," "g," and "f." By age 2, they use short phrases. Then, around 3, they begin forming more complex sentences. They also begin to understand more complex directions. By 2-3 years, children use a broader range of consonants in their speech, including harder-to-produce sounds like “sh,” “ch,” “j,” and “s.” By age 4, kids can usually say sounds like “s,” “r,” “l,” “sh,” and “ch” correctly. Most children will master all speech sounds, including liquids (l, r) and fricatives (s, sh, z), by age 5.
Download our age-appropriate developmental milestones handout here.
If a child is not meeting typical milestones, it could indicate a delay or disorder. Common red flags include:
By 1 year old:
Lack of gestures (e.g., waving or pointing).
Not imitating sounds modeled by others.
By 2 years old:
Limited vocabulary (e.g., fewer than 50 words).
Difficulty in following directions or understanding basic concepts.
Not using two-word combinations.
By 3 years old:
Struggling with pronunciation or being hard to understand after the age of 3.
Final Consonant Deletion (e.g., saying "ca" for "cat").
Consonant Cluster Reduction (e.g., saying "tar" for "star").
Unstressed Syllable Deletion (e.g., saying "nana" for "banana").
Stopping (e.g., saying “tat” for “sat” or “puck” for “truck”).
Fronting (e.g., saying “tar” for “car” or “sip” for “ship”).
Gliding (e.g., saying “wabbit” for “rabbit”).
After 4 years old
Lateralization of "s" sounds (e.g., saying “slushy” instead of “sushi”).
Substituting "w" for "r" or "l" (e.g., saying "wabbit" for "rabbit").
When the others say "Wait and See"
Keep in mind that there is a natural range for mastering milestones.
Track changes over time. Keep a list of words and how your child says them.
Some skills need a strong foundation. If we don’t address these skills, the targeted skill may not develop as expected.
Contact a Speech/Language Pathologist for a screening. Pediatric Interactions offers free developmental screenings. A developmental screening shows families how their child is growing. It provides next steps and suggests activities to improve their skills. You won't have to wait long because appointments are usually scheduled within a week. In the 15-minute appointment, a licensed therapist will go over a questionnaire filled out by a caregiver. They will also engage with the child. Families will get written recommendations, referrals, and developmental information when needed.
Speech skills are one of the ways kids communicate. During the first few months, babies experiment with making sounds: cooing and variation in sounds, and then babbling (using repetitive consonant-vowel combinations) around 6 months of age. Around 9 months of age, babies start to use more gestures (e.g., reaching for an item they want). This is about the time that babies are imitating sounds modeled by others. Receptive language (or understanding of language) is also demonstrated around this age, as they begin to understand simple words (e.g., their own name, no, give me). Between 12-18 months, toddlers are beginning to use simple words, most commonly simple consonant-vowel-consonant combinations (e.g., mama, dada). These are usually to request a familiar object, action, or person. Speech sounds (or articulation), at 12 months, many children use simple consonants like "m," "b," "d," and "n" in their first words. Sounds like "p" and "t" might also appear at this age. It’s common for young children to initially simplify words by substituting easier sounds (e.g., saying "wawa" for "water" or "tee" for "tree"). These substitutions help make speech production easier as they develop the motor skills needed for clearer speech. Expressive language (the use and complexity of words and grammar) skills continue to expand as toddlers are using more words and beginning to put words together around 18-24 months. By 18 months, children begin using a wider variety of consonants, including sounds like "k," "g," and "f." Around 2 years old, kids are using short phrases and starting to form more complex sentences around 3 years old. They are also understanding more complex directions. By 2-3 years, children use a broader range of consonants in their speech, including harder-to-produce sounds like “sh,” “ch,” “j,” and “s.” By age 4 they can accurately say sounds like “s,” “r,” “l,” “sh,” and “ch” in most word and most children will have mastered the production of all speech sounds, including liquids (l, r) and fricatives (s, sh, z) by 5 years.
Download our age-appropriate developmental milestones.
If a child is not meeting typical milestones, it could indicate a delay or disorder. Common red flags include:
By 1 year old:
Lack of gestures (e.g., waving or pointing)
Not imitating sounds modeled by others
By 2 years old:
Limited vocabulary (e.g., fewer than 50 words).
Difficulty following directions or understanding basic concepts.
Not using two-word combinations
By 3 years old:
Struggling with pronunciation or being hard to understand after age 3.
Final Consonant Deletion (e.g., saying "ca" for "cat").
Consonant Cluster Reduction (e.g., saying "tar" for "star")
Unstressed Syllable Deletion (e.g., saying "nana" for "banana")
Stopping (e.g., saying “tat” for “sat” or “puck” for “truck”)
Fronting (e.g., saying “tar” for “car” or “sip” for “ship”)
Gliding (e.g., saying “wabbit” for “rabbit”).
After 4 years old
Lateralization of "s" sounds (e.g., saying “shushy” instead of “sushi”)
Substituting "w" for "r" or "l" (e.g., saying "wabbit" for "rabbit")
When the others say "Wait and See"
Remember, there is a natural “range” of when milestones should be mastered
Track changes over time. Keep a list of words and how your child says these
Some skills require a foundation, and these skills may need to be addressed; otherwise, the targeted skill may not just “come in”.
Be proactive and reach out to a Speech/Language Pathologist for a screening. Pediatric Interactions offers free developmental screenings. A developmental screening is intended to give families some education and guidance on their child's development, next steps or recommendations, and activities to help promote their skills. You won't have to wait long, as appointments are typically scheduled within a week. During the 15-minute appointment, a licensed and credentialed therapist will review a questionnaire completed by a caregiver and interact with the child. Families will receive written recommendations, referrals, and/or developmental information as appropriate.
Feeding Milestones
Feeding, speech, and language development are interconnected. Both rely on the same oral-motor structures and skills. These include the muscles in the mouth, lips, tongue, and jaw. These muscles help us with feeding, like chewing and swallowing, in addition to speech.
Early Feeding Issues (Infants and Toddlers):
Some babies struggle to latch onto the breast or bottle. They may have trouble sucking or choke often. These issues can occur due to problems with oral motor skills or coordination.
Struggles with solid foods by 6 months can include issues with chewing, swallowing, gagging, or handling textures. Learn more about the Baby Lead Weaning approach and how we can change this for your child.
Start open cup drinking between 6 and 9 months. Then, introduce straw drinking from 9 to 12 months. We can help you understand why sippy cups are "bad."
Poor weight gain or food aversions can indicate feeding problems.
Toddler and Preschool Feeding Issues:
Picky eating happens when kids refuse certain textures, foods, or whole food groups, which is linked to how they process sensory information and use their oral motor skills to handle food. We should assess these skills and introduce new foods with a systematic and empathetic approach. Families can fill out our questionnaire to find out if their child is a picky eater or a problem feeder.
Some kids have oral motor coordination issues, such as trouble moving their mouths or tongues when they eat or talk. They may need therapy to help with both. This may include activities to strengthen the tongue, lips, and jaw. These exercises help with safe eating and speech development.
School-Aged Children and Beyond:
Chewing and swallowing can be hard for kids. As they grow, they need to handle more complex foods such as meats and tougher textures.
Speech delays and feeding issues sometimes go hand-in-hand. If a child has feeding problems, such as gagging or refusing foods, and also has difficulty speaking clearly, this may indicate challenges with oral-motor skills or sensory processing.