speech therapy
Helping Your Child Communicate Clearly and Confidently
Every child develops speech at their own pace, but if your little one is hard to understand, struggling with certain sounds, or frustrated when communicating, extra support can help!
What Makes MCP Different?
🌟 It’s Engaging & Play-Based! Kids learn best through play, so therapy is fun, interactive, and keeps them motivated.
🌟 No One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Every child is unique, and therapy is tailored to their specific needs, learning style, and personality.
🌟 Confidence-Building & Supportive: A warm, encouraging environment helps children feel safe, confident, and excited to communicate.
At MCP, I specialize in child-centered, results-driven speech therapy that helps kids speak clearly, express themselves confidently, and communicate with ease. Whether working on how clearly your child speaks, how they pronounce sounds and words, how smoothly they talk, or how easy it is for others to understand them, therapy is designed to build skills while reducing frustration.
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Articulation
What is IT?
Articulation refers to how we move our tongue, lips, and mouth to make speech sounds. Some kids have trouble with certain sounds, making their speech unclear or tricky to understand.
| Age Range | Speech Sounds Typically Mastered |
|---|---|
| 1-2 years | Vowel sounds, P, B, M, H, W |
| 2-3 years | K, G, T, D, N |
| 3-4 years | F, Y |
| 4-5 years | L, SH, CH, J, S, Z |
| 5-6 years | R, V, TH (voiced as in this) |
| 6-7 years | TH (voiceless as in think), Z, R-blends |
Signs Your Child May Need Support
🚩 Difficulty pronouncing certain sounds (e.g., R, S, L, K, G, TH)
🚩 Speech sounds slurred or unclear
🚩 Frequent sound substitutions (e.g., "wabbit" for "rabbit" beyond age 6)
Why Early Intervention Matters
✔ Helps kids communicate clearly at home, school, and with friends
✔ Builds confidence in speaking situations
✔ Supports strong literacy skills as they learn to read and write
If your child is having trouble with certain sounds, therapy can help them speak clearly and confidently!
Phonological Processing
What is IT?
Phonological processing refers to how a child organizes and uses speech sounds. Some children develop patterns that make their speech harder to understand.
| Phonological Process | Definition | Example | Typically Resolves By |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Consonant Deletion | Omitting the final sound in a word. | "ca" for "cat" | 2-3 years |
| Cluster Reduction | Simplifying a consonant cluster by omitting one sound. | "poon" for "spoon" | 4 years |
| Fronting | Replacing a back sound (e.g., k, g) with a front sound (e.g., t, d). | "tar" for "car" | 3.5 years |
| Stopping | Replacing a long sound (e.g., s, f) with a short sound (e.g., t, p). | "tun" for "sun" | 4-5 years |
| Gliding | Replacing r or l sounds with w or y. | "wabbit" for "rabbit" | 6 years |
| Weak Syllable Deletion | Omitting an unstressed syllable in a multi-syllable word. | "nana" for "banana" | 4 years |
| Assimilation | Making one sound in a word more like another sound in the word. | "gog" for "dog" | 3 years |
Signs Your Child May Need Support
🚩 If these patterns persist past the typical age
🚩 If your child has unusual patterns like dropping first sounds ("at" for "cat") or backing ("gog" for "dog")
🚩 If their speech is difficult for you or others to understand
Why Early Intervention Matters
✔ Helps kids develop strong speech patterns
✔ Makes it easier for others to understand them
✔ Prepares them for clear communication in school and social settings
If your child’s speech patterns are persisting beyond the typical age, therapy can help!
intelligibility
What Is IT?
Intelligibility is how easily your child’s speech is understood by others.
| Age Range | Speech Understandability by Unfamiliar Listeners |
|---|---|
| 2 years | ~50% intelligible |
| 3 years | ~75% intelligible |
| 4 years | ~90-100% intelligible |
Signs Your Child May Need Support
🚩 If your child is difficult to understand for teachers, peers, or extended family
🚩 If they get frustrated when trying to communicate
🚩 If others frequently ask, “What did you say?”
Why Early Intervention Matters
✔ Helps kids feel confident speaking in different settings
✔ Reduces frustration in social and learning environments
✔ Encourages stronger participation in conversations, friendships, and school activities
If your child is struggling to be understood, therapy can help them communicate with clarity and confidence!
Fluency
What is it?
Fluency is how smoothly a child speaks. Some kids have trouble getting their words out smoothly, which can make talking feel frustrating or overwhelming.
General Benchmarks: Typical Fluency Development
Mild disfluencies (like repeating words or pausing) are normal in young children, but they should become less frequent over time.
Signs Your Child May Need Support
🚩 Frequent disruptions in speech lasting more than 6 months
🚩 Avoids speaking situations due to frustration or embarrassment
🚩Uses physical movements (e.g., blinking, head nodding) while trying to speak
Why Early Intervention Matters
✔ Helps kids communicate confidently in school, at home, and with friends
✔ Reduces frustration and fear of speaking
✔ Provides strategies for smoother, more controlled speech
If you're concerned about your child’s fluency, early intervention can make a big difference!