Kindergartener Grows from Frustration to Communication with 1-on-1 Speech Therapy
Abby Barnes, M.S., CCC-SLP
Bryson is a kindergartener who loves trucks, cars, Spiderman, and his puppy, Spiderman. He’s also smart and creative—for instance, he’s been known to point to emojis on his mom’s phone to tell her what he wants. That’s because at 5 years old, Bryson had a tough time communicating, which often led to frustration.
Bryson’s mother, Olivia, was impressed with his creativity, but she knew he needed help with speaking. The speech therapy he was receiving at school didn’t seem to be enough. She searched online and found Expressable. Bryson was matched with his speech therapist, Nirali Chauhan, M.S., CCC-SLP, and they bonded right away.
Through individualized speech therapy and his family’s involvement, Bryson has grown from making only one speech sound to putting together sentences. Here’s how it happened.
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When Bryson started online speech therapy, he could only say one sound: the /t/ sound. It was difficult for Nirali to understand him. She recalls, “He was so frustrated because he’s such a bright boy and has so much to express, but no one could ever understand him.”
Bryson started meeting with Nirali in early 2025, three times per week. These frequent sessions helped him make progress quickly. Nirali says, “We began working on expressive language skills, then turned toward articulation therapy to help his speech become clearer.”
Olivia could see the progress happening and felt reassured in her decision to try Expressable. “He was getting speech therapy at school, but I knew he needed one-on-one therapy, as well.”
He was getting speech therapy at school, but I knew he needed one-on-one therapy, as well.
One of the benefits of this one-on-one therapy was the quick friendship Nirali and Bryson formed. “Ms. Nirali…that’s a good woman right there,” Olivia says. “She is so patient. She pays attention.”
With individualized speech therapy, it’s also easier to focus on the child’s interests. Olivia appreciates how Nirali incorporates things that are important to Bryson in their sessions. She talks to him about his puppy and plays games and songs that he enjoys, like “Driving in My Car” from Super Simple Songs. All of this keeps Bryson engaged in and excited about therapy, which helps him learn more quickly.
Home practice leads to faster progress
To help Bryson learn more speech sounds, Nirali taught him “silly sounds,” as she calls them. She gave him a hand cue to show him how to make the sound, such as running her hand up her arm like a snake for the /s/ sound, or touching her lips for the /m/ sound.
Olivia appreciated this fun, simple way to practice speech with Bryson at home. He enjoyed doing the motions and working on each new sound. In fact, Nirali attributes much of Bryson’s progress to how diligently his family completes home practice. She assigns them weekly activities through the Expressable client portal. In the portal, families can review what they’re learning in sessions and get easy, personalized activities to work on at home.
Nirali attributes much of Bryson’s progress to how diligently his family completes home practice.
Olivia notes that not only is the practice fun, it’s easy to add into their daily routines. They can work on Bryson’s speech therapy goals while cooking together or riding in the car—everyday activities that they’re already doing.
After a year of speech therapy with Expressable, Bryson can say all of his “silly sounds,” which is helping him communicate without getting so frustrated. He’s also connecting words and forming sentences. He continues to work with Nirali and gain new skills. Olivia says, “He has made so much progress. Nirali met Bryson where he was. She helped him grow.”
Online speech therapy makes it easier for parents to be involved
Olivia recalls that at first, she felt uncertain about online speech therapy. Now, she’s glad she made the decision to try Expressable. As she explains, “I get to see Bryson at home while he’s doing therapy, which I may not get to do somewhere else. When you’re in the house, you get to see what your child may be struggling with, where they need help, and what they’re practicing.”
She adds, “Online therapy is convenient, and it’s good for my schedule too.”
One of the biggest benefits of online speech therapy is that it’s easy for parents and caregivers to attend alongside their child. At Expressable, we encourage families to be involved as much as possible. Our speech therapists partner with caregivers to teach them how to support their child at home, between sessions. The more a child can practice their new communication skills during everyday life, the faster progress they make.
If you’re considering speech therapy for your child, reach out to Expressable. We’ll match you with a licensed speech therapist like Nirali who will help your child become the best communicator they can be.
How Expressable Can Help
Concerned your child isn't reaching age-expected milestones? Looking for communication support from a professional? Expressable is a national online speech therapy practice serving children and adults. We treat all major areas of communication and feeding, offer flexible hours including evenings and weekends, and accept most major health insurance plans. We’re proud to have earned more than 3,000 5-star reviews from our clients (4.9/5 average).
Our therapy model is centered on parent and caregiver involvement. Research proves that empowering caregivers to participate in their loved one’s therapy leads to better outcomes. That’s why we combine live, 1-on-1 speech therapy with personalized education and home practice activities for faster progress.
Communication is more than words. It’s how we share how we feel and show who we are. We’re here to help you or your child do just that.
